Mercer County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Mercer County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Mercer County.
Where can I get help for my Mercer County criminal case?
The 6th amendment of the United States Constitution provides a criminal defendant with the right to an attorney. As read in the miranda rights, this means that if a defendant cannot afford to hire a private attorney a legal attorney will be appointed to the defendant to represent him at no cost to the defendant. This is often a public defender. In addition, the court clerk for Mercer County will also be able to provide general information about a specific criminal case. The clerk can only provide information and is not an attorney so they cannot provide legal advice, only a licensed attorney can provide legal advice about what the best options for are for your particular case.
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.
Mercer County Criminal Court
Prosecutor in Mercer County
In Mercer County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Mercer County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent New Jersey. For the most part, the prosecutor in Mercer County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Mercer County, after both the prosecution and defense have rested, the judge will give instructions to the jury and jury deliberations will begin. The jury will convence in a private room to discuss and deliberate the innocence or guilt of the defendant. Once the jury arrives at a unimanous decision, they will inform the judge that they have reached a decision. They will return to the court and the verdict will be read aloud. If the jury cannot reach a unaminous decision, the jury is said to be deadlocked and a mistrial will be declared in the case.
Can I request a Plea Agreement?
In Mercer County you may be able to enter into a plea agreement depending upon the severity of the charges. It is also dependant upon the prosecution willing to accept a plea agreement. You can ask your attorney to attempt to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution to avoid having a jury trial along with the potential for a more serious sentence. Approximately 9 out of 10 criminal cases usually end in a plea agreement.
Burden of Proof
The burden of proof is always on the prosecution in a criminal trial. In other words, the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. The defense must only prove that there is a reasonable possibility that the defendant did NOT commit the crime. If the prosecution cannot prove that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury will be instructed to find the defendant not-guilty.
Arraignments in Mercer County
During an arraignment in Mercer County, a defendant appears before the court and the judge reads the charges that have been filed against the accused and also informs the defendant of his/her rights. During the arraignment in Mercer County, the defendant can choose to plead one of the following 1) Guilty 2) Not Guilty or 3) No Contest. If the defendant enters a plea of Not Guilty, a date for trial is set. In the event of a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Mercer County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
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.
Mercer County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Mercer County will take place at the Mercer County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Mercer County Criminal Court Locations.
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.
Mandatory Appearances in Mercer County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Mercer 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.
What if I can’t afford an attorney?
The 6th Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney whether or not you can afford one. If you cannot afford one, a public defender will be appointed by the court to represent you.
Mercer County Criminal Court Locations
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Mercer County Superior Court
Address: PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-571-4000 -
Mercer County Superior Court – Civil Division
Address: 175 South Broad Street, 1st Floor, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-571-4474 Fax: 609-571-4473 -
Mercer County Superior Court – Civil Division – General Equity
Address: 175 South Broad Street, 4th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-989-6326 -
Mercer County Superior Court – Criminal Division
Address: 400 South Warren Street, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-571-4104 Fax: 609-571-4150 -
Mercer County Superior Court – Family Division
Address: 175 South Broad Street, 2nd Floor, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-571-4380 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 175 South Broad Street, Room 420, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650
Phone: 609-989-6331 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 30 East Darrah Lane, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing Township, NJ 08628
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 40 Lanning Boulevard, East Windsor, NJ 08520
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 409 Cypress Lane, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 201 Washington Crossing Road, Titusville, NJ 08560
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 30 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ 08534
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
Mercer County Surrogate’s Office
Address: 1117 US Route 130, Robbinsville, NJ 08691
Phone: 609-989-6336 -
East Windsor Municipal Court
Address: 80 One Mile Road, East Windsor, NJ 08520
Phone: 609-448-3228 -
Ewing Township Municipal Court
Address: 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing, NJ 08628
Phone: 609-883-2900 Fax: 609-883-1746 -
Hamilton Township Municipal Court
Address: 1270 Whitehorse Avenue, Hamilton, NJ 08619
Phone: 609-581-4071 Fax: 609-581-4198 -
Hightstown Municipal Court
Address: 1117 Route 130, Robbinsville, NJ 08691
Phone: 609-259-3522 Fax: 609-208-2563 -
Hopewell Borough Municipal Court
Address: 88 East Broad Street, Hopewell, NJ 08825
Phone: 609-466-0968 Fax: 609-466-8511 -
Hopewell Township Municipal Court
Address: 201 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ 08560
Phone: 609-737-1035 Fax: 609-818-0991 -
Lawrence Township Municipal Court
Address: 2207 Lawrenceville Road, PO Box 6006, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Phone: 609-844-7159 Fax: 609-844-7156 -
Pennington Municipal Court
Address: 30 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ 08534
Phone: 609-737-1016 Fax: 609-737-9780 -
Princeton Municipal Court
Address: 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: 609-924-5042 Fax: 609-924-5902 -
Robbinsville Township Municipal Court
Address: 1117 US Route 130, Robbinsville, NJ 08691
Phone: 609-259-3522 Fax: 609-208-2563 -
Trenton Municipal Court
Address: 225 North Clinton Avenue, PO Box 1360, Trenton, NJ 08607
Phone: 609-989-3700 Fax: 609-989-4247 -
West Windsor Municipal Court
Address: 20 Municipal Drive, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Phone: 609-799-0915