Nelson County Criminal Court

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

Jury Deliberations in Nelson County

In Nelson 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.

Nelson County Criminal Court

Nelson County Criminal Court

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.

Nelson County Required Court Appearances

In Nelson 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.

Who can help me in Nelson County?

For general information about your case the Nelson 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.

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

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.

Prosecutor in Nelson County

In Nelson County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Nelson County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Virginia. For the most part, the prosecutor in Nelson County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.

Nelson County Criminal Court hearings

Criminal hearings in Nelson County will take place at the Nelson County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Nelson 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.

What happens in Nelson County at an arraignment?

In Nelson 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.

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.

Nelson County Criminal Court Locations

  • Nelson County Circuit Court – 24th Judicial Circuit

    Address: 84 Courthouse Sq, PO Box 10, Lovingston VA 22949
    Phone: 434-263-7020 Fax: 434-263-7027

  • Nelson County General District Court – 24th Judicial District

    Address: 84 Courthouse Sq, PO Box 514, Lovingston VA 22949
    Phone: 434-263-7040 Fax: 434-263-7033

  • Nelson County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

    Address: 84 Courthouse Sq, PO Box 7, Lovingston VA 22949
    Phone: 434-263-7030 Fax: 434-263-7044

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