Garvin County Criminal Court

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

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 happens in Garvin County at an arraignment?

In Garvin 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.

Garvin County Criminal Court

Garvin County Criminal Court

Who can help me in Garvin County?

For general information about your case the Garvin 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Garvin County Prosecutor

For criminal cases in Garvin County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Garvin County. The Garvin 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.

Garvin County Required Court Appearances

In Garvin County, there are both required and non-required court appearances for the defendant. At a required or mandatory appearance hearing, the defendant is required to appear in person before the court. Failing to appear at your required hearing may result in a bench warrant being issued for your arrest by the judge.

Right to an attorney

The US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment ensures the right to an attorney regardless of whether or not you can afford one. In Garvin County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.

Garvin County Criminal Court hearings

Criminal hearings in Garvin County will take place at the Garvin County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Garvin County Criminal Court Locations.

Garvin County Criminal Court Locations

  • Garvin County District Court

    Address: 201 West Grant Street, PO Box 239, Pauls Valley, OK 73075
    Phone: 405-238-5596 Fax: 405-238-1138

  • Elmore City Municipal Court

    Address: 106 South Main Street, PO Box 99, Elmore City, OK 73433
    Phone: 580-788-2345 Fax: 580-788-2346

  • Lindsay Municipal Court

    Address: 312 South Main Street, PO Box 708, Lindsay, OK 73052
    Phone: 405-756-2019

  • Maysville Municipal Court

    Address: 510 Main Street, PO Box 536, Maysville, OK 73057
    Phone: 405-867-5850

  • Paoli Municipal Court

    Address: 406 West Davis Street, Paoli, OK 73074
    Phone: 405-484-7844

  • Pauls Valley Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 778, Pauls Valley, OK 73075
    Phone: 405-238-3308

  • Stratford Municipal Court

    Address: 230 South Hyden Avenue, Stratford, OK 74872
    Phone: 580-759-2371

  • Wynnewood Municipal Court

    Address: 207 West Robert S. Kerr Boulevard, Wynnewood, OK 73098
    Phone: 405-665-2307

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