Ector County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Ector County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Ector County.
Mandatory Appearances in Ector County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Ector 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.
Ector County Criminal Court
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.
Where can I get help for my Ector 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 Ector 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.
Sentencing in Ector County
In Ector 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.
Ector County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Ector County will take place at the Ector County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Ector County Criminal Court Locations.
Who is the prosecutor for Ector County?
Depending upon the case, the prosecutor for Ector County criminal cases will either be a representative of Ector 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.
Jury Deliberations in Ector County
In Ector 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.
Appealing a Criminal Conviciton
A defendant may appeal a criminal conviction to an appellate court. In an appeal, the actual trial is not redone, but the appellate court hears arguments that the criminal case was not handled in a legal manner at the original criminal court. The appellate court can either uphold the conviction, or determine that errors were made and may request a retrial, a resentencing of the defendant or that the charges be dismissed.
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 Ector 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.
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 Ector County at an arraignment?
In Ector 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.
Ector County Criminal Court Locations
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Ector County 70th District Court
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #301, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4290 Fax: 432-498-4292 -
Ector County 161st District Court
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #301, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4290 Fax: 432-498-4292 -
Ector County 244th District Court
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #301, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4290 Fax: 432-498-4292 -
Ector County 358th District Court
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #301, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4290 Fax: 432-498-4292 -
Ector County Constitutional Court
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #111, PO Box 707, Odessa TX 79760
Phone: 432-498-4130 Fax: 432-498-4177 -
Ector County Court at Law No. 1
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #111, PO Box 707, Odessa TX 79760
Phone: 432-498-4130 Fax: 432-498-4177 -
Ector County Court at Law No. 2
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #111, PO Box 707, Odessa TX 79760
Phone: 432-498-4130 Fax: 432-498-4177 -
Ector County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #208, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4201 Fax: 432-498-4178 -
Ector County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #208, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4202 Fax: 432-498-4178 -
Ector County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #208, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4203 Fax: 432-498-4178 -
Ector County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Address: 300 N Grant Ave, #208, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-498-4204 Fax: 432-498-4178 -
Odessa Municipal Court
Address: 201 N Grant Ave, Odessa TX 79761
Phone: 432-335-3300 Fax: 432-335-3316