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Tami Pearce Simmons, Glades County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Glades County, FL | Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
Gabby Murphy
Gabby Murphy

Criminal Traffic & Misdemeanor

The County Court division of the Clerk’s Office maintains the case files for all defendants accused of committing crimes designated in Florida Statutes as “misdemeanors” or “criminal traffic violations.

Misdemeanor

A misdemeanor is a criminal offense that may be punishable by a jail sentence in a county correctional facility. Misdemeanors are classified into the following degrees:

  • A First Degree Misdemeanor is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 1 year in the county jail and by a fine not to exceed $1,000.

  • A Second Degree Misdemeanor is punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed 60 days in the county jail and by a fine not to exceed $500.

  • County and Municipal Ordinances, which are defined as local regulations passed by a county or municipality that are punishable by a fine less than $500 and/or imprisonment in a county jail for less than 60 days.

Criminal Traffic

Criminal traffic violations are defined by the Florida Statutes as violations that may subject a defendant upon conviction to incarceration. Examples of criminal traffic violations are:

  • Driving with a Suspended License

  • Driving without a Valid Driver’s License

  • Reckless Driving

  • Hit and Run

  • Leaving an Accident Scene

  • Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (D.U.I.)

For more information about traffic violations, visit the Civil Traffic & Infractions page.

Court Appearance

Once a court date has been set on a misdemeanor or criminal traffic case, the Clerk’s Office cannot change it. If there is a problem, you will need to contact your attorney or, if you are not represented by an attorney, contact the Clerk’s Office.

Court Records

Copies of records may be obtained by visiting or contacting our office. Inactive cases may be stored off-site and may require a day or more to retrieve. We recommend calling our office in advance to confirm availability.

Pursuant to the Rules of Judicial Administration – Public Access to Judicial Branch Records, Rule 2.420(f)(1), all requests for access to court records must be submitted in writing to the records custodian. Requests must include sufficient detail to allow the custodian to identify the records being requested.

Search Court Records

Record Fees

Fees are as follows:

  • $1.00 per page for court records
  • $2.00 per name or case search fee
  • $2.00 per certification for certified copies

Requesting Records by Mail

Records may also be requested by mail. Please include:

  • A written request specifying the records needed
  • Payment at $1.00 per page (call in advance to determine the total number of pages)
  • A self-addressed stamped envelope

Please do not send cash. Processing typically takes 7–10 business days.

Mail requests and payments should be sent to:

County Criminal Division
500 Avenue J, Suite 102
Moore Haven, Florida 33471

Frequently Asked Questions

You may need to hire an attorney to defend you in court. The Clerk’s Office cannot recommend attorneys to you, but you can find a list of attorneys at floridabar.org by clicking on “Find a Lawyer.”

If you can’t afford to hire an attorney, you may need to contact the local Public Defender’s Office at (863) 946-6010 or go to pd20.org to complete the application.

A warrant will be issued for your arrest, and any bond that you have previously posted will be forfeited when you fail to appear in court. If you are arrested because of a “failure to appear warrant”, you may be held in jail without bond.

You can pay for your court costs, fees, fines, or service charges in a number of ways:

  1. You can pay in person by cash, check, or money order, or with a credit/debit card at the Clerk’s Office, 500 Avenue J, Suite 500, Moore Haven, Florida 33471.
  2. You can pay by credit/debit card by phone by calling the Clerk’s Office at (863) 946-6010. A 3.5% fee will be added to all credit/debit card transactions.
  3. You can pay by mail by sending a cashier’s check, personal check, or money order to the Clerk’s Office, 500 Avenue J, Suite 500, Moore Haven, Florida 33471, Attn: Collections Division. Make the check payable to Glades Clerk of Court. You must also include your court case number. Do not mail cash.

There are a number of things that may occur if the monetary obligations you owe are not paid.

First, when someone is sentenced to jail or prison, the monetary obligations that are imposed at sentencing are held in “abeyance” (postponed) until your release from incarceration. However, the court will make these monetary obligations a lien of record against any property you may own. Being sentenced to a jail or prison term does not cancel the unpaid monetary obligations. A civil judgment will be filed against you in the Official Records of the County.

Second, once a payment plan is established and you fail to make your scheduled payments and you do not contact the Clerk’s Office, your case will be sent to collections. The Clerk’s Office has contracted with a collection agency to attempt to collect all outstanding monetary obligations owed to Glades County. The Clerk’s Office notifies the collection agency that you have costs outstanding. You will owe an additional 40% of the total amount due if your case is sent to collections. The collection agency will contact you by letter and phone to collect this debt.

Third, your driver’s license will be suspended for lack of payment, and additional costs will be incurred by you from both the Clerk’s Office and the DHSMV to have your license reinstated.

Not every case may be sealed or expunged. Please contact our office at (863) 946-6010 for instructions on sealing or expunging a record, or visit fdle.state.fl.us for more information.

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