Criminal Defense in Winter Haven, FL

Located in Polk County, the City of Winter Haven is the second-largest city in the county. After a misdemeanor or DUI arrest in Winter Haven or the northeastern portions of Polk County, the case will be prosecuted at the Northeast Government Center courthouse at 3425 Lake Alfred Road, Winter Haven, Florida, 33881, in the Gill Jones Center.

This location only has one courthouse. Because of the limited size of the facility, the jury selection process occurs at the Polk County Courthouse located at 255 North Broadway Avenue in Bartow, FL.

The court in Winter Haven, FL, typically has three consecutive weeks of motions followed by one week of jury trials. Criminal matters are typically held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Criminal cases in Winter Haven, FL, are set before County Judge BOB GRODE for arraignment, pre-trial conferences, mandatory docketing, or trial.

Attorneys for Criminal Defense in Winter Haven, FL

The criminal defense attorneys for Polk County, FL, at Sammis Law Firm represent clients at the Winter Haven Branch Courthouse located at 3425 Lake Alfred Road in Winter Haven, FL.

If you are charged with a crime in Polk County and your case will be heard at the Winter Haven branch courthouse, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm.

We can represent you in front of Judge Bob Grode in Winter Haven, FL. If you missed a court date and the court issued a failure to appear capias warrant for your arrest, then contact us about filing a motion to set aside the arrest warrant.

Don’t face the judge alone. Call (813) 250-0500 today.

How to Appear in Court in Winter Haven, FL

The notices of court dates in Winter Haven, FL, provide as follows:

If you are represented by an attorney, contact your attorney to determine how you are to appear before the courts.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, customer traffic in the courthouse has been limited. As such, your court hearing is currently scheduled to take place using remote technology.

It is possible that the courthouse closure may change prior to your court date. Please visit www.polkcountyclerk.net one business day prior to your court date to determine whether the courthouse has reopened and virtual hearings have been discontinued.

If you are represented by an attorney, contact your lawyer to determine how you are to appear before the courts.

To appear by video, you must have a computer or smartphone with camera, microphone, reliable internet connection, and email account. If you received this Notice electronically, click or tap on the link below and follow the prompts. You may be directed to a virtual lobby.

Please be patient while waiting for your case to be called. If you received a paper copy of this notice, please visit our website where links to Polk County’s virtual courtrooms, including the courtroom in Winter Haven, FL, are posted and make sure to select the link listed below.

To appear by telephone, call the telephone number listed under the link and enter the conference ID when prompted.

Instructions for appearing by video and telephone are posted on the Tenth Judicial Circuit’s website at www.jud10.flcourts.org. Read these instructions carefully before your court date.

If you do not have a lawyer and cannot afford to pay for one, you are entitled to one at a minimal cost. To fill out an application online for a court-appointed lawyer prior to your court date, please visit the Indigent Status page on www.polkcountyclerk.net.

If you would like to receive future court documents by email, please visit the Forms & Document Center on the Clerk’s website (www.polkcountyclerk.net) to complete and file a Designation of Email Address.

If you would like to receive text and/or email notifications about future court dates, visit the eNotify link on the Clerk’s website and follow the registration instructions.

Unless otherwise waived by the Court in Polk County, FL, your attendance by video or telephone is required.

Failure to attend court in Winter Haven, FL, may result in forfeiture of the bond(s) and a capias arrest warrant being issued in your case.

Please refer to the Polk County Clerk’s Home Page at www.polkcountyclerk.net and select Records Search Online, Criminal Records to access your Court Events or call 863-534-4000 one day prior to court to confirm no changes to this notice. Fine and court cost may be due at the time of sentencing.

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance.

Please contact Office of the Court Administrator, 255 North Broadway Avenue, Bartow, Florida 33830, (863)534-4686, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

During the COVID-19 crisis, many of the court dates are being heard by Remote Appearance via Virtual Courtroom, unless otherwise authorized. The video courtroom link and the teleconference information can be found by clicking here to enter Winter Haven Branch Virtual Courtroom.

The County Court Judge assigned to the Winter Haven Courthouse is the Honorable Bob Grode in Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit in Polk County, FL.

Additional Resources

Winter Haven Police Department – The Winter Haven Police Department has 31 civilian support personnel and 90 sworn police officers. The police department in Winter Haven, FL, handles more than 60,000 calls each year. The current Chief of Police is Charlie Bird.

Northeast Office of the Clerk of Court in Winter Haven, FL – Visit the website of the clerk of court’s office to find the official records and court records for cases pending in Polk County, including cases pending in the northeast courthouse in Winter Haven, FL. The clerk of court has an address at the courthouse in Winter Haven which is known as the “Northeast Polk County Government Center.”

State Attorney’s Office in Winter Haven, FL – Visit the website of the State Attorney’s Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit in Polk County, FL (often called “sao10”), to find their mailing address. The current State Attorney is Brian Haas. Find contact information for the prosecutor’s office located in the Northeast Office in Winter Haven, FL.

This article was last updated on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.