Colorado County Criminal Court

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

Colorado County Criminal Court locations

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

What if I can’t afford an attorney?

The 6th Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney whether or not you can afford one. If you cannot afford one, a public defender will be appointed by the court to represent you.

Colorado County Criminal Court

Colorado County Criminal Court

Where can I get help for my Colorado 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 Colorado 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.

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.

Can I request a Plea Agreement?

In Colorado County you may be able to enter into a plea agreement depending upon the severity of the charges. It is also dependant upon the prosecution willing to accept a plea agreement. You can ask your attorney to attempt to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution to avoid having a jury trial along with the potential for a more serious sentence. Approximately 9 out of 10 criminal cases usually end in a plea agreement.

Colorado County Required Court Appearances

In Colorado 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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Colorado 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.

Arraignments in Colorado County

During an arraignment in Colorado 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 Colorado 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 Colorado County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.

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.

Prosecutor in Colorado County

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

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.

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.

Colorado County Criminal Court Locations

  • Colorado County 25th District Court

    Address: 318 Spring St, #111, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-2536 Fax: 979-732-2591

  • Colorado County 2nd 25th District Court

    Address: 318 Spring St, #111, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-2536 Fax: 979-732-2591

  • Colorado County Constitutional Court

    Address: 318 Spring St, #103, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-2155 Fax: 979-732-8852

  • Colorado County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1

    Address: 2215 Walnut, PO Box 783, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-2734 Fax: 979-732-3022

  • Colorado County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2

    Address: 105 E Main, PO Box 945, Weimar TX 78962
    Phone: 979-725-8833 Fax: 979-725-8671

  • Colorado County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3

    Address: 1117 Travis St, PO Box 933, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-8725 Fax: 979-732-8725

  • Colorado County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4

    Address: 121 N McCarty, PO Drawer 396, Eagle Lake TX 77434
    Phone: 979-234-2042 Fax: 979-234-2851

  • Columbus Municipal Court

    Address: 605 Spring St, PO Box 705, Columbus TX 78934
    Phone: 979-732-3981

  • Eagle Lake Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 38, Eagle Lake TX 77434
    Phone: 979-234-2640

  • Weimar Municipal Court

    Address: 106 E Main St, PO Box 67, Weimar TX 78962
    Phone: 979-725-8554 Fax: 979-725-8488

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