Taylor County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Taylor County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Taylor County.
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.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Taylor County, after both the prosecution and defense have rested, the judge will give instructions to the jury and jury deliberations will begin. The jury will convence in a private room to discuss and deliberate the innocence or guilt of the defendant. Once the jury arrives at a unimanous decision, they will inform the judge that they have reached a decision. They will return to the court and the verdict will be read aloud. If the jury cannot reach a unaminous decision, the jury is said to be deadlocked and a mistrial will be declared in the case.
Taylor County Criminal Court
Mandatory Appearances in Taylor County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Taylor 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Burden of Proof Requirement
In a criminal case in the United States, the burden of proof always requires the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This is a high threshold that must be met by the prosecution when presenting evidence in a case. If the prosecution fails in it’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt the judge must find the defendant not guilty. In a jury trial, the judge will inform the jury what this burden is and their obligation to find the defendant not guilty if they feel the prosecution did prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Arraignments in Taylor County
During an arraignment in Taylor 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 Taylor 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 Taylor County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
Taylor County Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in Taylor County will take place at the Taylor County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Taylor County Criminal Court Locations.
Prosecutor in Taylor County
In Taylor County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Taylor County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent West Virginia. For the most part, the prosecutor in Taylor County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
Where can I get help for my Taylor 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 Taylor 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.
Taylor County Criminal Court Locations
-
Taylor County Circuit Court
Address: 214 West Main Street, Room 104, Grafton, WV 26354
Phone: 304-265-2480 Fax: 304-265-1404 -
Taylor County Magistrate Court
Address: 214 West Main Street, Grafton, WV 26354
Phone: 304-265-5762 Fax: 304-265-5708 -
Flemington Municipal Court
Address: PO Box 56, Flemington, WV 26347
Phone: 304-739-4402 Fax: 304-739-4444 -
Grafton Municipal Court
Address: 1 West Main Street, Grafton, WV 26354
Phone: 304-265-1412 Ext. 32 Fax: 304-265-0119