Utah County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Utah County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Utah County.
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.
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.
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.
Prosecutor in Utah County
In Utah County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Utah County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Utah. For the most part, the prosecutor in Utah County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
Who can help me in Utah County?
For general information about your case the Utah 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.
Mandatory Appearances in Utah County Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Utah 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.
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.
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.
Where will Utah County criminal case hearings take place?
Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Utah County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Utah County.
Arraignments in Utah County
During an arraignment in Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
Jury Deliberation
In a jury trial in Utah 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.
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.
Utah County Criminal Court Locations
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4th District Court – Utah County (American Fork)
Address: 75 East 80 North, Suite 202, American Fork, UT 84003
Phone: 801-756-9654 Fax: 801-763-0153 -
4th District Court – Utah County (Provo)
Address: 125 North 100 West, Provo, UT 84601
Phone: 801-429-1000 Fax: 801-429-1033 -
4th District Court – Utah County (Salem)
Address: 30 West 100 South, PO Box 901, Salem, UT 84653
Phone: 801-423-2770 Fax: 801-423-2818 -
4th District Court – Utah County (Spanish Fork)
Address: 775 West Center, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Phone: 801-804-4800 Fax: 801-804-4699 -
4th District Juvenile Court – Utah County (American Fork)
Address: 75 East 80 North, Suite 201, American Fork, UT 84003
Phone: 801-763-8941 Fax: 801-763-8944 -
4th District Juvenile Court – Utah County (Orem)
Address: 99 East Center Street, Orem, UT 84057
Phone: 801-764-5820 Fax: 801-764-5859 -
4th District Juvenile Court – Utah County (Provo)
Address: 2021 South State Street, Provo, UT 84606
Phone: 801-354-7200 Fax: 801-373-6579 -
4th District Juvenile Court – Utah County (Spanish Fork)
Address: 775 West Center Street, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Phone: 801-804-4780 Fax: 801-804-4802 -
Alpine Justice Court
Address: 5400 West Civic Center Drive, Suite 4, Highland, UT 84003
Phone: 801-772-4525 Fax: 801-756-6903 -
Genola, Goshen & Santaquin Justice Court
Address: 275 West Main, Santaquin, UT 84655
Phone: 801-754-5376 Fax: 801-754-1699 -
Highland Justice Court
Address: 5400 West Civic Center Drive, Suite 4, Highland, UT 84003
Phone: 801-772-4525 Fax: 801-756-6903 -
Lehi Justice Court
Address: 154 North Center Street, Lehi, UT 84043
Phone: 801-768-7160 Fax: 801-768-8405 -
Lindon Justice Court
Address: 100 North State Street, Lindon, UT 84042
Phone: 801-785-1971 Fax: 801-785-4336 -
Mapleton Justice Court
Address: 125 West 400 North, Mapleton, UT 84664
Phone: 801-489-7445 Fax: 801-489-5657 -
Orem Justice Court
Address: 97 East Center Street, Orem, UT 84057
Phone: 801-724-3900 Fax: 801-724-3934 -
Payson Justice Court
Address: 439 West Utah Avenue, Payson, UT 84651
Phone: 801-465-5210 Fax: 801-465-5223 -
Pleasant Grove Justice Court
Address: 70 South 100 East, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
Phone: 801-785-9461 Fax: 801-785-8304 -
Provo City Justice Court
Address: 310 West Center Street, Provo, UT 84601
Phone: 801-852-6878 Fax: 801-494-1091 -
Saratoga Springs Justice Court
Address: 1307 North Commerce Drive, Suite 200, Saratoga Springs, UT 84043
Phone: 801-766-6508 Fax: 801-766-9794 -
Springville Justice Court
Address: 110 South Main Street, Springville, UT 84663
Phone: 801-489-2707 Fax: 801-491-7815 -
Utah County Justice Court
Address: 151 South University Avenue, Suite 3300, Provo, UT 84601
Phone: 801-851-7200 Fax: 801-851-7201