Broome County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Broome County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Broome County.
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.
I need help for my Broome 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 Broome 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 Broome 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.
Broome County Criminal Court
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.
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.
The Right to Trial by Jury
The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to a trial by a jury. This is applicable for when the crime can carry a sentence of 6 months in jail OR a $500 fine, these are known as “Serious Crimes”. The defendant can also waive their right to a speedy and public trial.
Required Court Appearances in Broome County
Any required court appearances in Broome County Criminal Court must be attended by the defendant. Failure to appear in court at your required date and time may result in the judge issuing an arrest warrant.
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.
Broome County Prosecutor
For criminal cases in Broome County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Broome County. The Broome County prosecutor reviews all evidence and ultimately decides whether to file or dismiss charges in the case. Most of the time, the prosecutor has leeway in plea negotiations and determines how the case will be prosecuted.
What happens in Broome County at an arraignment?
In Broome County the defendant is brought into court and informed by the judge of the charges that have been filed against them along with informing them of their rights. At this time, the defendant can plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads guilty or no contest, there will be no trial and the defendant may be sentenced immediately or at a later date. If the defendant pleads not guilty a trial date is set.
Where will Broome County criminal case hearings take place?
Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Broome County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Broome County.
If guilty, who sentences the defendant?
If the defendant is found guilty after the trial, the defendent will be sentenced. In some cases, this can occur at the same hearing the defendant is found guilty in court, in other cases a separate hearing will be required. Often the prosecution will request a particular sentence for the defendant and the judge will determine whether to enforce this sentence or impose a different sentence for the defendant.
Burden of Proof Requirement
In a criminal case in the United States, the burden of proof always requires the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This is a high threshold that must be met by the prosecution when presenting evidence in a case. If the prosecution fails in it’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt the judge must find the defendant not guilty. In a jury trial, the judge will inform the jury what this burden is and their obligation to find the defendant not guilty if they feel the prosecution did prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Broome County Criminal Court Locations
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Broome County Surrogate’s Court
Address: Mailing address: PO Box 1766, Binghamton NY 13902
Phone: 607-240-5789 -
Broome County Court
Address: Mailing address: PO Box 1766, Binghamton NY 13902
Phone: 607-240-5800 Fax: 607-240-5940 -
Binghamton City Court
Address: 38 Hawley Street, 5th Floor, Binghamton NY 13901
Phone: 607-772-7006 Fax: 607-772-7041 -
Barker Town Court
Address: 151 Hyde Street, PO Box 66, Castle Creek NY 13744
Phone: 607-648-6961 Fax: 607-648-7499 -
Binghamton Town Court
Address: 279 Park Avenue, Binghamton NY 13903
Phone: 607-772-0357 Ext. 19 Fax: 607-772-0749 -
Chenango Justice Court
Address: 1529 State Route 12, Binghamton NY 13901
Phone: 607-648-4809 Fax: 607-648-8603 -
Colesville Town Court
Address: 780 Welton Street, PO Box 166, Harpursville NY 13787
Phone: 607-693-1172 Fax: 607-693-3500 -
Conklin Town Court
Address: 1271 Conklin Road, PO Box 182, Conklin NY 13748
Phone: 607-775-5244 Fax: 607-775-5464 -
Deposit Village Court
Address: 146 Front Street, Deposit NY 13754
Phone: 607-467-4240 Fax: 607-467-4240 -
Dickinson Town Court
Address: 531 Old Front Street, Binghamton NY 13905
Phone: 607-723-9403 Fax: 607-723-3530 -
Endicott Village Court
Address: 225 Jefferson Avenue, Endicott NY 13760
Phone: 607-757-2483 Fax: 607-757-5315 -
Fenton Justice Court
Address: 44 Park Street, Port Crane NY 13833
Phone: 607-648-4801 Ext. 1 Fax: 607-648-4366 -
Johnson City Village Court
Address: 31 Avenue C, Johnson City NY 13790
Phone: 607-798-0002 Fax: 607-798-9051 -
Kirkwood Town Court
Address: 70 Crescent Drive, Kirkwood NY 13795
Phone: 607-775-2653 Fax: 607-775-4589 -
Lisle Town Court
Address: PO Box 247, Lisle NY 13797
Phone: 607-849-4685 Fax: 607-849-4938 -
Maine Town Court
Address: 12 Lewis Street, PO Box 141, Maine NY 13802
Phone: 607-862-3427 Fax: 607-862-9419 -
Nanticoke Town Court
Address: PO Box 71, Glen Aubrey NY 13777
Phone: 692-4041 Ext.302 Fax: 607-692-3552 -
Sanford Town Court
Address: 18 Church Street, Deposit NY 13754
Phone: 607-467-2516 Fax: 607-467-2297 -
Triangle Town Court
Address: 2612 Liberty Street, PO Box 289, Whitney Point NY 13862
Phone: 607-692-7013 Fax: 607-692-4910 -
Union Town Court
Address: 3121 East Main Street, Endwell NY 13760
Phone: 607-786-2965 Fax: 607-786-0783 -
Vestal Town Court
Address: 605 Vestal Parkway West, Vestal NY 13850
Phone: 607-748-1514 Fax: 607-754-2496 -
Windsor Town Court
Address: 124 Main Street, Windsor NY 13865
Phone: 607-655-1973 Fax: 607-655-4106