Orange County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Orange County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Orange County.
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 Orange County
During an arraignment in Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
I need help for my Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange 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.
What if I can’t afford an attorney?
The 6th Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney whether or not you can afford one. If you cannot afford one, a public defender will be appointed by the court to represent you.
Orange County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Orange County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
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.
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.
Prosecutor in Orange County
In Orange County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Orange County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Texas. For the most part, the prosecutor in Orange County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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.
Mandatory Appearances in Orange County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Orange 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.
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.
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.
Orange County Criminal Court Locations
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Orange County 128th District Court
Address: 801 W Division Ave, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-7825 Fax: 409-882-7083 -
Orange County 163rd District Court
Address: 801 W Division Ave, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-7825 Fax: 409-882-7083 -
Orange County 260th District Court
Address: 801 W Division Ave, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-7825 Fax: 409-882-7083 -
Orange County Constitutional Court
Address: Physical: 801 W Division St, Orange TX 77360
Phone: 409-882-7055 Fax: 409-882-7012 -
Orange County Court at Law
Address: Physical: 801 W Division St, Orange TX 77360
Phone: 409-882-7055 Fax: 409-882-7012 -
Orange County Court at Law No. 2
Address: Physical: 801 W Division St, Orange TX 77360
Phone: 409-882-7055 Fax: 409-882-7012 -
Orange County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
Address: 801 W Division Ave, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-7800 Fax: 409-882-7801 -
Orange County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
Address: 3500 Edgar Brown Dr, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-7805 Fax: 409-882-7808 -
Orange County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
Address: 2524 Hwy 876 S, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-882-5310 Fax: 409-882-5314 -
Orange County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Address: 190 Camp St, Vidor TX 77662
Phone: 409-769-2284 Fax: 409-769-0918 -
Bridge City Municipal Court
Address: 260 Rachal Ave, PO Box 846, Bridge City TX 77611
Phone: 409-735-2236 Fax: 409-735-3349 -
Orange Municipal Court
Address: 901 Main Ave, Orange TX 77631
Phone: 409-883-1063 -
Pine Forest Municipal Court
Address: 305 Nagel Dr, Vidor TX 77662
Phone: 409-786-4100 -
Pinehurst Municipal Court
Address: 2497 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-886-3873 Fax: 409-886-7660 -
Rose City Municipal Court
Address: 370 S Rose City Dr, Rose City TX 77662
Phone: 409-769-1444 -
Vidor Municipal Court
Address: 1330 First St, Vidor TX 77662
Phone: 409-769-7452 Fax: 409-769-5712 -
West Orange Municipal Court
Address: 2700 Western Ave, Orange TX 77630
Phone: 409-883-4552 Fax: 409-882-0652