Yoakum County Criminal Court

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

Yoakum County Required Court Appearances

In Yoakum 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.

What happens in Yoakum County at an arraignment?

In Yoakum 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.

Yoakum County Criminal Court

Yoakum County Criminal Court

Yoakum County Prosecutor

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

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.

Jury Deliberations in Yoakum County

In Yoakum 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.

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.

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.

Can I request a Plea Agreement?

In Yoakum 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.

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

Where will Yoakum County criminal case hearings take place?

Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Yoakum County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Yoakum County.

Where can I get help for my Yoakum 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 Yoakum 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.

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.

Yoakum County Criminal Court Locations

  • Yoakum County 121st District Court

    Address: Phone: 806-456-7491, x297 Fax: 806-456-8767

  • Yoakum County Constitutional Court

    Address: Phone: 806-456-7491, x294 Fax: 806-456-2258

  • Yoakum County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1

    Address: Phone: 806-456-7491, x293 Fax: 806-456-6175

  • Yoakum County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2

    Address: 412 W 5th St, Denver City TX 79323
    Phone: 806-592-3963 Fax: 806-592-7543

  • Denver City Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 1539, Denver City TX 79323
    Phone: 806-592-8880

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