Nueces County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Nueces County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Nueces County.
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.
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.
Nueces County Criminal Court
Nueces County Prosecutor
For criminal cases in Nueces County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Nueces County. The Nueces County prosecutor reviews all evidence and ultimately decides whether to file or dismiss charges in the case. Most of the time, the prosecutor has leeway in plea negotiations and determines how the case will be prosecuted.
Nueces County Required Court Appearances
In Nueces 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.
Nueces County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Nueces County will take place at the Nueces County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Nueces County Criminal Court Locations.
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.
Where can I get help for my Nueces 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 Nueces 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.
Can I request a Plea Agreement?
In Nueces 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.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Nueces 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.
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.
What happens in Nueces County at an arraignment?
In Nueces 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.
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.
Nueces County Criminal Court Locations
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Nueces County 28th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 94th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 105th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 117th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 148th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 214th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 319th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County 347th District Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #313, PO Box 2987, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0450 Fax: 361-888-0571 -
Nueces County Constitutional Court
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Court at Law No. 1
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Court at Law No. 2
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Court at Law No. 3
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Court at Law No. 4
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Court at Law No. 5
Address: 901 Leopard St, #201, PO Box 2627, Corpus Christi TX 78403
Phone: 361-888-0580 Fax: 361-888-0881 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 1
Address: 901 Leopard St, #116, Corpus Christi TX 78401
Phone: 361-888-0201 Fax: 361-888-0279 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 2
Address: 901 Leopard St, #115, Corpus Christi TX 78401
Phone: 361-888-0210 Fax: 361-888-0321 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Place 3
Address: 11408 Leopard St, Corpus Christi TX 78410
Phone: 361-241-1222 Fax: 361-242-2677 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Place 1
Address: 4626 Weber Rd, #300, Corpus Christi TX 78411
Phone: 361-853-4079 Fax: 361-853-4092 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Place 2
Address: 10110 Compton Rd, Corpus Christi TX 78418
Phone: 361-937-2614 Fax: 361-937-1015 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Address: 115 S Ash St, PO Box 27, Bishop TX 78343
Phone: 361-584-2411 Fax: 361-584-1521 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Address: 705 W Ave A, PO Box 133, Port Aransas TX 78373
Phone: 361-749-5660 Fax: 361-749-0231 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 1
Address: 710 E Main St, Robstown TX 78380
Phone: 361-767-5205 Fax: 361-767-5266 -
Nueces County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Place 2
Address: 1514 2nd St, PO Box 387, Agua Dulce TX 78330
Phone: 361-998-2231 Fax: 361-387-0645 -
Aransas Pass Municipal Court
Address: 645 W Lott Ave, Aransas Pass TX 78336
Phone: 361-758-2888 Fax: 361-758-0204 -
Bishop Municipal Court
Address: PO Box 356, Bishop TX 78343
Phone: 361-584-2567 -
Corpus Christi Municipal Court
Address: 120 N Chaparral, Corpus Christi TX 78401
Phone: 361-886-2500 -
Driscoll Municipal Court
Address: PO Box 178, Driscoll TX 78351
Phone: 361-767-0096 -
Port Aransas Municipal Court
Address: 705 W Avenue A, Port Aransas TX 78373
Phone: 361-749-6618 Fax: 361-749-7269 -
Robstown Municipal Court
Address: PO Box 488, Robstown TX 78380
Phone: 361-387-9558