Criminal Matters
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS GENERAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE FOR PRACTICING CRIMINAL LAW IN COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO. 1. THIS INFORMATION IS IN NO WAY INTENDED AS LEGAL ADVICE SPECIFIC TO ANY INDIVIDUAL, BUT IS MERELY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
Arraignment
Friday morning Criminal Arraignment Dockets are held IN-PERSON. All Defendants and Attorneys are expected to appear IN-PERSON at 8:30 A.M., as per the Defendant’s bonding paperwork or summons.
At the Criminal Arraignment Docket, the Court will implement a Criminal Docket Control Order (“DCO”) in all cases scheduled for arraignment. All hearing dates applicable to the Defendant’s case will be entered on the DCO. All hearings that the Court may hold via zoom may be accessed through the QR Code located on the DCO. The Defendant’s failure to appear at a future DCO scheduled hearing date may result in the issuing of a capias and/or forfeiting of the Defendant’s bond.
Plea Dockets
All pleas are heard on designated plea dates, which are not listed on the DCO or at the Pre-trial conference. If an attorney wishes to plea a Defendant, please contact the Court Coordinator, Sarah Toler, for available dates. The Court requests that the parties have all paperwork completed prior to the plea date. The plea paperwork may be turned in prior to the plea date or at the time of the hearing. If the Defendant fails to finally dispose of the matter at a plea date, the DCO shall remain in place and the Defendant is expected to appear at all DCO scheduled hearings. The Defendant’s failure to appear at a DCO scheduled hearing may result in the issuing of a capias and/or forfeiting of the Defendant’s bond.
Jury Trial Dockets
Jury trials are scheduled on designated days. Pre-trial conferences will be held on all cases set for trial and are IN-PERSON hearings. All parties are required to appear for the Pre-Trial Conference. All motions filed in the cause will be heard at the Pre-Trial Conference. The Court will accept pleas at the Pre-Trial Conference. Pleas on the scheduled jury trial date are at the Court’s discretion.
MAG and MRP Dockets
MAG and MRP dockets are scheduled on designated Friday mornings and are IN-PERSON only hearings.
Jail Docket
The Jail Arraignment Docket is held on designated Friday mornings at 9:00 A.M. The deadline for attorneys to schedule an inmate for the docket is 12:00 P.M. on the Wednesday preceding Friday’s docket. To schedule a hearing, please contact the Court Coordinator, Sarah Toler. Inmates with pending felony cases will not be brought over, unless defense counsel intends to plea the matter. The Court on its own motion will schedule a status hearing with defense counsel and the inmate, if the inmate has been pending in the county jail for over 30 days and no felony is pending.
Court Appointed Attorneys
In accordance with the County Courts at Law’s recent policy changes regarding attorney fee vouchers, all attorneys will electronically submit their fee vouchers.