Lafayette County Bench Warrants

Lafayette County bench warrants are issued by judges in the 3rd Judicial Circuit when a person misses a court date or violates a court order. Mayo is the county seat and where all court business takes place. Lafayette County is the least populated county in Florida, but bench warrants here carry the same weight as any other county in the state. You can search for active bench warrants through the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, or the FDLE statewide database. This page walks through how to look up bench warrants in Lafayette County and what your options are if you have one.

Lafayette County Clerk of Court

The Lafayette County Clerk of Court keeps all court files, and that includes bench warrants. The office is at 5303 W. Main St. in Mayo, Florida 32066. You can call (386) 294-1600 for case info or questions about warrants. The clerk staff can pull up bench warrants by name or case number. Since Lafayette County is small, the clerk's office handles everything from one building. Bond payments, case filings, public records requests, and court documents all go through this office.

Lafayette County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which also serves Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. A bench warrant from Lafayette County can be served across all of these counties and beyond. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in Florida can serve a warrant from Lafayette County. It does not matter where you are in the state. The warrant stays active and valid everywhere.

Public records in Lafayette County are open under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law. Anyone can ask to see bench warrant records. You do not need to be named in the case. The clerk may charge a small copy fee for printed documents, but the right to view the records is free.

Search Lafayette County Warrants Online

Lafayette County does not have its own online court records search portal. For a county this size, most warrant lookups happen by phone or in person at the clerk's office. But you can still search for Lafayette County bench warrants online through the FDLE statewide warrant database. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement pulls warrant data from all 67 counties. The system gets updated every 24 hours. You can search by name or date of birth.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website shows how the statewide system connects all clerk offices, including Lafayette County.

The eWarrants system links law enforcement, prosecutors, clerks, and judges across Florida. When a bench warrant gets entered in Lafayette County, it shows up in databases used by officers during traffic stops and other contacts statewide. Even though Lafayette County is small and rural, its warrants carry the same force as those from large metro areas.

Lafayette County Sheriff's Office

The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants in the county. The office shares the same address as the clerk at 5303 W. Main St. in Mayo, FL 32066. Call (386) 294-1221 for warrant questions. Deputies handle all warrant service in the county. When someone is picked up on a bench warrant, they get booked and held at the county jail until they see a judge.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge needs probable cause to issue a bench warrant. The warrant must be signed. Electronic signatures have been allowed since 2013. Once signed, the bench warrant goes into the system and stays active. There is no time limit on a bench warrant in Lafayette County. It does not expire. The warrant stays in the system until the person is arrested, a judge recalls it, or the subject is deceased. Officers can serve it any day, any time.

Note: Lafayette County bench warrants are entered into the Florida Crime Information Center, which shares data with the national NCIC system used by law enforcement across the country.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Lafayette County

Failing to show up for court in Lafayette County brings new charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony is a third-degree felony. That means up to five years in prison. For a misdemeanor case, failure to appear is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These new charges stack on top of the original case. The bench warrant is just the way the judge gets you back into the courtroom in Lafayette County.

Search warrants and bench warrants are not the same thing. People mix them up sometimes. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants do not expire at all. A bench warrant from years ago in Lafayette County is still active right now. It will show up if you get pulled over or have any contact with law enforcement. The only way to clear it is through the court.

Resolving Lafayette County Bench Warrants

If you have a bench warrant in Lafayette County, talk to a lawyer before you do anything else. An attorney can review your case and may file a motion to quash or recall the warrant. This works best when the case is old or the charge is minor. Some people choose to turn themselves in at the Lafayette County Jail. Voluntary surrender often leads to better treatment by the court compared to getting arrested somewhere else.

Options for resolving a bench warrant in Lafayette County:

• Hire a lawyer to file a motion to quash the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Lafayette County Jail in Mayo
• Call the sheriff at (386) 294-1221 for warrant info
• Contact the clerk at (386) 294-1600 about your case
• Show up at the courthouse during business hours

Watch out for phone scams. No real law enforcement in Lafayette County will call you and ask for money to clear a bench warrant. If someone demands payment over the phone, it is a scam. Hang up. Call the clerk's office or the sheriff's non-emergency line to check on your case. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant or writ of bodily attachment for failure to appear, but that process never involves a phone call asking for gift cards or wire transfers.

Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or the state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring someone before the court in Lafayette County. A capias is similar to a bench warrant. It orders law enforcement to arrest you and bring you to the judge for sentencing or some other court action. Whether it is called a bench warrant or a capias, the outcome is the same.

Cities in Lafayette County

Lafayette County includes the town of Mayo and several small rural communities. All bench warrants in the county go through the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court. No cities in Lafayette County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. All court matters are handled at the courthouse in Mayo.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Lafayette County. Confirm your bench warrant is in the right county before taking action. Each one has its own clerk and sheriff handling warrants.