Okaloosa County Resource Guide For Courts, Police Agencies & Other State Agencies

If you or a loved one is involved in a criminal situation in Okaloosa County, there are a number of local and state agencies and facilities that you may have to deal with at some point during the process. And remember, if you need help with a criminal arrest, call me at (850) 362-6655. The call is free.

It can become overwhelming trying to keep up with who you have to call, or where you have to be.

In an effort to make navigating the legal system easier and more efficient for my clients, I have compiled a list of area Florida Agencies and Offices in this Resource Guide.

The Okaloosa County Clerk’s Office functions to assist and facilitate with individuals and their interactions with the court system. From collecting fees and fines, maintaining official records, managing court dates, to criminal and civil file administration, the Clerk’s Office is connected to almost every legal action. www.okaloosaclerk.com 101 E. James Lee Boulevard Crestview, FL 32536 (850) 689-5000

Traffic Infraction- 3310
Juvenile/Appeals- 3340
Felony/Misdemeanor- 3330/3320

1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
850-609-4700

Traffic Infraction- 4310
Felony/Juvenile- 4330/4340
County Criminal Misdemeanor-4320

1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 651-7497

Drug Court is a program administered by the county court system meant to assist defendants facing drug related crimes who are also in need of intensive outpatient treatment. This program has helped many individuals reach sobriety, however, it is important to speak with a criminal defense attorney prior to entering into a drug court program because these programs are long-term and rely heavily on severe negative reinforcement models (jail penalties and possibly prison)—and there may be better options available.

1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 595-3055

Okaloosa County Veterans’ Court Program is a specialized court established to

serve veterans struggling with treatable behavioral, mental, or chemical health problems as a result of trauma experienced while serving in a combat/war zone. The court is a voluntary 12-18 month program which promotes sobriety, recovery, restoration and stability, through a coordinated response involving cooperation between all stakeholders in the process. There is a specialized court docket for veteran defendants that substitutes traditional court process with a problem solving model.

Carl Jett, Program Administrator
Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension
1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Room 2-002
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 609-5186

Okaloosa County Mental Health Court is a specialized court docket for Defendants with mental disabilities that substitutes traditional court processing with a problem-solving model. Eligibility is determined by specialized screening and assessments and voluntarily participate in a judicially supervised treatment plan developed jointly by a team of court staff and mental health professionals. Referrals can be made by Judges, private and state attorneys or pretrial officers.

1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547
(850) 609-4700

111 Racetrack Road, NW
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 833-3838

First Judicial Circuit Florida Public Defenders Office: www.pdo1.org

1 A 9th Avenue
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850)-651-7350

302 N.Wilson Street, Suite 301
Crestview, FL 32536
(850)-689-5580

The Shalimar Office serves southern Okaloosa County and is located near the courthouse off Eglin Parkway.

1-B Ninth Avenue
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850) 651-7260
www.sao1.co.escambia.fl.us/shalimar.htm

151 Cedar Avenue
Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 689-5620
www.sao1.co.escambia.fl.us/crestview.htm

Pretrial Services oversees two major components of the criminal court system. Their first responsibility deals with bail bonds and bond conditions. This agency will make contact with a defendant at the jail, after an arrest and collect information to be able to advise judges as to what would be considered a legally valid and reasonable bond for an individual charged with a particular criminal offense.

Their second function is to monitor and maintain contact with individuals placed on pretrial release, if the court deems it necessary. This may be customary with certain types of cases like Domestic Violence Battery or any Sex Crime. Individuals supervised by pretrial services must maintain contact with their office at least once a week and may have additional requirements that they must adhere to such as: GPS Monitoring, No-Contact and No Violent Contact Orders, Travel Restrictions, Curfews, and Drug and Alcohol Monitoring and Testing.

400 North Ferdon Blvd.
Crestview, FL 32536
850-689-5066

74 3rd Street
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850) 833-9132

250 West Pine Avenue, Suite A
Crestview, FL 32536

The Law Library is open to the Public and has many resources available for legal research including Florida Statutes, Florida Case Law, as well as several law review publications.

1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547

302 N. Wilson Street, 304
Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 689-5980

Okaloosa County Law Enforcement agencies are responsible for protecting and promoting community safety, quality of life and safe and the orderly flow of traffic.

http://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/

197 E. James Lee Blvd
Crestview Florida 32539
(850) 689-5705

50 2nd Street
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850)651-7400

107 Stahlman Avenue
Destin Florida 32541
(850) 609-2094

(850) 651-7432

7 Hollywood Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
(850) 833-9546
http://fwb.org/businesses/police-services

2 Cherokee Road
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850) 651-1115

201 Stillwell Boulevard
Crestview, Florida 32539
(850) 682-3544
http://www.crestviewpd.org/

212 North Partin Dr, Niceville, FL 32578
(850) 279-6436 EXT 1200
http://cityofniceville.org

65 Valparaiso Parkway
Valparaiso, FL 32580
(850) 729-5400
http://police.valp.org/

The Okaloosa County Jail houses inmates during all pretrial phases of a criminal case. The Jail also houses some post-conviction inmates so long as their sentence is less than one year. The County Jail is also responsible for transporting inmates to appear in court and that sentencing requirements imposed by the courts are satisfied in cases where a jail sentence is a condition of a defendant’s probation.

1200 James Lee Boulevard
Crestview, FL 32536
(850)689-5690
www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/corrections/home

3189 Colonel Gregory Malloy Road
Crestview, FL 32539
(850) 682-0931
www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region1/115.html

The Okaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center is a maximum security facility for Defendants that are under the age of 18, housing low level offenders to offenders who are being held for violent crimes and are either awaiting trial or have been sentenced already to a term of one year or less.

448 Straight Line Road
Crestview, FL 32549
(850) 689-7800
www.myflorida.com

299 S. Main Street
Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 689-7770 or 689-7771

151 Eglin Parkway NE, Suite A
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 833-3800