Morrow County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Morrow County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Morrow County.
Mandatory Appearances in Morrow County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Morrow 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.
Appealing a Criminal Conviciton
A defendant may appeal a criminal conviction to an appellate court. In an appeal, the actual trial is not redone, but the appellate court hears arguments that the criminal case was not handled in a legal manner at the original criminal court. The appellate court can either uphold the conviction, or determine that errors were made and may request a retrial, a resentencing of the defendant or that the charges be dismissed.
Morrow County Criminal Court
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.
Morrow County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Morrow County will take place at the Morrow County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Morrow 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.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Morrow 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.
Prosecutor in Morrow County
In Morrow County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Morrow County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Ohio. For the most part, the prosecutor in Morrow County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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.
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.
Morrow County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Morrow County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Morrow 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 Morrow 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.
Where can I get help for my Morrow 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 Morrow 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.
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.
Morrow County Criminal Court Locations
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Morrow County Court of Common Pleas
Address: 48 E High St, Mount Gilead OH 43338
Phone: 419-947-2085 Fax: 419-947-5421 -
Morrow County Municipal Court
Address: 48 E High St, Mount Gilead OH 43338
Phone: 419-947-5045 Fax: 419-946-4070 -
Cardington Mayor’s Court
Address: 215 Park Ave, PO Box 10, Cardington OH 43315
Phone: 419-864-7607 Fax: 419-864-0536 -
Edison Mayor’s Court
Address: 103 N Boundary St, Edison OH 43320
Phone: 419-946-9146 -
Mount Gilead Mayor’s Court
Address: 72 W High St, Mount Gilead OH 43338
Phone: 419-946-3926