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Felony

This page presents a wide range of information about the Felony Department of the Clerk’s Office. We hope you find it helpful.

Our department processes cases involving criminal offenses of a more serious nature that are punishable by prison sentences of at least one year. We are glad to offer customer service both in person at our office and over the telephone. We can help you with case information and the filing of legal documents. But please understand that the Clerk’s Office, by law, cannot provide legal advice. Those needing assistance with legal matters may want to consider consulting an attorney.

Court Dates

If you were bonded out of jail or released by a judge, you were notified at that time of your next court date, which will be your Arraignment. To verify an upcoming court date, inquiries should be made no sooner than 2:00 p.m. on the day before the Arraignment. We invite you to call the State Attorney’s Office at (904) 255-2500 for pending Arraignment court dates. In addition, you may contact the Clerk’s Office’s Felony Department at (904) 255-2000 for all subsequent court appearance dates.

The Clerk's Office does not establish an individual’s court date, and we do not have the authority to change a felony court date. If you have a question about your court date, please contact your attorney for assistance.

Failure to Appear

It’s important to understand that if you fail to appear for an established court date, it can have serious consequences. The court may even issue a Capias for your arrest. In addition, if you have posted a bond for your release, the court can order a forfeiture of that bond, which means that you will lose the money or collateral that was posted for your bond. The court could also impose additional penalties it considers appropriate.

Case Information

Viewing Case Information Online

Documents filed in a case will be entered into the Case Docket. For your convenience, case information can be accessed online through the Clerk Online Resource ePortal (CORE). If you have question or concerns about CORE, we encourage you to email the CORE Helpdesk at CORE@duvalclerk.com.

Requesting Case Information from the Felony Department

For further information about a felony case, please make your request in writing by using the Felony Search Form. Just send your request to the address below, making sure to clearly describe the information you need.

e-Filing

Electronic filing (e-Filing) is now required for attorneys throughout the State of Florida. For more information about e-filing, please visit the E-filing Portal. If you need help getting started, please visit our Electronic Court Access page here.

Fines and Fees

If you are on Probation

If your fines or fees were ordered to be paid through the Department of Corrections Probation Office, please contact their office if you have questions or concerns related to your fines or fees. If you fail to contact these officers about a late payment, it may result in a Violation of Probation. This means that a Warrant may be issued for your arrest.

If you are not on Probation

Your fines and fees will remain outstanding with the Clerk of Court until you pay the fine in full. If you fail to pay a fine, your driver’s license may be suspended. In addition, your information may be forwarded to a collections agency in an effort to collect your fine. This is subject to a 30-percent collections rate.

For information about your fine or fee balance, please contact the Felony Department at (904) 255-2000. Please be sure to have the felony case number and the defendant’s name on hand when you call.

Payment Options

At the Felony Department, we accept in-person payments of cash, cashier’s checks, money orders, and debit or credit cards (subject to a small processing fee). Please note that we cannot accept personal checks.

You may also make your payment to the Clerk’s Office by mail. The only forms of payment we can accept by mail are cashier’s checks or money orders. Please be sure to list a case number and the defendant’s name on all payments. Payments may be mailed to the address below.

For cases which have been referred to a collections agency, please contact the agency that is responsible for your case at the number below.

Collection Agency Contact Information

Linebarger

www.lgbswebpayments.com

1-866-234-9790

Harris & Harris

www.payharris.com/

1-855-959-0296

If you do not know to which collection agency your case has been assigned, please contact the Felony department for assistance.

Restitution

Restitution is the court-ordered payment(s) to a person, a group or an entity to compensate for an injury or loss. It is paid by the party that is found responsible for the injury or loss. When it is considered necessary in a criminal case, the court will order an individual to pay restitution to the victims(s) for their injury or loss.

If you are on Probation

Please contact your Probation Officer for information concerning your restitution payments.

If you are NOT on Probation

If you are required to make your payments directly to the Clerk of Court, or if your Judgment and Restitution Order directs you to do so, you may make payments either in person or by mail (see “Payment Options”).

Please note that all restitution payments must include a $3.00 processing fee.

Getting your Restitution Money

The Clerk’s Office may issue restitution payments to a victim only upon receiving payments from the defendant for that specific victim and only as ordered by the court. If a defendant does not make payments as ordered by the court, the victim can seek relief through a Civil Judgment. (Please see the Judgment and Restitution Order Instruction Sheet, which may also found in the Forms section of this web page.)

Restoration of Voting Rights

To assist in determining if you have outstanding financial obligations on felony cases where a conviction occurred, please complete the Financial Obligations Inquiry Form. Upon review of your court records, the Clerk will provide detailed information related to your records in Duval County. If applicable, we will also provide basic case information for felony convictions throughout the State of Florida.

NOTE: You will be required to contact each county to determine if there are outstanding financial obligations.

For more information regarding the Restoration of Voting Rights (Amendment 4) visit the Supervisor of Elections and/or the Florida Division of Election's Amendment 4 page.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is a Felony?

A felony is a criminal offense of a more serious nature that is punishable by a prison sentence of at least one year.

What information will I need to have before contacting your office?

We ask that you have the following on hand:

Duval County felony case number
Jail offender number
State Attorney case number
Date of offense
Complete name of defendant (as arrested by arresting agency)

What is considered proper courtroom attire?

Most courtrooms will not admit anyone wearing shorts, un-tucked shirts, t-shirts with graphic or offensive wording or images, or revealing clothing.

Where are the judge's offices located?

For information about the 4th Judicial Circuit, please visit its website.

How can I press charges against someone?

Please contact the Office of the State Attorney (904) 255-2500 for information.

When are my court costs due?

Typically your court costs are due 90 days after the period of incarceration.

How do I seal/expunge my record?

There are very strict criteria for sealing or expunging court records. Some of the requirements are:

You were charged with a misdemeanor or felony offense but were not convicted or adjudication was withheld
The State Attorney declined to prosecute your case
You have not had any other court record sealed or expunged in the State of Florida

You may be eligible to have court records about your case sealed or expunged. However, by Florida law, there are certain charges that cannot be sealed or expunged regardless of whether adjudication was withheld.

What are the differences between a sealed record and an expunged record?

A sealed record can be opened only in certain ways, including:

By order of the court
For inspection by the Judiciary
By the defendant
By an attorney of record
By a criminal-justice agency

Please seek advice from an attorney for more information on having criminal court records sealed.

On the other hand, if a record is expunged, it will no longer exist. The case and any references to the case are destroyed. However, as governed by Florida Rule 3.692, there are some instances in which a case cannot be expunged until 10 years after the record of arrest has been sealed. Please seek advice from an attorney for more information about having criminal court records expunged.

You can get a packet with instructions on how to seal or expunge your case by visiting FDLE's Seal and Expunge Process web page or by appearing in person at the Felony Department, located at the address below.

May I attend a criminal trial?

All sessions of court are open to the public unless a judge has ordered it to be closed. Please note that everyone attending a court session is expected to dress and conduct themselves properly.

What is an Arraignment?

An Arraignment is a court procedure in which a person accused of a crime is brought before the court to be informed of the official charges against her or him. The person is also informed of his or her rights during the Arraignment. At that time the defendant is asked if he or she chooses to plead "guilty," "not guilty" or "nolo contendere" (no contest).

In most instances, a case is continued from the arraignment to a later court date. If the case is continued, the defendant is notified at the arraignment of his or her next court date.

How can I get a "criminal records search/background check and letter," and how much does it cost?

Since the Clerk of Courts is not responsible for performing criminal record or background searches, we suggest that you contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for information about these searches.

I would like an attorney but can't afford one. What can I do?

Florida Statute 27.51(1) states, "The public defender shall represent, without additional compensation, any person determined by the court to be indigent as provided in Florida Statute 27.52." If you have been arrested and charged with a felony offense but you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for the service of a public defender. You can make a request for a public defender during your first court appearance. Please contact the Public Defender’s Office at (904) 255-4673 for additional information.

I am a witness in a case. How can I obtain information concerning the case?

As a witness in a case, you should direct all questions about that case to the attorney who subpoenaed you as a witness.

How can I get my cash bond refunded?

At the conclusion of a felony case, the cash bond may be released to the depositor. But keep in mind that the cash bond may be used for payment of fines, court costs or Restitution before the reimbursement of any remaining funds. If the depositor is due a refund, she or he will receive the refund within 10 to 14 working days after the conclusion of the case.

If you are due a refund but haven’t received it after 14 working days, please contact the Felony Department at (904) 255-2000. We’ll work promptly to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Just be sure to have available the felony case number, the defendant's name and the date of final adjudication/disposition.

Who is the judge or Assistant State Attorney assigned to a case?

If you have an assigned felony case number (i.e., the defendant has been to an arraignment hearing), please contact the Felony Department at (904) 255-2000 or the State Attorney’s Office at (904)255-2500.

If the defendant has not been assigned a felony case number (i.e., the defendant has not been to an arraignment hearing), please contact the State Attorney’s Office at (904)255-2500.

How do I file an appeal?

Please contact your attorney about the proper procedures for filing an appeal. If you’d like to research the information yourself, you may consult the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, which are found in the Florida Rules of Court. In addition, the Law Library located in the Duval County Courthouse is available to assist in your research.

How do I apply for clemency?

You may call or write:

Office of Executive Clemency

2601 Blairstone Rd

Bldg. C, Room 229

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2450

Phone

(850) 488-2952