Criminal Division FAQ
Do I have to appear in court on my Criminal Case?
Yes, Jasper County is a mandatory appearance court. You or your attorney would need to be present for your scheduled court dates.
How do I find my court appearance time?
You may check the Jasper County Circuit Clerk’s website under Court Schedule or Case.net. If you are unable to locate your court date and time, please contact our office at (417) 625-4310 for Joplin location and (417) 358-0450 for Carthage location.
Do I have to hire an attorney for my Criminal Case?
Having counsel in any criminal case is usually advisable, but whether one is required is dependent upon the nature of the charge and is ultimately to be decided by the Judge in each case. Whether the court appoints an attorney, depends on the financial resources and circumstances of each defendant and is ultimately up to the Judge.
How do I pay my court costs and fines?
Once you have received a judgment from the Court the following payment options are found here.
How do I get an extension on my fines, costs and/or programs?
Any extension must be approved by the judge and may require a court appearance. The Judge or Clerk will NOT grant an extension by telephone and there is no grace period on payments. To request extensions, please contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office either by mailing a correspondence to the Judge on your case or sending an email to jaspercountycriminal@courts.mo.gov.
Please note that if your costs are in collections, you will not be able to request an extension on cost.
How do I get my cash bond back?
Any cash bond must be ordered refunded by the judge. Please make your request at time of judgment or come to open court. Refunding the bond depends on the circumstances of the case and will be at the discretion of the judge.
Do I need to appear for my bond appearance?
If you bonded on an Associate Level Case you are required to appear if you further question please call 417-625-4316 for the Joplin location and 417-358-0450 for Carthage. If you bonded on a Circuit Level Case you can call 417-625-4310.
Do I have a warrant out for my arrest?
You can search by name by clicking here.
What do I do if I have a warrant?
If your case is before Judge Hensley you will need to turn yourself into the Jasper county sheriff or call an attorney. If your case is before Judge Nicholas please contact the court at 417-358-0450 to determine if you are eligible for plea and pay in which the warrant may be withdrawn. Also you can contact local law enforcement to voluntarily turn yourself into be booked, post bond and be given a court date.
If represented by an attorney, contact your attorney.
How do I get my driver’s license reinstated?
First you would need to determine if your license was suspended as a result of a criminal/traffic case or suspended by the Department of Revenue for driving/point violations.
Our court notifies the Department of Revenue to suspend a license for two reasons, failure to appear or failure to pay.
If you have been suspended for failure to appear, please come to the Circuit Clerk’s Office Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30pm to determine the steps to obtain a compliance letter.
If your license has been suspended for failure to pay, you would need to contact our office for payment at. Once paid in full, our office will be able to supply the compliance letter to you, without having to see the judge.
If you determine your license was suspended for driving/points violations, please contact the Department of Revenue at (573) 526-2407 or visit their website at dor.mo.gov.
How do I file an Appeal?
To file for an Appeal
How do I file for an Expungement?
To file for an Expungement
How do I search for someone’s Criminal Record?
For a criminal background check