Misdemeanor warrants for failing to appear for a court date or a violation of probation are minor, but they bog down dockets for the courts and judges. And they create anxiety for those charged, thinking they’ll be taken directly to jail if they try to clear them up in person at the courthouse.
The Osceola Clerk of Court & Comptroller’s Office will hold its Safe Surrender Day Event on Oct. 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kissimmee Civic Center. The event is a chance for individuals to turn themselves in and clear outstanding warrants for non-violent misdemeanor crimes in a safe and dignified manner, without the angst of the courthouse.
Participants will meet virtually with a judge. Safe Surrender Day is not an amnesty program, but does offer favorable considerations from the court, often in the form of reduced fines, probation requirements or a new court date as an alternative to jail time. Individuals may also apply for a public defender at the event.
As long as the warrant was issued in Osceola County participants do not need to be a resident of Osceola County to attend, however they do need to be an American citizen or legal resident. Participants must bring some form of photo ID. Children are not permitted.
Previous participants expressed their gratitude for this event as it allowed those individuals to set a new court date appearance without receiving jail time, paying additional fines, or having to miss work, without the embarrassment of being potentially arrested in front of their families or co-workers.
Local county judges who have participated in previous events also raved about the ability to clear dockets of these cases, which often occur because of a person’s “one bad day making a mistake,” and the legal follow-ups to that.
The event is a collaboration between Clerk of Court Kelvin Soto’s office, the State Attorney’s Office and the Circuit Court of the Ninth Circuit, the Public Defender’s Office and local law enforcement and Corrections agencies.
For more information, contact the Osceola Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller Criminal Division at 407-742-3566.
