Bell County Criminal Court

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

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.

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

Bell County Criminal Court locations

Criminal proceedings take place in the Bell County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.

What happens in Bell County at an arraignment?

In Bell 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.

Who is the prosecutor for Bell County?

Depending upon the case, the prosecutor for Bell County criminal cases will either be a representative of Bell County or a representative from Texas. After reviewing evidence it is the prosecutor’s decision whether to file charges or drop a case. Most prosecutors have the ability to negotiate plea bargains, and determine how the case will be prosecuted.

Who can help me in Bell County?

For general information about your case the Bell 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.

Mandatory Appearances in Bell County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Bell 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.

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.

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 Deliberation

In a jury trial in Bell 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.

If guilty, who sentences the defendant?

If the defendant is found guilty after the trial, the defendent will be sentenced. In some cases, this can occur at the same hearing the defendant is found guilty in court, in other cases a separate hearing will be required. Often the prosecution will request a particular sentence for the defendant and the judge will determine whether to enforce this sentence or impose a different sentence for the defendant.

Bell County Criminal Court Locations

• Bell County 27th District Court

  Address: Phone: 254-933-5197 Fax: 254-933-5292 (Civil), 254-933-5199 (Criminal)

• Bell County 146th District Court

  Address: Phone: 254-933-5197 Fax: 254-933-5292 (Civil), 254-933-5199 (Criminal)

• Bell County 169th District Court

  Address: Phone: 254-933-5197 Fax: 254-933-5292 (Civil), 254-933-5199 (Criminal)

• Bell County 264th District Court

  Address: Phone: 254-933-5197 Fax: 254-933-5292 (Civil), 254-933-5199 (Criminal)

• Bell County 426th District Court

  Address: Phone: 254-933-5197 Fax: 254-933-5292 (Civil), 254-933-5199 (Criminal)

• Bell County Constitutional Court

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 480, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5160 Fax: 254-933-5176

• Bell County Clerk’s Office

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 480, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5160 Fax: 254-933-5176

• Bell County Court at Law No. 1

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 781, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5127 Fax: 254-933-5705

• Bell County Court at Law No. 2

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 485, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5125 Fax: 254-933-5256

• Bell County Court at Law No. 3

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 365, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5791 Fax: 254-933-5792

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1

  Address: 1201 Huey Rd, PO Box 88, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5183 Fax: 254-933-5768

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2

  Address: 815 N Stagecoach Rd, Suite 300, PO Box 415, Salado TX 76571
  Phone: 254-947-3573 Fax: 254-947-3702

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Place 1

  Address: 205 E Central Ave, Temple TX 76501
  Phone: 254-770-6822 Fax: 254-770-6820

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Place 2

  Address: 205 E Central Ave, Temple TX 76501
  Phone: 254-770-6831 Fax: 254-770-6833

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Place 1

  Address: 301 Priest Dr, Killeen TX 76541
  Phone: 254-634-5882 Fax: 254-634-3326

• Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Place 2

  Address: 301 Priest Dr, PO Box 517, Killeen TX 76540
  Phone: 254-634-7612 Fax: 254-634-3875

• Bartlett Municipal Court

  Address: PO Drawer H, Bartlett TX 76511
  Phone: 254-527-3219

• Belton Municipal Court

  Address: 711 E Second Ave, PO Box 120, Belton TX 76513
  Phone: 254-933-5838 Fax: 254-933-5870

• Harker Heights Municipal Court

  Address: 305 Millers Crossing, Harker Heights TX 76548
  Phone: 254-953-5620 Fax: 254-953-5624

• Holland Municipal Court

  Address: 102 W Travis, PO Box 157, Holland TX 76534
  Phone: 254-657-2460 Fax: 254-657-8025

• Killeen Municipal Court

  Address: 200 E Avenue D, 1st Floor, PO Box 1329, Killeen TX 76540
  Phone: 254-501-7850 Fax: 254-501-7889

• Little River – Academy Municipal Court

  Address: PO Box 521, Little River TX 76554
  Phone: 254-982-4248

• Morgan’s Point Resort Municipal Court

  Address: 8 Morgan’s Point Blvd, Morgan’s Point Resort TX 76513
  Phone: 254-780-1334 Fax: 254-780-9287

• Nolanville Municipal Court

  Address: 100 N Main St, PO Box 128, Nolanville TX 76559
  Phone: 254-698-6093 Fax: 254-698-6337

• Rogers Municipal Court

  Address: 2 W Mesquite Ave, PO Box 250, Rogers TX 76569
  Phone: 254-642-3312 Fax: 254-642-3102

• Salado Municipal Court

  Address: 301 N Stagecoach Rd, PO Box 219, Salado TX 76571
  Phone: 254-947-5060 Fax: 254-947-5061

• Temple Municipal Court

  Address: 401 N Third St, Temple TX 76501

• Troy Municipal Court

  Address: 201 E Main St, PO Box 389, Troy TX 76579
  Phone: 254-938-2505 Fax: 254-938-2258