Franklin County Criminal Court

Franklin County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Franklin County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Franklin County.

Arraignments in Franklin County

During an arraignment in Franklin County, a defendant appears before the court and the judge reads the charges that have been filed against the accused and also informs the defendant of his/her rights. During the arraignment in Franklin County, the defendant can choose to plead one of the following 1) Guilty 2) Not Guilty or 3) No Contest. If the defendant enters a plea of Not Guilty, a date for trial is set. In the event of a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Franklin County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.

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.

Franklin County Criminal Court

Franklin County Criminal Court

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.

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.

Where will Franklin County criminal case hearings take place?

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

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.

Required Court Appearances in Franklin County

Any required court appearances in Franklin County Criminal Court must be attended by the defendant. Failure to appear in court at your required date and time may result in the judge issuing an arrest warrant.

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 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.

Where can I get help for my Franklin 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 Franklin 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.

Prosecutor in Franklin County

In Franklin County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Franklin County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Virginia. For the most part, the prosecutor in Franklin 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.

Franklin County Criminal Court Locations

  • Franklin County Circuit Court – 22nd Judicial Circuit

    Address: 275 S Main St, #212, PO Box 567, Rocky Mount VA 24151
    Phone: 540-483-3065 Fax: 540-483-3042

  • Franklin County General District Court – 22nd Judicial District

    Address: 275 S Main St, #111, PO Box 569, Rocky Mount VA 24151
    Phone: 540-483-3060 Fax: 540-483-3036

  • Franklin County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

    Address: 275 S Main St, #3, Rocky Mount VA 24151
    Phone: 540-483-3055 Fax: 540-483-6603

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