Tillman County Criminal Court

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

Mandatory Appearances in Tillman County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Tillman 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.

Plea Agreements

A Plea Agreement, sometimes known as a Plea Bargain is an agreement between the prosecution and the defendant, where the defendant pleads guilty or no contest often in exchange for a lesser charge or lighter recommended sentence. A large majority of criminal cases end in a plea agreement. In Tillman County you can inform your attorney to negotiate with the prosecution to attempt to come to a plea agreement, but this is dependent upon the charge severity and also the prosecutors willingness to accept a plea deal.

Tillman County Criminal Court

Tillman County Criminal Court

Arraignments in Tillman County

During an arraignment in Tillman County, a defendant appears before the court and the judge reads the charges that have been filed against the accused and also informs the defendant of his/her rights. During the arraignment in Tillman County, the defendant can choose to plead one of the following 1) Guilty 2) Not Guilty or 3) No Contest. If the defendant enters a plea of Not Guilty, a date for trial is set. In the event of a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Tillman County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.

Appealing a guilty verdict

A defendant may appeal a guilty verdict to an appellate court. This is not a request to have another trial, but a request for an appellate court to review the case and determine that it was handled in a correct legal manner. There are a number of outcomes in an appeal including an upholding of the conviction, a finding that errors were made resulting in a retrial or resentencing or possibly a complete disimissal of all charges.

Jury Deliberations in Tillman County

In Tillman 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.

Where can I get help for my Tillman 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 Tillman 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.

Where will Tillman County criminal case hearings take place?

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

Prosecutor in Tillman County

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

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.

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.

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.

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 Tillman County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.

Tillman County Criminal Court Locations

  • Tillman County District Court

    Address: 201 North Main Street, PO Box 116, Frederick, OK 73542
    Phone: 580-335-3023 Fax: 580-335-5613

  • Davidson Municipal Court

    Address: 308 West Grand Street, Davidson, OK 73530
    Phone: 580-568-2600

  • Frederick Municipal Court

    Address: 208 South Main Street, Frederick, OK 73542
    Phone: 580-335-5702

  • Grandfield Municipal Court

    Address: 223 South Main Street, Grandfield, OK 73546
    Phone: 580-479-5215

  • Tipton Municipal Court

    Address: 100 West Main Street, Tipton, OK 73570
    Phone: 580-667-5211

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