Hamilton County is a rural county in Northern Florida. It borders Georgia and is a popular route of entrance and exit into Florida. The county has beautiful nature parks, preserves, and festivals. The county is surrounded by Columbia County to the east and Georgia to the north. There is a smaller population of approximately 14,665 but a lot more than that drive through the county every year because of the main roads crossing through. These interstates and major roadways include: Interstate 75, US 41, US 129, State Road 6, State Road 136, and State Road 143.
Hamilton County Judges
| Hamilton County Judges: | Jurisdiction: |
| Judge Sonny Scaff | All misdemeanor cases. |
3rd Circuit Judges in Hamilton County
| 3rd Circuit Hamilton County Judges: | Jurisdiction: |
| Judge David W. Fina | All felony cases. |
Common Crimes in Hamilton County, FL
Below is a list of the most common crimes people were arrested for in Hamilton County, in 2016. These statistics were received from the Uniform Crime Report provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
| Offenses: | Total Arrests: |
| Drugs | 136 |
| Larceny | 43 |
| Simple Assault | 48 |
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office makes a considerable amount of arrests as well as Florida highway Patrol of Hamilton County.
DUI’S
In 2016 Hamilton County reported that DUI’s were almost cut in half from 2015.
Specialty Courts
Adult Drug Treatment Court
Individuals that get arrested for drug related offenses that meet certain criteria may be admitted into the Adult Drug Treatment Court Program of Hamilton County. To be considered for admission into the program, a defendant must: be at least 16 years of age, be a resident of the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, or otherwise accepted in accordance with conditions outlined in a drug court transfer agreement with another circuit, be free from any prior violent felony conviction, have a current substance abuse/dependence diagnosis, or a documented history of substance abuse or a dependence diagnosis and have a current qualifying felony or misdemeanor charge. Participants may be reprimanded or have sanctions imposed upon them for unsatisfactory performance, including incarceration, termination of the program and full prosecution for the underlying crime.
Mental Health Court
The Hamilton County Mental Health Court is a special part of the Hamilton County Court. It is a Court-supervised program for those arrested in Hamilton County who has a mental illness, who need treatment and other services, and who choose to participate in the mental health program instead of having their case precede through the regular court process. The goal of this program is to divert non-violent defendants with mental illness from the Hamilton County Jail and active criminal prosecution in the Hamilton County Court to appropriate community based treatment.
