O ur county has several different courts, and each has different purpose in the criminal justice system. Justice of the Peace (JP) courts, County Court, and District Court all play a unique role.
Justice of the Peace courts are usually the first step for someone after they have been arrested for a crime. A JP will inform the defendant what crime he is being charged with, set the initial bail amount, put on any special conditions for bail, and (in cases involving domestic violence) issue an emergency protective order.
After that, where the case goes depends on what level of a crime it is. Class A and Class B misdemeanors go to County Court, while felonies go to District court. Cases go to County Court by filing an “information,” while cases go to District Court by being indicted by the Grand Jury. We will discuss the many duties of the Grand Jury in a separate article.
Once in the proper court, the judge will have an initial hearing called the arraignment. At the arraignment, the judge will again inform the defendant what he is charged with, determine if the defendant needs an attorney and have the defendant formally enter a plea of “guilty” or “not guilty.” After this stage, the defendant’s case will stay in the court where it was filed (county or district) until the case is finished.
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