Criminal Defense Lawyer in Winter Park, FL

If you have a criminal misdemeanor or DUI case at the Orange County Branch Courthouse in Winter Park, FL, then contact attorney Jocelyn Dopson-Rodriguez at 813-250-0500.

The new courthouse in Winter Park, FL, located off University Boulevard near Goldenrod Road, officially opened on Monday, February 17, 2025. The new courthouse has two courtrooms for criminal misdemeanor charges and criminal traffic charges including DUI.

The address of the Winter Park Branch Courthouse is located at 4037 Metric Drive, Winter Park, FL 32792. Parking in front of the building is free and convenient.

After a misdemeanor arrest in Winter Part or the surrounding areas, the arraignment might be assigned to this branch courthouse.

Criminal Defense Attorney for Winter Park, FL

Attorney Jocelyn Dopson-Rodriguez represents clients throughout Orange County, and focuses on criminal and DUI cases at the Winter Park Courthouse.

The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm are familiar with the standard operating procedures used by the Winter Park Police Department and the way they investigate criminal charges and gather evidence.

We also understand the way the prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit handles misdemeanor and DUI cases in Winter Park, FL.

Call 813-250-0500.

Information about the New Winter Park Courthouse

At the Orange County Branch Courthouse – Winter Park, one judge is permanently assigned to this courthouse for civil infractions, criminal traffic crimes (such as DUI), all other misdemeanors, and county civil cases.

The second courtroom is used on a rotating basis by traffic hearing officers and judges. Both of the new courtrooms are equipped with built-in technological infrastructure for virtual hearings and jury trials.

In the Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange County), case assignment to the Winter Park Branch Courthouse depends on a mix of geographic borders and strict procedural limits. If a misdemeanor or municipal ordinance violation takes place within the city limits of Winter Park, or within the specific surrounding unincorporated northeast sectors of Orange County, it falls under the Winter Park branch’s cache.

Misdemeanor arrests or a Notices to Appear issued by the Winter Park Police Department, the Maitland Police Department, or the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (while patrolling the northeast sector) are the primary drivers of the Winter Park docket.

How law enforcement handles the intake determines whether the case stays at the branch or goes downtown:

• Notice to Appear (NTA): If an officer issues a criminal citation or an NTA without physically booking the person into jail, the initial court appearance (arraignment) is set directly at the branch courthouse covering that geographic zone.
• Physical Arrest and Booking: If a person is physically arrested and taken to the main Orange County Jail, the initial booking, first appearance (bond hearing), and often the subsequent arraignment are routed through the main system downtown in Orlando. However, the case may still be transferred or evaluated for the branch if it meets local divisional assignments.

The Winter Park facility operates with limited resources (housing a permanently assigned county judge, rotating judges, and traffic hearing officers). Consequently, only specific sub-categories of lower-level offenses are routed there:

• Criminal Traffic Misdemeanors: Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While License Suspended (DWLS), Reckless Driving, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.
• Local Ordinance Violations: Municipal or county code violations, open container violations, and minor local disturbances.
• Non-Violent, Low-Level Misdemeanors: Petit theft, minor trespass, and low-level possession charges.

Even if a misdemeanor happens right next to the Winter Park courthouse, it will generally be routed to the main Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando if it involves:

• Domestic Violence / Dating Violence Misdemeanors: Simple battery or stalking charges involving intimate partners or household members are strictly assigned to specialized Domestic Violence divisions downtown to ensure specialized judicial oversight and victim advocate access.
• Companion Felonies: If a misdemeanor charge is tied to a felony charge arising out of the same incident, the entire case is bound over to the Circuit Court criminal division downtown as required by Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.030 regarding jurisdiction, heavily reinforced by Ninth Circuit Administrative Order No. 07-84-02 (which governs the assignment of criminal cases).

According to the Orange County Clerk of Courts Criminal Division Manual, the Clerk maintains the strict zip-code routing sheet that explicit states: “All misdemeanor charges meeting the criteria for Domestic Violence or companion to a felony are excluded from satellite branch assignment and must be filed in the Orlando Division.”

When a defendant faces both a misdemeanor and a felony arising out of the same criminal episode, the charges are “interlocking.” To promote judicial economy and prevent double jeopardy issues, the State Attorney’s Office files these together via a single “Information” or indictment in the Circuit Court. The administrative rules dictate that the Circuit Court assumes jurisdiction over the entire case, automatically forcing the misdemeanor component to be bound over to the main courthouse downtown.

The case routing structure is governed by Administrative Orders issued by the Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, in tandem with the internal operating policies of the Orange County Clerk of Courts.

For example, domestic violence and dating violence misdemeanors are stripped from satellite branches like Winter Park and sent downtown because of the procedures outlined in Ninth Judicial Circuit Administrative Order No. 2002-04 (and its subsequent amendments), which establishes the specialized Domestic Violence Division of the County Court in Orange County.

This order mandates that all criminal misdemeanor cases involving domestic violence—including simple battery, stalking, and violations of injunctions—must be assigned exclusively to the specialized Domestic Violence “DV” subdivisions (Subdivisions 60, 61, etc.) located at the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court (Main Courthouse) in Downtown Orlando. The DV subdivisions use this centralization to ensure specialized judicial handling, immediate access to on-site victim advocates, and uniform tracking of firearms restrictions under Florida law.

Information about the Winter Park Police Department

Construction began on the Winter Park Police Department’s current facility on January 23, 2002. On June 3, 2003, the police department moved into the new facility.

The first floor houses Evidence, Property, the Operations Division, and the Community Services Division. Officers on the first floor can attend use designated spaces for evidence processing, records and evidence storage, drafting reports, patrol briefings, or conduct interview of witnesses or suspects.

Separate areas are used for a SWAT locker room, the armory, and a holding cell area for male, females and juveniles.

For DUI cases in Winter Park, the police department uses an on-site DUI breath and urine testing facility with a secure salleport entrance.

The Winter Park Police Department has an annual budget of more than twenty million dollars, and serves the citizens throughout the city. With more than 25 years with the department, Timothy Volkerson currently serves as the Chief of Police.

DUI Arrests in Winter Park, FL

Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 2018-05, the courts for the Ninth Judicial Circuit have approved all driver improvement schools approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Effective Feburary 5, 2018, the order also provides that all substance abuse education courses approved by the DUI Programs Director of the DHSMV are also be considered approved by this Court.

Additional Resources

Winter Park Branch Courthouse – Visit the website of Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida to learn more about the Orange County Branch Courthouse – Winter Park. The ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Orange County Courthouse occurred on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. The following community leaders attended the ribbon cutting: Chief Judge Lisa T. Munyon, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, and representatives from the Orange County Bar Association and Board of County Commissioners.

This article was last updated on Thursday, June 11, 2026.