Hartley County Criminal Court

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

Who can help me in Hartley County?

For general information about your case the Hartley 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.

Right to Jury Trial

For “Serious Crimes”, those that can have a potential penalty of 6 months in jail OR a minimum $500 penalty, the US Constitution guarantees a right to trial by jury. This is guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution and the 6th Amendment. The accused has the ability to waive their right to trial by jury.

Hartley County Criminal Court hearings

Criminal hearings in Hartley County will take place at the Hartley County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Hartley County Criminal Court Locations.

What happens in Hartley County at an arraignment?

In Hartley 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.

Sentencing in Hartley County

In Hartley 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.

Can I request a Plea Agreement?

In Hartley 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.

Mandatory Appearances in Hartley County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Hartley 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.

Prosecutor in Hartley County

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

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 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.

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

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.

Hartley County Criminal Court Locations

• Hartley County 69th District Court

  Address: Phone: 806-235-3582, x101 Fax: 806-235-2316

• Hartley County Constitutional Court

  Address: Phone: 806-235-3582, x101 Fax: 806-235-2316

• Hartley County Justice of the Peace

  Address: 701 Texas Blvd, Dalhart TX 79022
  Phone: 806-244-2939 Fax: 806-244-2299

• Channing Municipal Court

  Address: PO Box 34, Channing TX 79018
  Phone: 806-235-3106