Parmer County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Parmer County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Parmer County.
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.
What is the Burden of Proof?
The term “Burden of Proof” means that the prosecutor is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot provide proof of the defendants guilt, then the judge or jury in a trial must find the defendant not guilty. In the United States the principle innocent until proven guilty derives from this that the defendant is assumed innocent and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
Parmer County Criminal Court
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 Parmer County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
Where can I get help for my Parmer 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 Parmer 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.
Parmer County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Parmer County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
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.
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.
Parmer County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Parmer County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Parmer County Criminal Court and the judge will read the charges that were filed against the defendant. The judge will also read the rights the defendant has and ask the defendant if they understand both the charges filed against them and their rights as a defendant in the case. In Parmer County a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest may be entered. In a guilty or no contest plea the sentencing of the defendant may take place at the same arraignment hearing or a later date may be scheduled for sentencing. For a not guilty plea, a date will be set for a trial.
Parmer County Required Court Appearances
In Parmer 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.
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.
Prosecutor in Parmer County
In Parmer County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Parmer County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Texas. For the most part, the prosecutor in Parmer County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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.
Parmer County Criminal Court Locations
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Parmer County 287th District Court
Address: 401 3rd St, PO Box 195, Farwell TX 79325
Phone: 806-481-3419 Fax: 806-481-9416 -
Parmer County Constitutional Court
Address: PO Box 356, Farwell TX 79325
Phone: 806-481-3691 Fax: 806-481-9154 -
Parmer County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
Address: 102 W 9th St, PO Box 635, Friona TX 79035
Phone: 806-250-2412 Fax: 806-250-2414 -
Parmer County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Address: PO Box 849, Bovina TX 79009
Phone: 806-251-1356 Fax: 806-251-1579 -
Parmer County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Address: 401 3rd St, PO Box 781, Farwell TX 79325
Phone: 806-481-9964 Fax: 806-481-9965 -
Bovina Municipal Court
Address: 205 North St, PO Box 720, Bovina TX 79009
Phone: 806-251-1133 Fax: 806-251-1805 -
Farwell Municipal Court
Address: PO Box 338, Farwell TX 79325
Phone: 806-481-3620 -
Friona Municipal Court
Address: 105 W 7th, Friona TX 79035
Phone: 806-250-2198