Criminal Cases In The Delaware County Common Pleas Court
The Dominy Law Firm is a firm of criminal defense lawyers representing clients in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court for DUI / OVI and criminal offenses. This page provides you with information about the Delaware County Common Pleas Court. If you have been charged with a felony criminal offense in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, reading the information in this website can be very helpful. Before hiring a lawyer or attending the first court appearance, you should educate yourself about your situation and criminal defense lawyers so you can make informed decisions regarding handling your case and hiring an attorney.
Contact Information – Delaware County Common Pleas Court
Address: 91 North Sandusky Street, Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (740) 833-2500
Website: Delaware County Common Pleas Court
Felony Cases In Delaware County, Ohio
The Delaware County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over felony criminal offenses which occur in Delaware County. Misdemeanor criminal cases are heard in a different court: the Delaware County Municipal Court. Felony cases heard in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court include:
• Aggravated Vehicular homicide
• Aggravated Vehicular assault
• Felony DUI / OVI
• Felony Theft and Fraud
• Felony drug offenses
Judges And Prosecutors
In the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, there are two judges. At the beginning of a criminal case, the case is randomly assigned to one of those two judges, and the case is assigned to the judge permanently. The judges are individually elected, and each judge has its own courtroom procedure and judicial philosophy.
The Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for prosecuting the criminal cases in the Delaware Common Pleas Court, and that office employs several assistant prosecutors. Each case is typically assigned to one of the assistant prosecutors, and the assistant prosecutor assigned to a case ordinarily stays with the case through completion.
Typical Process For Criminal Cases
The exact court process for each case varies, depending on various factors, including the phase at which the case is resolved. There are generally five or six phases in the process.
The beginning of a case is the grand jury hearing. If the grand jury concludes there is probable cause to believe you committed a felony crime, the grand jury issues an indictment to give you notice that you were charged with that crime. After receiving the indictment, your first court appearance is an arraignment. At the arraignment, you are given the options of pleading guilty, pleading no contest, or pleading not guilty. The judge will also address bail at the arraignment.
If you plead not guilty, you or your attorney exchanges evidence with the prosecutor (discovery). Your next court appearance is a pretrial hearing. At the pretrial hearing, the lawyers have a conversation about the case and engage in plea negotiations. If a plea agreement is not reached at the pretrial hearing, and if there are legal issued that need decided, the next court appearance is a motion hearing. At the motion hearing, witnesses testify, attorneys make arguments, and the judge makes a decision about contested legal issues.
If there still is no plea agreement reached, your case will be scheduled for a trial. At the trial, the prosecution puts on evidence to prove your guilt, and you have the opportunity to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses and present your own evidence. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury or judge will render a verdict of guilty or not guilty. If the jury or judge finds you guilty, or if you plead guilty, the final court appearance is a sentence hearing for the judge to announce the sentence.
Attorneys For Cases In The Delaware County Common Pleas Court
The Dominy Law Firm practices exclusively criminal defense, and we have represented clients (including college students) in the Delaware County Common Pleas court since 1997. The firm initially had an office in downtown Delaware and another office in downtown Columbus. Now, the office is off State Route 315 just south of the Delaware County line, so the attorneys practice regularly in Delaware County and Franklin County.
For more information about the Dominy Law Firm, please see the About Us page. You may also want to review our case results and client reviews. We limit the number of cases we accept so we can provide outstanding service to our clients. If you would like to discuss your case in the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, please submit a CONTACT FORM or call 614-717-1177 to arrange a free phone consultation.