Garfield County Criminal Court

Garfield County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Garfield County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Garfield County.

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.

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.

Garfield County Criminal Court

Garfield County Criminal Court

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 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.

Mandatory Appearances in Garfield County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Garfield 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.

Sentencing in Garfield County

In Garfield County if the defendant is found guilty (by trial or plea), the defendant will be sentenced. This sometimes occurrs immediately after being found guilty, but can also take place at a later date. In most instances, a judge will impose the sentence that is requested by the prosecution, but they also have the descretion to impose a different sentence.

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.

Where will Garfield County criminal case hearings take place?

Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Garfield County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Garfield County.

Prosecutor in Garfield County

In Garfield County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Garfield County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Oklahoma. For the most part, the prosecutor in Garfield County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.

Jury Deliberations in Garfield County

In Garfield County, jury deliberations will take place in a jury trial after the prosecution and defense have presented their cases and rested. At this point, the judge will provide a list of instructions to the jury about what they are allowed and not allowed to do and what verdict options are available for them to decide. The jury will be sent to a private room to discuss the evidence presented in the case and attempt to reach a unaminous decision. When a unaminous decision is reached, the jury will inform the judge that they have reached a verdict and will return to the courtroom for the verdict to be read allowed. In the event that the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the jury results in a deadlock and a mistrial is declared.

Who can help me in Garfield County?

For general information about your case the Garfield County court clerk will be able to provide legal information about your specific criminal case. Legal information is not legal advice though, the court clerk will only be able to provide information about your case, like date/time of hearings what will occur at the hearing and what you may be required to do in the hearing. They cannot provide advice about what you should do or what the best legal options may be for your particular case. Only an attorney can provide legal advice and this is your best place for information about your specific criminal proceeding. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney to represent you, a judge will appoint an attorney to represent you, this is most often a public defender.

What happens in Garfield County at an arraignment?

In Garfield 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.

Garfield County Criminal Court Locations

  • Garfield County District Court

    Address: 114 West Broadway Avenue, Enid, OK 73701
    Phone: 580-237-0232 Fax: 580-548-2430

  • Covington Municipal Court

    Address: 224 West Main Street, PO Box 78, Covington, OK 73730
    Phone: 580-864-7428

  • Enid Municipal Court

    Address: 401 West Owen K. Garriott Road, Enid, OK 73701
    Phone: 580-616-7265

  • Fairmont Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 59, Fairmont, OK 73736
    Phone: 580-358-2282

  • Garber Municipal Court

    Address: 437 Main Street, PO Box 607, Garber, OK 73738
    Phone: 580-863-2254

  • Lahoma Municipal Court

    Address: 201 Main Street, PO Box 443, Lahoma, OK 73754
    Phone: 580-796-2600

  • North Enid Municipal Court

    Address: 220 Redwood, North Enid, OK 73701
    Phone: 580-234-5941

  • Waukomis Municipal Court

    Address: 121 South Main Street, PO Box 785, Waukomis, OK 73773
    Phone: 580-758-3242

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