Lamb County Texas

• I need to report a crime. What do I do? ▲

  If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.

  If you are not in an emergency, call the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over where you live, or where the offense occurred.  

  Residents of the City of Littlefield should call 806-385-5161.
  Residents of all other cities/towns in Lamb County should call 806-385-7900.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• How are crimes classified in Texas? ▲

  Crimes in Texas are classified in two groups: misdemeanors and felonies.  Felony offenses are more serious and involve the risk of prison time.  They are prosecuted in district court, and include offenses committed against people and the most serious property crimes, such as residential and business burglaries.  Misdemeanors are prosecuted in county court, and include offenses such as DWI and simple theft.  Our office prosecutes both felony and misdemeanor offenses committed in Lamb County or against Lamb County residents.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What happens when someone is arrested? ▲

  Soon after arrest, the accused goes before a judge who announces the charges against the defendant.  The judge is legally required to set a bond and advise the defendant of his rights.  If the defendant cannot post bond, he remains in custody in the county jail to await further action in the case.  If the defendant posts bond, the law requires his release, and he remains out of jail until the case is disposed.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What are Bond Conditions and who sets them? ▲

  Bond Conditions are rules a defendant has to follow if released from jail.  Depending on the defendant's criminal history, the facts of the crime that's been committed, the safety of the community, and whether the defendant poses a flight risk, different bond conditions may be set in each case.  In Lamb County, our Adult Probation Department operates a Pretrial Bond Supervision Program.  Every Defendant who is arrested in Lamb County is placed on bond conditions that require regular check-ins with a Bond Supervision Officer.  Defendants are required to follow many rules while on Bond Supervision--these are the bond conditions.

  Bond conditions are set by the Judge who sets the Defendant's bond after arrest  They can also be added or changed by the Judge who presides over the Defendant's case(s).  The County & District Attorney and Defense Attorney can negotiate to add or remove certain bond conditions.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What is the purpose of bond? ▲

  Bond is allowed in virtually all cases, by Texas and Federal law.  The bond amount is not set by the County & District Attorney--it is set by a Judge.  The sole legal purpose of bond is to guarantee the Defendant appears in Court for any future proceedings.  In setting the amount of bond, the Judge is required to consider many factors, including the seriousness of the crime, safety of the victim & community, the defendant's ability to pay money to make bond, and the defendant's criminal history.  Bond is not allowed to be set so high as to punish a defendant, by keeping him in jail while he awaits trial.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• Who is involved in a criminal case, and what are their roles? ▲

  Law Enforcement Agency	This is the investigating agency responsible for gathering all facts, evidence, and information related to a case.  Once an investigation is complete, the Agency presents its case to the DA's Office for review and consideration of filing charges.
  Defendant	The person who has allegedly committed a criminal offense.
  Defense Attorney	The attorney who represents and advocates for the Defendant.  This person provides legal advice to the Defendant and negotiates and discusses the case and its progress with the prosecutor.
  State's/Prosecuting Attorney	The attorney who represents the State of Texas.  This person does not only represent the victim, or the police.  They work on behalf of all citizens in the County, including the Defendant, to ensure justice is done in each case.
  Victim's Assistance Coordinator	This person works for the DA, and their job is to work with victims of crime.  They communicate with victims to ensure they are informed of all the workings of the case, their opinion is heard, and they answer many questions throughout and after a case is over.
  Judge	This person oversees cases after they are filed by the DA.  They are not allowed to know the facts of a case before it goes to trial or is otherwise disposed of.  They cannot speak with victims, witnesses, parties, or attorneys about the facts of a case except in very limited circumstances.  Their job is to ensure both sides follow the rules of law in a case, and they decide any disputes between the parties about how the law applies in any given case.
  Court Coordinator	This person works for the Judge.  Both the County and District Courts in Lamb County, and Precinct 3 Justice Court, employ coordinators.  Their jobs are to manage the court's docket, provide information to the parties about the schedule of court proceedings, and ensure all parties abide by the Judge's schedules in each case.
  Victim/Complaining Witness	This is the person who was affected (financially, physically, emotionally) by the commission of a crime.  Most of the time, they are the person who suffered a loss or in some way was negatively impacted by the actions (or inaction) of the Defendant.

  
  

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• How does a felony case end up in Court? ▲

  After a felony case has been screened by the prosecutor and accepted for filing, an indictment is prepared that sets out what the prosecutor alleges the Defendant did, on which date, and specifically how the State intends to show the Defendant broke the law.

  The prosecutor presents each felony case to the Grand Jury.  This group of citizens decides whether there is enough evidence to formally charge the Defendant with committing the felony offense.  If the Grand Jurors issue a "true bill" of indictment, the case moves forward for prosecution in the District Court.  If the Grand Jury finds insufficient evidence, they issue a "no bill," and the case is dismissed.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What is Grand Jury? ▲

  A Grand Jury is a group of 12 citizens who serve 6-month terms.  Their job is to consider each case presented by the prosecutor to decide whether to issue indictments and allow the DA to proceed with prosecution of felony cases.  Grand jurors are nominated and selected by a system over which the DA has no control.  Grand Jury proceedings are not open to the public.  Witnesses, grand jurors, and the DA take oaths of secrecy to preserve the confidentiality of the grand jury's proceedings.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• How does a misdemeanor case end up in Court? ▲

  After a misdemeanor case has been screened by the prosecutor and accepted for filing, an complaint and information is prepared that sets out what the prosecutor alleges the Defendant did, on which date, and specifically how the State intends to show the Defendant broke the law.  These documents are then filed with the County Clerk, and formal criminal proceedings in the County Court begin.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• How can I find out the status of a case? ▲

  Depending on your role in the case, there are many different ways to confirm whether a case exists, what its status is, and when/whether there is an upcoming court date.

  Defendant/Suspect	If you are represented by an attorney, no one in the DA's Office is permitted to communicate with you about your case. If you are not represented by attorney, the DA's Office, Court, and Clerk's Offices can only release information to you which is already considered "public." Please note, no County Office is able to verify or confirm whether you have a warrant for your arrest.
  Victim	You may call the Victim Assistance Coordinator in the County & District Attorney's Office.  In order to answer your questions, it is helpful for you to have the case number or defendant's name available.
  Family of Defendant	Unless the Defendant is under the age of 17, information about the Defendant's case cannot be provided to you by the DA's Office or Court.  If the case has been filed and is pending in one of the courts, you may contact the court's clerk to confirm a case is pending, learn what documents have been filed in the case, and other information available to members of the public.
  Family of Victim	Unless the victim is deceased or is under the age of 18, information about the case the victim is involved in cannot be released to you by the DA's Office or Court. If the case affecting the victim has been filed and is pending in one of the courts, you may contact that court's clerk to confirm the case is pending, learn what documents have been filed in the case, and learn other information available to members of the public.
  Defense Counsel	Please contact the DA's Office via phone or email.
  Member of Public (no direct connection to case)	If the case has been filed and is pending in one of the courts, you may contact the court's clerk to confirm a case is pending, learn what documents have been filed in the case, and other information available to members of the public.

  
  

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• Why are some cases dismissed? ▲

  If the prosecutor determines there is insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction, or that there is a legal issue in the case which undermines the ability to proceed, she may file a Motion asking the Court dismiss the case.  This action is taken only after a complete investigation has occurred, and normally, after law enforcement has exhausted all avenues for obtaining evidence in the case.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What are the different types of Court Hearings? ▲

  Arraignment	This is a hearing where the Defendant appears before the Court in which the charge has been or will be filed.  The primary purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the Defendant will be represented by an attorney in the case (hired or court-appointed), or if the Defendant will waive counsel and represent themselves.
  Bond Revocation/Reduction/Modification	Once a Defendant has been arrested for an offense and released on bond, one or both parties might request a bond hearing to ask the Court to make some sort of change to the bond or the Defendant's status on bond.  A bond revocation typically involves the State alleging the Defendant has violated condition(s) of bond, and therefore asking the Court to revoke the bond and send the Defendant back to jail.  A reduction or modification hearing is typically used when the Defendant wants the Court to lower the amount of bond or in some way change the conditions of the bond.
  Docket Call	Each Court has a regularly-scheduled docket call, which the Judge uses to monitor the status of every case pending in his Court.  The District Court meets once per month; County Court every other month; Justice Courts once per quarter.  Sometimes Defendants are required to attend, but only the Court can excuse a Defendant's appearance.
  Pretrial Hearing - Standard	When a case is moving towards a trial setting, the Court will set it for a standard pretrial hearing.  This is to allow the parties to present standard motions (such as a Witness List by the State, or a Motion to Compel Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence by the Defense).
  Pretrial Hearing - Evidentiary	These types of hearings are usually set when a party wants the Judge to make a ruling about a particular type of evidence that will be offered in the case.  It involves the presentation of evidence/testimony to the Court and legal arguments by the parties.
  Guilty Plea	This hearing occurs when the State and the Defense reach a plea agreement in a particular case.  The parties appear before the Court and inform the Judge of their agreement, and most often, the Judge follows the agreement to dispose of the case.
  Open/Slow Plea	In a case where the Defendant wants to plead guilty or no contest, but does not want to accept the punishment agreement offered by the State, the case can be set for this type of hearing.  The Defendant appears before the Judge and enters a plea; then each side puts on evidence to help the Judge decide which punishment best fits the case.
  Probation Revocation	After a Defendant has been placed on community supervision, and when the State alleges the Defendant has violated the terms/conditions of supervision, this type of hearing is held.  In this hearing, the Defendant will have the opportunity to plead "true" or "not true" to the allegations against them; then each side can put on evidence to help the Judge decide how to proceed.

  
  

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What is a plea offer, and why is it made? ▲

  A plea offer is a proposed resolution in any given case.  Generally speaking, the prosecutor will make a plea offer in each case that would allow for the Defendant to accept responsibility for the crime committed, and be punished for committing it.  An overwhelming majority of criminal cases are resolved by plea agreement each year. 

  There are many reasons plea offers are made, to include (1) judicial economy, (2) wishes of the victim/victim's family, and (3) to avoid the uncertainty and cost of trial.

  Before a plea offer is made to a Defendant, the prosecutor responsible for the case examines the facts of the case, the Defendant's criminal history, the victim's opinion, the general opinion of the community/how the community feels about the particular type of offense.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• What happens at trial? ▲

  The prosecutor presents the case for the State, including all evidence that shows the Defendant committed the crime as charged.  The Defendant may present their side of the case, or may choose to present no case at all.  The jury (if one has been empaneled) or the Judge must then decide whether the State proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, by legally competent evidence.

  If the Defendant is found guilty, a second stage of trial commences, where the Judge or Jury fixes the punishment within the range authorized by law.  The Defendant is required to choose which he wants to choose his punishment before the trial ever begins.

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion

• Why can't I talk to the DA? ▲

  Many people call our office in hopes of speaking to the DA, Rickie Redman.  Most of the time, she is unavailable by phone unless you have made prior arrangements.  The DA is also prohibited by law from speaking with people about the status of a case, or what the offer is in a case.  (See question above, "How can I find out about the status of a case?")

  Also, most questions or information needed by members of the public or victims in a case can be provided by other staff members in our Office.

  If you feel a meeting/phone conference is required, though, please plan to call ahead and schedule this in advance.  Mrs. Redman maintains a very busy schedule; we will try our best to accommodate you the best we can!

Press the enter key or spacebar to expand or collapse the accordion