Stephens County Criminal Court

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

Where will Stephens County criminal case hearings take place?

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

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.

Stephens County Criminal Court

Stephens County Criminal Court

Prosecutor in Stephens County

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

Sentencing in Stephens County

In Stephens 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.

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.

Mandatory Appearances in Stephens County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Stephens 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.

Who can help me in Stephens County?

For general information about your case the Stephens 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.

Burden of Proof Requirement

In a criminal case in the United States, the burden of proof always requires the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This is a high threshold that must be met by the prosecution when presenting evidence in a case. If the prosecution fails in it’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt the judge must find the defendant not guilty. In a jury trial, the judge will inform the jury what this burden is and their obligation to find the defendant not guilty if they feel the prosecution did prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

What happens in Stephens County at an arraignment?

In Stephens 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.

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.

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.

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.

Stephens County Criminal Court Locations

  • Stephens County District Court

    Address: 101 South 11th Street, Duncan, OK 73533
    Phone: 580-470-2000

  • Comanche Municipal Court

    Address: 500 North Rodeo Drive, Comanche, OK 73529
    Phone: 580-439-2417

  • Duncan Municipal Court

    Address: 714 Willow Avenue, PO Box 969, Duncan, OK 73534
    Phone: 580-252-0250 Ext. 7730 or 7738

  • Loco Municipal Court

    Address: 212 North 1st Street, Loco, OK 73442
    Phone: 580-537-2283

  • Marlow Municipal Court

    Address: 115 North 2nd Street, Marlow, OK 73055
    Phone: 580-658-5401

  • Velma Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 447, Velma, OK 73091
    Phone: 580-444-3393

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.