Felony
The Circuit Court has jurisdiction over all defendants accused of committing crimes that have been designated by the State Legislation as felonies. A felony is a criminal offense punishable by death or imprisonment in a state penitentiary. Felonies are classified into the following degrees:
A Capital Felony is punishable by death or life imprisonment without the eligibility for parole.
A Life Felony is punishable by a term of life imprisonment and by a fine not to exceed $15,000.
A First Degree Felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30 years and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
A Second Degree Felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 15 years and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
A Third Degree Felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 5 years and by a fine not to exceed $5,000.
Court Appearance: Once a court date has been set on a felony case the Clerk’s Office cannot change it. If there is a problem you will need to contact your attorney.
Failure To Appear In Court
A warrant may be issued for your arrest and any bond that you have posted may be forfeited when you fail to appear for court. If you are arrested because of a failure to appear warrant you may be held in jail without bond. Pursuant to Florida Statute, any cash bond will be applied to any court cost or fines that are assessed by the Court.
Obtaining a Disposition of a Case
To obtain this information you can visit the Clerk’s Office, at the address above, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.. Inactive cases may be filed off site and may require a day or so to obtain the files for viewing.
Rules of Judicial Administration – PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUDICIAL BRANCH RECORDS, Rule 2.420 (f)(1) – Requests for access to records shall be in writing and shall be directed to the custodian. The request shall provide sufficient specificity to enable the custodian to identify the requested records.
Or you can mail in a request for a copy of the judgment and sentence plus $1.00 per page for the copy. You can send your request and payment to the Clerk’s Office Criminal Division, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Port St. Joe, FL 32456. It will take approximately seven to ten working days to process the request. (The average judgment and sentence packet is approximately 6-7 pages, depending on the counts and sentence.) You are also required to provide a self addressed stamped envelope for mailing.
Forms of Payment
If you are mailing your payment, a money order or certified or cashier’s check can be accepted, no personal checks can be accepted through the mail or in person.
Collection Agency
Gulf County has contracted with a collection agency to attempt to collect all outstanding fees, fines, and costs owed to Gulf County. The Clerk’s Office notifies the collection agency that you have fines outstanding. You will owe an additional 40% of the total amount due. The collection agency will contact you by letter and phone to collect this debt.
Fines Imposed at Sentencing
Generally when someone is sentenced and fines and court costs are imposed they are paid over a term of probation; however, many times the court will make these costs a lien of record against any property you may own, especially when the probation has been violated. Being sentenced to a jail or prison term does not cancel the unpaid monetary obligations. A Civil Judgment will be entered against you which will result in your driver’s license being suspended.
Sealing or Expunging a Record
Please contact our office for instructions on sealing or expunging a record.
