Warren County, County Court

Going to Trial

Trial

You must first file a plea of "not guilty". You can do this by:

  1. Appearing in Court on your scheduled arraignment date and time. When your case is called, inform the Judge that you would like to plead "not guilty".
  2. Filing a written "not guilty" plea, by mailing or faxing to the Clerk's Office. Not Guilty Plea Form
  3. What is a time waiver and what if I don't want to sign it?
    • The Court has to follow statutory time guidelines in which a case must be heard. For a minor misdemeanor the time limit is 30 days. It is difficult for the Court to schedule and subpoena all parties into Court this quickly. Therefore the Court will ask if the defendant will "waive time". This means that the case can be heard after the initial 30 days. If the defendant does not agree to waive time, the trial will be scheduled within 30 days. Please be advised that if time is not waived, the trial docket may be overcrowded, resulting in long wait periods for involved parties.
  4. When will my trial be?
    • All Court trials with pro-se defendants are held on Tuesday afternoons.