Florida Criminal Court Records Search
Understanding Florida Criminal Court Record
In the state of Florida, criminal court records are a matter of public domain. This means that, with a few exceptions, they are accessible by the general public. The process of looking up these records can be somewhat complicated if you do not have a starting point. We will examine how to lookup these records for both official and unofficial purposes, as well as being able to find out how to view a person's convictions, sentencings and incarcerations.
Before you begin your Florida criminal court records search, you will need to find out a few pieces of information. These will include the full name of the person, what county they were tried and convicted in, and that person's date of birth. You can also research court cases by the case number if you possess that.
What Are Criminal Court Case Records?
Criminal court case records are legal documents that provide a comprehensive breakdown of the legal court proceedings in criminal cases. These records include a multitude of information that include the defendant’s full name name, the charges filed against them, the FL court case number, the presiding judge, dates, outcomes and sentencings.
How to Run a Florida Criminal Court Records Search
While there are multiple ways to run a search for court case records, it's important to first determine if you need official copies of these records, or if you just want to do some personal research. We will explore the difference ways to obtain official vs. un-official records.
1). Searching for Official FL Criminal Court Records: To obtain any official copies of records that can be used for official purposes such as employee background checks, or security clearances, you will need to go to the source. This means that in Florida you can either go directly to the respective courthouse website in the county where the court was tried, or you can visit the state run judicial website and use the self-help portal. To give an example of a county search, you can find Leon County FL Criminal Court Records directly from the Leon County Courthouse website. In some counties, you may need to reach out to the clerk of the courts directly to obtain the information you are looking for.
2). For Unofficial Court Case Records: To do some personal research or to verify information for unofficial purposes, you can use third-party resources. These are typically public record sites where you can view FL public court case records online. These resources are often much quicker at record retrieval, and allow people to run background checks. These will unveil if a person has an arrest history, criminal past, active warrants, and any convictions and incarcerations. These can be used for reference and research however they are not official documents that can be used for official purposes.
The Various FL Courts That Try Criminal Cases
The state of Florida has a multi-structured judicial system to handle criminal cases at various levels. By understanding the structure of how criminal cases are classified, it can be helpful in locating the records you are looking for. Here's a breakdown of the state's judicial hierarchy:
County Courts: County courthouses typically just handle misdemeanor crimes and small civil cases and lawsuits. They are usually the first level of the judicial system where a case might be tried. From here, if the case can end up in Appeals or Supreme Courthouse potentially, but this is usually the starting point.
Circuit Courts: The circuit courts have broader jurisdiction and are where serious misdemeanors and felony cases are generally tried. They also hear appeals from the smaller county divisions. If someone is convicted of their crimes on the circuit level, it typically leads to jail or prison time.
District Courts of Appeal: These courthouses review the decisions made in county and circuit courts. Then, if there are any significant questions of the proceeding, or disputes about the facts, then this may be an option for appeal. There must be sufficient evidence and/or adequate evidence to support any case being appealed.
Supreme Court: As the highest courthouse in the state, the Supreme Court reviews outcomes and decisions from the appeals courts. They can in some specific circumstances hear cases directly in certain special circumstances.
Crimes That Lead to Florida Court Cases
Any type of criminal offense can potentially lead to a criminal case. Even traffic citations are considered criminal infractions that can potentially lead to a court case. But as a generality, most all misdemeanors and all felony cases will lead to trial. Then depending on the severity of the misdemeanor, or if it's a felony case, that will determine what courthouse the case will go to trial in.
How Do I Run a Florida Criminal Court Case Search?
You have more than one option to access criminal court case information. First, you can visit the Florida State Judicial website and run a court case search by name or case number. Another option is to contact the Clerk of the Courts in the county the case was heard in. A third option is to use a public records website to lookup someone's criminal court cases, convictions and sentencing records.
