Saratoga County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Saratoga County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Saratoga County.
Saratoga County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Saratoga County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
Saratoga County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Saratoga County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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.
Saratoga County Criminal Court
Mandatory Appearances in Saratoga County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Saratoga 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.
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.
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.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Saratoga 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.
Jury by Trial Right
The US Constitution (Article 3 along with the 6th Amendment) ensures an accused defendant the right to a jury trial. This applies to crimes that have a $500 fine or a potential sentence of six months in jail (aka Serious Crimes). This right to trial by jury can also be waived by a defendant.
I need help for my Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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 Saratoga 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.
Who is the prosecutor for Saratoga County?
Depending upon the case, the prosecutor for Saratoga County criminal cases will either be a representative of Saratoga County or a representative from New York. After reviewing evidence it is the prosecutor’s decision whether to file charges or drop a case. Most prosecutors have the ability to negotiate plea bargains, and determine how the case will be prosecuted.
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.
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.
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.
Saratoga County Criminal Court Locations
-
Saratoga County Surrogate’s Court
Address: 30 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa NY 12020
Phone: 518-451-8830 Fax: 518-453-8693 -
Saratoga County Court
Address: 30 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa NY 12020
Phone: 518-451-8840 Fax: 518-453-5937 -
Mechanicville City Court
Address: 36 North Main Street, Mechanicville NY 12118
Phone: 518-453-5959 -
Saratoga Springs City Court
Address: 474 Broadway, Saratoga Springs NY 12866
Phone: 518-451-8780 Fax: 518-453-8686 -
Ballston Spa Village Court
Address: 30 Bath Street, Ballston Spa NY 12020
Phone: 518-885-6393 -
Ballston Town Court
Address: 323 Charlton Road, Ballston Spa NY 12020
Phone: 518-885-8502 Ext. 18 -
Charlton Town Court
Address: 758 Charlton Road, Charlton NY 12019
Phone: 518-384-0152 Ext. 220 Fax: 518-384-3200 -
Clifton Park Town Court
Address: 5 Municipal Plaza, Clifton Park NY 12065
Phone: 518-371-6668 Fax: 518-371-3963 -
Corinth Justice Court
Address: 600 Palmer Avenue, Corinth NY 12822
Phone: 518-654-9232 Ext. 4 -
Day Town Court
Address: 1650 North Shore Road, Hadley NY 12835
Phone: 518-696-3789 -
Edinburg Justice Court
Address: 47 Military Road, Edinburg NY 12134
Phone: 518-863-2409 -
Galway Town Court
Address: 5910 Sacandaga Road, PO Box 219, Galway NY 12074
Phone: 518-882-6070 -
Galway Village Court
Address: 5910 Sacandaga Road, PO Box 219, Galway NY 12074
Phone: 518-882-6070 -
Greenfield Town Court
Address: 7 Wilton Road, PO Box 10, Greenfield Center NY 12833
Phone: 518-893-7432 Fax: 518-893-2460 -
Hadley Justice Court
Address: 4 Stony Creek Road, PO Box 323, Hadley NY 12835
Phone: 518-696-4379 Ext. 33 Fax: 518-696-5516 -
Halfmoon Justice Court
Address: 1 Halfmoon Town Plaza, Halfmoon NY 12065
Phone: 518-371-2592 -
Malta Town Court
Address: 2538 Route 9, Ballston Spa NY 12020
Phone: 518-899-6797 Fax: 518-899-2312 -
Milton Town Court
Address: 345 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Phone: 518-885-9267 Fax: 518-884-8317 -
Moreau Town Court
Address: 1390 Route 9, Gansevoort NY 12831
Phone: 518-793-3188 Fax: 518-793-3294 -
Northumberland Town Court
Address: 17 Catherine Street, PO Box 128, Gansevoort NY 12831
Phone: 518-745-0178 Fax: 518-745-0058 -
Providence Town Court
Address: 7187 Barkersville Road, Middle Grove NY 12850
Phone: 518-882-6753 -
Saratoga Town Court
Address: 12 Spring Street, Schuylerville NY 12871
Phone: 518-695-6887 Ext. 315 Fax: 518-695-3264 -
Stillwater Town Court
Address: Location: 66 East Street, Mechanicville NY 12118
Phone: 518-664-6946 Fax: 518-664-9837 -
Waterford Town Court
Address: 65 Broad Street, Waterford NY 12188
Phone: 518-237-6788 Fax: 518-238-2557 -
Wilton Town Court
Address: 20 Traver Road, Gansevoort NY 12831
Phone: 518-587-1980 Fax: 518-583-6443