Texas County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Texas County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Texas County.
Texas County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Texas County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Texas County Criminal Court and the judge will read the charges that were filed against the defendant. The judge will also read the rights the defendant has and ask the defendant if they understand both the charges filed against them and their rights as a defendant in the case. In Texas County a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest may be entered. In a guilty or no contest plea the sentencing of the defendant may take place at the same arraignment hearing or a later date may be scheduled for sentencing. For a not guilty plea, a date will be set for a trial.
Defendant Sentencing
At a sentence hearing the judge will inform the defendant of the sentence that will be imposed. This sometimes occurs at the same hearing in which the defendant is found guilty (either by trial or plea agreement). In can also occur at a later date, most often this is due to the complexity of the case where more time is needed to determine the appropriate sentence.
Texas County Criminal Court
Mandatory Appearances in Texas County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Texas County, the defendant must appear before the court. In the event of a “Failure to Appear” the judge may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. Note: not all criminal hearings are mandatory, in a non-mandatory hearing an attorney may appear on your behalf without you being in court.
The Right to Counsel
The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.s. Constitution give defendants in criminal cases the right to counsel/attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to represent you. Like other rights a defendant has, this one can be waived as well and alternatively you can choose to represent yourself.
What is Jury Deliberation?
After both the prosecution and defense have presented their cases, the judge in the case will provide instructions to the jury about what they must decide. The jury will be dismissed to the jury room where they will deliberate about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. After reaching a unaminous decision, they return their decision to the court where it is read aloud in the courtroom. If the jury is unable to reach a unaminous decision, the jury is deadlocked, also known as a hung jury, in which a mistrial will be declared.
Texas County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Texas County will take place at the Texas County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Texas County Criminal Court Locations.
Prosecutor in Texas County
In Texas County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Texas County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Missouri. For the most part, the prosecutor in Texas County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
What is a Plea Agreement?
A plea agreement is a deal made between the prosecution and the defendant in a case, where the defendant agrees to plea guilty to a particular charge in exchange for some concession from the prosecutor. In practice, more than 90% of criminal cases end with a plea agreement.
What is the Burden of Proof?
The term “Burden of Proof” means that the prosecutor is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot provide proof of the defendants guilt, then the judge or jury in a trial must find the defendant not guilty. In the United States the principle innocent until proven guilty derives from this that the defendant is assumed innocent and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
Right to Jury Trial
For “Serious Crimes”, those that can have a potential penalty of 6 months in jail OR a minimum $500 penalty, the US Constitution guarantees a right to trial by jury. This is guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution and the 6th Amendment. The accused has the ability to waive their right to trial by jury.
I need help for my Texas County criminal case
The best place to get information about your criminal case is from an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one to represent you which will assist in your case. For general information about your case the Texas County court clerk is able to provide general information about your specific case (e.g. date/time hearings, mandatory appearance, what will take place and what you will be required to do). The court clerk for Texas County will NOT be able to provide legal advice for your case, only an attorney can provide legal advice. The court clerk can provide legal information (like the information found on this website) about your case but cannot provide advice about what you should do in your legal manner.
Can I appeal a guilty verdict?
If found guilty, a defendant may decide to appeal his case to an appelate court. The appellate court will not retry the case, they will examine the proceedings in the lower court to make sure they were done in a legal manner. The appellate court can either uphold the original conviction, or determine that due to errors made in the original trial, that there must be a retrial, resentencing or a complete dismissal of the charges.
Texas County Criminal Court Locations
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Texas County Circuit Court
Address: 519 North Grand Avenue, Houston, MO 65483
Phone: 417-967-3742 Fax: 417-967-4220 -
Cabool Municipal Court
Address: 618 Main Street, PO Box 710, Cabool, MO 65689
Phone: 417-962-3136 Fax: 417-962-5144 -
Houston Municipal Court
Address: 601 South Grand, Houston, MO 65483
Phone: 417-967-3348 Fax: 417-967-4252 -
Licking Municipal Court
Address: 125 South Main, PO Box 89, Licking, MO 65542
Phone: 573-674-2521 Fax: 573-674-2914 -
Summersville Municipal Court
Address: 195 Rogers Avenue, PO Box 242, Summersville, MO 65571
Phone: 417-932-4299 Fax: 417-932-4358