Calhoun County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Calhoun County are issued by judges in the 14th Judicial Circuit. A judge signs a bench warrant when someone misses a required court appearance or violates a court order. Calhoun County is one of the smallest counties in Florida, located in the panhandle region with Blountstown as the county seat. The Clerk of Court maintains all case records and the Sheriff's Office handles warrant service. Online search tools for Calhoun County are limited, but the FDLE statewide database and direct contact with local offices are the main options for checking bench warrant status. This page covers how bench warrants work in Calhoun County and what you can do about them.

Calhoun County Clerk of Court

The Calhoun County Clerk of Court handles all court records for the 14th Judicial Circuit in Calhoun County. The office is at 20859 SE Central Ave, Blountstown, FL 32424. Phone is (850) 674-4545. The clerk keeps bench warrant records, criminal case files, civil filings, and traffic cases. Staff can look up bench warrants by name or case number when you call or visit in person.

Calhoun County does not have its own public online court records search. This is normal for small rural counties in Florida. To check on a bench warrant in Calhoun County, your best bet is to call the clerk directly. They can pull up the case and tell you if a warrant is active. Under Florida Statute 901.02, judges issue bench warrants when probable cause exists. In Calhoun County, these orders go into the clerk's system right away once signed.

The Florida Statutes page covering warrant issuance law is shown below.

This law applies to all 67 Florida counties, including Calhoun. Once a judge signs the bench warrant, it carries the full weight of the court.

Calhoun County Sheriff Warrant Services

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office serves all bench warrants and arrest warrants in the county. Their office is at 20776 Central Ave E, Blountstown, FL 32424. Call (850) 674-5049 for questions about active bench warrants. Deputies can tell you if a warrant is in their system. Calhoun County has a small sheriff's department, but they work with state and federal agencies on warrant matters.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a Calhoun County bench warrant. The arrest can happen any day at any time. Deputies from Calhoun County can also serve warrants from other counties through fresh pursuit. Even though Calhoun is a small county, its bench warrants carry the same legal weight as warrants from larger counties like Broward or Miami-Dade.

You can search the FDLE statewide database at fdle.state.fl.us for bench warrants from Calhoun County and all other Florida counties. The database gets updated every 24 hours, though smaller counties sometimes have a lag in reporting. For the most current information on Calhoun County bench warrants, call the sheriff or the clerk directly.

How Calhoun County Bench Warrants Are Issued

Failure to appear is the main reason bench warrants get issued in Calhoun County. When you miss a court date, the judge can sign a bench warrant right from the bench. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when a person does not show up after proper notice. It does not matter what kind of case it is. Criminal, traffic, civil, family law. Miss court in Calhoun County and you risk a bench warrant.

The bench warrant becomes active the moment the judge signs it. Electronic signatures have been valid in Florida since 2013. Once active, the warrant goes into the clerk's records, gets shared with the FDLE database, and gets entered into the National Crime Information Center. A bench warrant from Calhoun County shows up in law enforcement databases across the country.

Calhoun County bench warrants do not expire. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05, but bench warrants are different. They stay active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased. A bench warrant issued years ago is just as enforceable in Calhoun County as one issued last week.

Note: Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or the state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a person back to court for sentencing or adjudication in Calhoun County.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Calhoun County

Florida law treats failure to appear as a separate crime. Under Florida Statute 843.15, missing court on a felony charge is a third-degree felony. That can lead to up to five years in prison. Missing court on a misdemeanor charge is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These penalties come on top of the original case in Calhoun County.

So if you had a DUI in Calhoun County and skipped your hearing, you now face two things. The DUI charge and a new failure to appear charge. The bench warrant adds to your problems. The longer it sits, the harder it gets. Judges in the 14th Judicial Circuit can raise bond amounts for people who have missed court before. Getting it handled quickly is better than waiting.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Calhoun County

Check first. Call the Calhoun County Clerk at (850) 674-4545 or the sheriff at (850) 674-5049. They can confirm if a bench warrant is active. Then get a lawyer. A criminal defense attorney can review the case and decide on the best approach. Options include filing a motion to quash the bench warrant, arranging voluntary surrender, or getting a new court date set in Calhoun County.

Turning yourself in voluntarily usually goes better than getting arrested. Courts in Calhoun County and across Florida tend to view surrender more favorably. Your attorney can coordinate the process so you spend as little time in custody as possible. For old bench warrants or minor offenses, a motion to quash may get the warrant dropped altogether.

Bench warrant records in Calhoun County are public records under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law gives anyone the right to ask about active warrants. You can also check through the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association, which connects all 67 county clerk offices across the state.

Things to watch for with Calhoun County bench warrant scams:

• Nobody from the sheriff's office will call and ask for phone payment
• Gift cards and wire transfers are not how real warrants get cleared
• Always verify through official channels before taking action
• Call the clerk or sheriff non-emergency line to confirm any warrant claim

Cities in Calhoun County

Calhoun County is a rural county with a small population. Blountstown is the county seat and largest town. No cities in Calhoun County meet the population threshold for a separate page. All bench warrants are handled through the courthouse in Blountstown. Other communities include Altha and Kinard. All court business in Calhoun County goes through the 14th Judicial Circuit.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Calhoun County in the Florida panhandle. Each has its own clerk and sheriff for bench warrant matters.