Criminal Charges in Johnson County

27 Jan Criminal Charges in Johnson County

Criminal Charges in Johnson County: Superior, Circuit and City Courts

If you are facing criminal charges in Johnson County, you may have questions about the criminal process and what to expect in your case. While every criminal case is different, this blog post will review the organization of the criminal courts in Johnson County, where your criminal charges may be filed, and what the criminal process may look like as your case moves forward. 

Johnson County Criminal Courts

If you are accused of a crime in Johnson County, Indiana, your case may be filed a few different criminal courts, depending on what charges are filed. In Johnson County, there is a circuit court, multiple superior courts and city courts. These courts are assigned cases based on local rules. 

Criminal Charges in Johnson County Circuit & Superior Courts

If you are charged with a misdemeanor in Johnson County and it is not filed in Greenwood City Court, it will generally be assigned to Johnson Superior Court 3.

If you are charged with a felony offense in Johnson County, it will be randomly assigned to Circuit Court, Superior Court 2 or Superior Court 3. These cases are assigned on an equal basis between these courts.

Additionally, if you have a pending felony case and are subsequently charged with a new case, the new case will be filed into the court where your older case is pending.

Johnson County Courthouse is located in downtown Franklin, at 5 E. Jefferson Street, Franklin, IN 46131. You can find more information about the Johnson County Circuit and Superior Courts at https://co.johnson.in.us/courts/ or https://www.in.gov/judiciary/3415.htm.

When you are charged with crime, the first step in the criminal process is the initial hearing, where you will hear the charges against you, and if you have not been released from custody, the court will review your bond. Local rules for Johnson County criminal courts lay out the bond schedule, at https://www.in.gov/judiciary/files/johnson-local-rules.pdf. After the initial hearing, the court will schedule a pre-trial conference and may set a bench or jury trial date. If you cannot afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint a lawyer for you. After that, it will be important to work with your attorney to prepare a defense or negotiate a plea agreement to resolve the case.

Greenwood City Court Criminal Cases

In some cases, criminal charges can be filed in Greenwood City Court. This is a city court that handles 1500-2000 criminal misdemeanors every year, along with more than 4000 infractions. Misdemeanor charges such as DUI, OVWI or possession of marijuana are often filed in Greenwood City Court. Along with general misdemeanors, Greenwood City Court operates as a problem-solving court, including maintaining a veteran’s court and a drug and alcohol recovery court. For those defendants who qualify, these problem-solving courts can help a person make great changes in their life, complete treatment programs and job training and can eventually lead to a dismissal or reduced charges in a pending criminal case. 

If a defendant pleads guilty to a criminal charge or is found guilty after trial in Greenwood City Court, the court also maintains a probation department in a trailer next to the court. This is also where defendants can complete drug and alcohol evaluations and sign up for community service work for probation or pre-trial diversion programs. 

Greenwood City Court is located at 186 Surina Way, Greenwood, IN 46143. More information can be found at https://www.greenwood.in.gov/department/index.php?structureid=87.

Criminal Attorney for Johnson County & Greenwood City Court

While Chambers Law Office is based in Indianapolis, we represent clients in all types of criminal and traffic matters in Johnson County criminal courts and in Greenwood City Court. As a former deputy prosecutor, Julie Chambers has years of experience in the criminal courts on both sides of the aisle, and she brings that experience to every case. If you have been charged with DUI, OVWI, possession of marijuana, theft, battery, drug possession or any other criminal charges in Johnson County or Greenwood City Court, contact Chambers Law Office today at 317-450-2971.