El Paso County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in El Paso County. See below for more information about criminal cases in El Paso County.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in El Paso 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.
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 El Paso County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
Where will El Paso County criminal case hearings take place?
Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of El Paso County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in El Paso County.
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.
Required Court Appearances in El Paso County
Any required court appearances in El Paso 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.
Prosecutor in El Paso County
In El Paso County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing El Paso County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Texas. For the most part, the prosecutor in El Paso County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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.
Can I request a Plea Agreement?
In El Paso 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.
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.
Arraignments in El Paso County
During an arraignment in El Paso 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 El Paso 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 El Paso County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
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.
I need help for my El Paso County criminal case
The best place to get information about your criminal case is from an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one to represent you which will assist in your case. For general information about your case the El Paso County court clerk is able to provide general information about your specific case (e.g. date/time hearings, mandatory appearance, what will take place and what you will be required to do). The court clerk for El Paso County will NOT be able to provide legal advice for your case, only an attorney can provide legal advice. The court clerk can provide legal information (like the information found on this website) about your case but cannot provide advice about what you should do in your legal manner.
El Paso County Criminal Court Locations
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El Paso County 34th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 41st District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 65th District Court – Family
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 120th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 168th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 171th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 205th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 210th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 243rd District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 327th District Court – Civil
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 346th District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 383rd District Court – Family
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 384th District Court – Criminal
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 388th District Court – Family
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 409th District Court – Criminal
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County 448th District Court – Civil
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County Criminal District Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #103, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2021 Fax: 915-546-8139 -
El Paso County Constitutional Court
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-543-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 1
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 2
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 3
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 4
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 5
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 6
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Court at Law No. 7
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Criminal Court at Law No. 1
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Criminal Court at Law No. 2
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Criminal Court at Law No. 3
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Criminal Court at Law No. 4
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #105, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2071 Fax: 915-546-2012 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
Address: 424 Executive Center Blvd, #100, El Paso TX 79902
Phone: 915-534-3917 Fax: 915-351-1731 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Address: 4641 Cohen Ave, Suite A, El Paso TX 79924
Phone: 915-751-7575 Fax: 915-751-7623 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Address: 500 E San Antonio Ave, #308, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2170 Fax: 915-546-8188 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Address: 1840 Lee Trevino Dr, #109, El Paso TX 79936
Phone: 915-594-1143 Fax: 915-595-2647 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5
Address: 9521 Socorro Rd, #B2, El Paso TX 79927
Phone: 915-859-3744 Fax: 915-859-8681 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 – Place 1
Address: 190 San Elizario Rd, PO Box 597, Clint TX 79836
Phone: 915-851-2019 Fax: 915-851-3694 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 – Place 2
Address: 14608 Greg Dr, El Paso TX 79938
Phone: 915-855-3062 Fax: 915-855-3098 -
El Paso County Justice of the Peace Precinct 7
Address: 431 Vinton Rd, Space A, PO Box 1936, Canutillo TX 79835
Phone: 915-886-2598 -
Anthony Municipal Court
Address: 401 Wildcat Dr, PO Box 1269, Anthony TX 79821
Phone: 915-886-3272 -
City of El Paso Municipal Court
Address: 810 E Overland Ave, El Paso TX 79901
Phone: 915-546-2901 Fax: 915-546-2939 -
Clint Municipal Court
Address: 200 N San Elizario, PO Box 350, Clint TX 79836
Phone: 915-851-3146 -
Horizon City Municipal Court
Address: 14999 Darrington Rd, Horizon City TX 79928
Phone: 915-852-1048 -
Socorro Municipal Court
Address: 860 N Rio Vista Rd, Socorro TX 79927
Phone: 915-872-8574 Fax: 915-872-0450 -
Vinton Municipal Court
Address: 436 E Vinton Rd, Vinton TX 79821
Phone: 915-886-5104