Okmulgee County Criminal Court

Okmulgee County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Okmulgee County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Okmulgee County.

Right to Jury Trial

For “Serious Crimes”, those that can have a potential penalty of 6 months in jail OR a minimum $500 penalty, the US Constitution guarantees a right to trial by jury. This is guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution and the 6th Amendment. The accused has the ability to waive their right to trial by jury.

Where will Okmulgee County criminal case hearings take place?

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

Okmulgee County Criminal Court

Okmulgee 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.

Required Court Appearances in Okmulgee County

Any required court appearances in Okmulgee 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.

Okmulgee County Prosecutor

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

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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Okmulgee 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.

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.

Okmulgee County Arraignments

An arraignment is a court hearing. In Okmulgee County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Okmulgee 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 Okmulgee 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 Okmulgee 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 Okmulgee 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.

What is the Burden of Proof?

The term “Burden of Proof” means that the prosecutor is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot provide proof of the defendants guilt, then the judge or jury in a trial must find the defendant not guilty. In the United States the principle innocent until proven guilty derives from this that the defendant is assumed innocent and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.

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.

Okmulgee County Criminal Court Locations

  • Okmulgee County District Court

    Address: 314 West 7th Street, Okmulgee, OK 74447
    Phone: 918-756-3042 Fax: 918-758-1237

  • Beggs Municipal Court

    Address: 108 North Broadway, PO Box 567, Beggs, OK 74421
    Phone: 918- 267-4935

  • Dewar Municipal Court

    Address: 105 North Broadway Street, Dewar, OK 74431
    Phone: 918-652-4042

  • Henryetta Municipal Court

    Address: 115 South 4th Street, Henryetta, OK 74437
    Phone: 918-652-3348

  • Morris Municipal Court

    Address: 501 South Hughes Avenue, Morris, OK 74445
    Phone: 918-733-4222

  • Okmulgee Municipal Court

    Address: 111 East 4th Street, Okmulgee, OK 74447
    Phone: 918-758-1185

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