Bradford County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Bradford County are court orders signed by a judge in the 8th Judicial Circuit. They are issued when a person fails to appear for a court date or does not follow a judge's instructions. Bradford County is a small county in north-central Florida with Starke as its county seat. The Clerk of Court keeps all case records and the Sheriff's Office is in charge of serving warrants. Online access to Bradford County warrant data is limited, but there are still ways to check. This page walks through how bench warrants work in Bradford County and where to search for them.

Bradford County Clerk of Court

The Bradford County Clerk of Court handles all court filings and records. This covers bench warrants, criminal cases, civil suits, and traffic cases. The office is at 209 W. Call St., Starke, FL 32091. The phone number is (904) 966-6280. Staff can help you check on a bench warrant by searching the case records by name or case number. Bradford County is part of the 8th Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Alachua, Baker, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union counties.

Bradford County does not offer a public online court records search tool. For counties this small, that is fairly typical in Florida. You need to call the clerk or visit in person to look up bench warrant records. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge can issue a bench warrant when probable cause exists. Once signed, the bench warrant goes into the clerk's file and gets shared with law enforcement throughout the state.

Bradford County Sheriff Bench Warrants

The Bradford County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants and arrest warrants within the county. Their office is at 945-B N. Temple Ave, Starke, FL 32091. Call (904) 966-2276 to ask about active bench warrants in Bradford County. Deputies carry out arrests based on warrants 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 Florida county clerks and is shown below.

This statewide network helps share bench warrant data between Bradford County and the rest of Florida's court system.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant. A Bradford County warrant can be executed in any other county. Deputies from other counties can also serve Bradford County bench warrants through fresh pursuit. The arrest can happen any day at any time, with no restrictions on when officers can act.

How Bradford County Bench Warrants Are Issued

Missing a court date is the main reason bench warrants get issued in Bradford County. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone does not appear after proper notice. It applies to all case types. Criminal hearings, traffic court, civil proceedings, and family court matters can all lead to a bench warrant if you do not show up in Bradford County.

Once a judge signs the bench warrant, it becomes active right away. The warrant gets entered into the clerk's records and shared with law enforcement. It goes into the FDLE database and the National Crime Information Center. That means a bench warrant from Bradford County shows up during traffic stops and other police contacts anywhere in the country, not just in Florida.

Bradford County bench warrants do not have an end date. They stay active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject dies. Florida Statute 933.05 says search warrants expire after 10 days, but that rule does not apply to bench warrants. A bench warrant from five or ten years ago in Bradford County is still just as valid as one signed yesterday.

Note: Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or prosecuting attorney in Bradford County can prepare a direct capias when someone fails to appear for sentencing or adjudication.

Penalties for Missing Court in Bradford County

Florida Statute 843.15 covers the penalties for failure to appear. If you were out on bond for a felony and missed your court date in Bradford County, that is a third-degree felony. It can bring up to five years in prison. If the original charge was a misdemeanor and you failed to appear, that is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These penalties are on top of whatever the original case involved.

A bench warrant creates two problems. The original case is still pending. And now there is a new charge for failure to appear. Courts in Bradford County handle these matters separately. The longer a bench warrant sits unresolved, the harder it gets to deal with. Judges may set higher bond amounts for people who have ignored court dates before.

Resolving Bradford County Bench Warrants

The first thing to do is check if the warrant is real. Call the Bradford County Clerk at (904) 966-6280 or the sheriff at (904) 966-2276. You can also check the statewide FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us, though not all Bradford County warrants may be listed there right away.

After you confirm the warrant, hire a criminal defense attorney. A lawyer can review your case and may file a motion to quash the bench warrant. This works best for old warrants, minor cases, or situations where you had a good reason for missing court. Voluntary surrender in Bradford County usually leads to better results than getting arrested unexpectedly. Your lawyer can set up the surrender and make sure a new court date gets scheduled quickly.

Bradford County bench warrants are public records under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law makes sure anyone can ask for bench warrant information. You do not need to be a party to the case. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association helps connect all 67 county clerk offices for this kind of access.

Things to know about Bradford County bench warrant scams:

• No law enforcement agency will call you to demand payment for a warrant
• Gift cards and wire transfers are never used to clear warrants
• Real bench warrants are resolved through the court system
• Verify any claim through the clerk or the sheriff's non-emergency line

Cities in Bradford County

Bradford County is sparsely populated. Starke is the county seat and the largest town. No cities in Bradford County meet the population threshold for a separate page. All bench warrants for Bradford County are handled through the courthouse in Starke. Other communities include Brooker, Hampton, and Lawtey. All court business goes through the 8th Judicial Circuit.

Nearby Counties

Bradford County is surrounded by several other Florida counties. Confirm which county issued your bench warrant before you take steps to resolve it.