Hendry County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Hendry County are issued through the 20th Judicial Circuit Court when someone misses a court date or violates a court order. Hendry County is located in southwest Florida with a population of about 46,000 and its county seat in LaBelle. The clerk of court maintains case files that track bench warrant issuance and service. You can search for active Hendry County bench warrants using the FDLE statewide database, by contacting the clerk in LaBelle, or by calling the Hendry County Sheriff's Office. The city of Clewiston in the eastern part of the county also falls under the same court system. All bench warrant records from Hendry County are public under Florida's Sunshine Law.

Hendry County Clerk and Bench Warrants

The Hendry County Clerk of Court is at 25 E. Hickpochee Ave. in LaBelle. This office handles all court case filings for the county, including bench warrants from the 20th Judicial Circuit. Call (863) 675-5217 to reach the clerk. Staff can answer questions about case status and bench warrant records in Hendry County.

When a judge issues a bench warrant, the clerk enters it into the case management system. The record includes the date, the judge who signed it, and the reason for the warrant. Most bench warrants in Hendry County result from failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing. The clerk's file also shows if a bench warrant has been served or if it remains active. You can visit the clerk office in LaBelle during business hours with a valid ID to search for records. The staff will need a name or case number to pull the right file.

Hendry County has a second courthouse location in Clewiston at 100 E. El Paso Ave. Some court sessions take place there. However, all records go through the main clerk's office in LaBelle. If your bench warrant hearing was set in Clewiston, the clerk in LaBelle still has the file.

Hendry County Sheriff Warrant Service

The Hendry County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants throughout the county. The office is at 101 S. Bridge St. in LaBelle. You can call (863) 674-5600. Under Florida Statute § 901.04, deputies can arrest someone on a bench warrant at any time of day, any day of the week.

Hendry County covers a large area of southwest Florida, including agricultural land and the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The sheriff's office patrols all of this. Deputies run warrant checks during routine traffic stops. If your name comes back with an active bench warrant from Hendry County, you will be arrested right then. This applies on any road in the county, including US 27 and SR 80 which are the main corridors through this area.

The 20th Judicial Circuit covers Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties. This means Hendry County bench warrants are visible to law enforcement across all five counties. Fresh pursuit rules let deputies cross county lines without losing arrest authority. An active bench warrant in Hendry County can lead to arrest in Fort Myers, Naples, or anywhere else in the circuit.

Note: Contact a lawyer before reaching out to law enforcement about your own bench warrant in Hendry County.

How Bench Warrants Work in Hendry County

A Hendry County judge issues a bench warrant after finding probable cause under Florida Statute § 901.02. Failure to appear is the most common trigger. The judge signs the warrant from the bench, and it becomes active immediately. Electronic signatures have been valid for Florida warrants since July 2013. The clerk enters the bench warrant into the case file and reports it to the FDLE database.

Missing court creates additional charges in Florida. Under Florida Statute § 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony. On a misdemeanor charge, it is a first-degree misdemeanor. These charges are separate from the original case. They get their own file and penalties. So a person with one open case in Hendry County who skips court now has two cases to deal with.

Judges also issue bench warrants for probation violations and contempt of court. Under Florida Statute § 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone was given proper notice and still failed to appear. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730 allows the clerk or state attorney to prepare a direct capias. Both tools serve the same purpose in Hendry County: getting the person back into court.

Search for Hendry County Warrants

Use the FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us for a free statewide search. Enter a name or date of birth to check for active warrants in Hendry County or any other Florida county. The database updates every 24 hours. It is the fastest way to check without contacting anyone directly.

For the most current data, call the Hendry County Clerk at (863) 675-5217 or the sheriff at (863) 674-5600. The clerk has the most detailed records since the bench warrant goes into their system the day it is signed. The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerk offices and can help you find the right Hendry County contact.

The FDLE warns that their database should not be used as legal proof of an active warrant. Some Hendry County bench warrants may not appear in the system right away due to reporting delays between agencies.

Resolving Hendry County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Florida have no expiration date. A Hendry County bench warrant from years ago is still active and enforceable. Under Florida Statute § 933.05, search warrants expire after 10 days, but bench warrants are different. They stay open until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased.

The smart move is to hire an attorney. A criminal defense lawyer can check for Hendry County bench warrants without exposing you to arrest. They can contact the 20th Judicial Circuit Court and arrange a voluntary surrender on your behalf. Judges tend to view this more favorably than a street arrest. In some cases, your lawyer can file a motion to quash the bench warrant entirely. This works best for old warrants, minor offenses, or situations where notice was not properly given in Hendry County.

Never pay anyone over the phone to clear a bench warrant. Scammers sometimes call Hendry County residents claiming they have warrants and demanding payment by gift card or wire transfer. Real law enforcement will not do this. Verify any warrant claim through the clerk at (863) 675-5217 or the sheriff at (863) 674-5600.

Hendry County Warrant Records

All bench warrant records in Hendry County are public under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. Anyone can request access through the clerk of court. You do not have to be involved in the case. Once a warrant is served and a return of service is filed, the full file is part of the public record. Juvenile records have extra limits, and unexecuted search warrants stay sealed until served. But most adult bench warrants in Hendry County are open for public review.

Cities in Hendry County

Hendry County includes two main cities: LaBelle and Clewiston. Both fall under the 20th Judicial Circuit, and all bench warrant cases go through the clerk of court in LaBelle. Neither city has a population over 75,000, so there are no individual city pages for Hendry County.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Hendry County. The 20th Judicial Circuit connects several of them. Check with the right clerk of court to make sure your bench warrant was filed in Hendry County and not a neighboring county.