Reeves County Criminal Court

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

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.

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.

Reeves County Criminal Court

Reeves County Criminal Court

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 Reeves 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.

Reeves County Criminal Court locations

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

Burden of Proof

The burden of proof is always on the prosecution in a criminal trial. In other words, the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. The defense must only prove that there is a reasonable possibility that the defendant did NOT commit the crime. If the prosecution cannot prove that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury will be instructed to find the defendant not-guilty.

Mandatory Appearances in Reeves County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Reeves 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.

Reeves County Prosecutor

For criminal cases in Reeves County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Reeves County. The Reeves 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.

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.

Who can help me in Reeves County?

For general information about your case the Reeves 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.

Jury Deliberations in Reeves County

In Reeves 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.

Reeves County Arraignments

An arraignment is a court hearing. In Reeves County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Reeves 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 Reeves 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.

Reeves County Criminal Court Locations

  • Reeves County 143rd District Court

    Address: 100 E 4th St, PO Box 848, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-2714 Fax: 432-445-7455

  • Reeves County Constitutional Court

    Address: 100 E 4th St, #101, PO Box 867, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-5467 Fax: 432-445-3997

  • Reeves County Court at Law

    Address: 100 E 4th St, #101, PO Box 867, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-5467 Fax: 432-445-3997

  • Reeves County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1

    Address: PO Box 913, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-2619

  • Reeves County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2

    Address: 700 Daggett St, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-447-2569

  • Reeves County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3

    Address: PO Box 193, Balmorhea TX 79718
    Phone: 432-375-2663

  • Reeves County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4

    Address: PO Box 1894, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-2628

  • Pecos Municipal Court

    Address: 508 S Oak St, PO Box 1227, Pecos TX 79772
    Phone: 432-445-2417 Fax: 432-445-0136

  • Toyah Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 124, Toyah TX 79785
    Phone: 432-448-6886

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.