Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Valparaiso, Mary Esther and all Florida criminal law cases originating south of the Shoal River Bridge are held at the Shalimar Courthouse located at 1250 Eglin Parkway in Shalimar, Florida.

The location of the courthouse for your Florida state criminal law case will be determined by the location of the arrest or where the incident leading to arrest occurred (federal cases are handled in different courthouses than state cases).

MISDEMEANORS:

If the arrest or incident which led to your Florida state criminal law case was south of the Shoal River bridge, the case will be heard in the Shalimar Courthouse Annex on Eglin Parkway (State Road 85) in Shalimar, Florida. Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Valparaiso, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Bluewater Bay and Cinco Bayou are all south of the Shoal River Bridge.

FELONIES:

All Okaloosa County, Florida, state criminal law cases have felony arraignment (sometimes called “Plea Day” in Okaloosa County) at the Crestview, Florida, courthouse. However, the actual case will be litigated in the Shalimar Courthouse Annex in Shalimar, Florida, unless the case originated north of the Shoal Rive bridge. This can be confusing, but rest assured that our law firm is very familiar with the procedure and will guide you through the process. Usually, a Waiver of Arraignment is filed so that you will not have to go to “Plea Day” in Crestview, Florida. This can be very helpful to out of state residents who need to minimize travel to and from Florida.

The Okaloosa County Jail is located about thirty (30) miles from the Shalimar Annex. Attorneys and lawyers from the surrounding area handle all types of cases at the Shalimar Courthouse Annex, including Florida criminal and civil law cases. Shalimar Courthouse is now a much more secure judicial facility due to long needed security updates. In fact, Attorney Stephen G. Cobb has filed legal motions since the 1990’s for a change of venue due to inadequate courthouse security.

Shalimar lawyer : Criminal Trial Law

Like most of northwest Florida, the roads, bridges and other vehicle infrastructure has not caught up to the growth. Most attorneys and lawyers practicing at the Shalimar courthouse Annex actually maintain offices elsewhere outside of Shalimar. Cobb Criminal Defense Law firm maintains an office in nearby Fort Walton Beach, Florida (on Okaloosa Island, near Destin) for client meetings. However, we have actually found that most of our clients (especially out of state residents) prefer phone appointments for most discussions concerning their legal matters. This was quite a surprise, until we factored in the cost of gas, lost time from work, daycare issues, and the time it now takes to drive even short distances in the local area, especially in parts of Fort Walton Beach, Niceville and Destin. After all, a trip to the lawyer’s office on a work day imposes a severe hardship for a routine matter that can be handled with a phone call, a fax or an e-mail. From DUI defense to Domestic Violence, and all state criminal law matters, call us today. We will do all that can do to help you and relieve the burdens of criminal prosecution through this trying time in your life.

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