Suwannee County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Suwannee County are issued by judges in the 3rd Judicial Circuit when someone fails to show up for court or violates a court order. The Suwannee County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Office both handle tracking and serving these warrants from Live Oak. You can search for active bench warrants through the clerk's office, the sheriff, or the FDLE statewide warrant database. All bench warrants become public records under Florida law once served. This page covers how to find, check, and take care of a bench warrant in Suwannee County so you know exactly where to go and what to do.

Suwannee County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court in Suwannee County keeps all court case files, including bench warrants. The office is at 200 South Ohio Avenue in Live Oak, Florida 32064. You can call (386) 362-0500 for general questions. The clerk handles filings for the 3rd Judicial Circuit courts in Suwannee County. If you need to ask about a specific bench warrant, the clerk staff can look it up by name or case number during business hours. Walk-in requests are accepted at the courthouse in Live Oak.

Suwannee County is a smaller, more rural county in north Florida. The clerk's office handles all court records for the area, and that includes criminal, civil, and traffic cases. Public records requests can be made by phone, mail, or in person. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge issues a bench warrant when probable cause exists and a person has failed to follow a court order. In Suwannee County, these warrants get entered into the system as soon as the judge signs them. Electronic signatures have been valid on Florida warrants since July 2013.

The Florida Statutes page for warrant law is shown below and applies to all bench warrants issued in Suwannee County.

This statute lays out the legal basis that judges in Suwannee County use when they issue bench warrants for failure to appear or other court order violations.

Search Suwannee County Warrants Online

Online access to Suwannee County court records is more limited than in larger Florida counties. The clerk's office may not have a full online search portal, but you can still check for bench warrants through the statewide FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us. The state system pulls warrant data from all 67 Florida counties, including Suwannee. It gets updated every 24 hours. You can search by first name, last name, or date of birth. The FDLE database covers outstanding arrest warrants, failure to appear capias warrants, direct capias warrants, and violation of probation warrants.

The 3rd Judicial Circuit covers Suwannee, Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Dixie, and Taylor counties. Court records and warrant data are shared across this circuit. If you have a bench warrant in Suwannee County, it will show up during encounters with law enforcement in any of these neighboring circuit counties. The statewide CCIS system, managed through the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association, also makes Suwannee County case data available to law enforcement across Florida.

Note: For the most accurate bench warrant information in Suwannee County, contact the clerk's office directly at (386) 362-0500 rather than relying solely on online databases.

Suwannee County Sheriff Warrants

The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office is the agency that serves bench warrants in the county. They are at 200 South Ohio Avenue in Live Oak, Florida 32064. You can reach them at (386) 362-2222. The sheriff's office shares its address with the clerk's office, as both are in the same building in downtown Live Oak. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant. A warrant from Suwannee County can be executed in any other Florida county at any time.

If you think you have a bench warrant in Suwannee County, the sheriff's office recommends turning yourself in. You can do this at the Suwannee County Jail. Voluntary surrender tends to lead to better outcomes than waiting to be arrested during a traffic stop or other routine encounter with law enforcement. Because Suwannee County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, warrant information is shared with Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Dixie, and Taylor counties. Law enforcement in any of those areas can arrest you on a Suwannee County bench warrant.

Suwannee County Bench Warrant Penalties

Failing to appear in court in Suwannee County brings new charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony is a third-degree felony. That can mean up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail. These charges stack on top of the original case. The bench warrant is a separate legal problem from whatever brought you to court in the first place.

Bench warrants in Florida do not expire. That sets them apart from search warrants, which must be executed within 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant from years ago in Suwannee County is still enforceable today. It stays in the FCIC and NCIC databases until resolved. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring someone before the court for sentencing or adjudication. The warrant will come up during any contact with law enforcement anywhere in Florida.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Suwannee County

If you have a bench warrant in Suwannee County, getting legal advice is your first move. A criminal defense attorney can look at your case and plan the best approach. They may file a motion to quash the warrant, which works well for older or less serious cases. Showing up to court on your own is better than being arrested at a bad time.

Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when a person does not appear after proper notice. All bench warrant records in Suwannee County are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law. Anyone can request to see them. You do not need to be part of the case. Juvenile records and sealed cases have some limits, but most bench warrants in Suwannee County are open for public access once the return of service is filed.

Watch out for scam calls. Law enforcement in Suwannee County will never demand phone payments to clear a bench warrant. If someone calls and asks for gift cards or wire transfers to resolve a warrant, hang up and call the clerk or sheriff directly.

Cities in Suwannee County

Suwannee County has a few small cities and towns. All bench warrants in the county are handled through the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court in Live Oak. No cities in Suwannee County have a population over 75,000.

Places in Suwannee County include Live Oak, Branford, and Wellborn. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are all handled at the Suwannee County courthouse in Live Oak.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Suwannee County. Make sure your bench warrant is in the right county before you take action. Each county has its own clerk and sheriff that handle warrants.