Sumter County is located just north of Tampa Bay and east of Hernando county. The county is a very rural county and a majority of its residents have moved there for retirement purposes. Although long extremely rural, in recent years Sumter County has sustained an exceptionally large increase in population, almost solely due to the expansion of The Villages retirement complex, a significant portion of which is in the county. The population of Sumter County is just over 118,000 people. The largest cities within the county are Bushnell and Wildwood with Bushnell as the County’s governmental hub. The following roads go through Sumter county: I-75, Florida Turnpike, US 301, and State Road 44 all run through the County. These roads are heavily policed by Sumter County Sheriff’s Department and Florida Highway Patrol.
Sumter County Judges
| Sumter County Judge: | Last Name: |
| Judge Paul L. Militello | ALL |
5th Circuit Judges in Sumter County
| 5th Circuit Sumter County Judge: | Last Name: |
| Judge Michelle Morley | ALL |
Below is a list of the most common crimes people were arrested for in Sumter County, in 2016. These statistics were received from the Uniform Crime Report provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
| Offenses: | Total Arrests: |
| Drugs | 676 |
| Larceny | 276 |
| Aggravated Assault | 134 |
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office made the majority of the arrests for drugs, larceny and aggravated assault.
DUI’s
In 2015 and 2016 Sumter County reported about the same amount of people arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), but the drug arrests doubled from 2015 to 2016.
Specialty Courts
Misdemeanor Drug Court
The Sumter County Misdemeanor Drug Court Program is a court-supervised, highly structured program under the leadership of Judge Militello. The program includes, but is not limited to, regular court appearances, case management supervision; random drug screens, group/individual substance abuse counseling, or approved substance abuse educational program. The length of this three-phase program is normally under 6 months in length.
Felony Drug Court
The Sumter County Felony Drug Court program is a court-supervised intensive and highly structured program consisting of both comprehensive out-patient treatment and case management supervision for non-violent offenders, under the leadership of Judge Militello. The length of this IV-phase program is normally under 12 months in length.
Veterans Court
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The Sumter County Veterans Court program is a court-supervised intensive and highly structured program, under the leadership of Judge Militello. The length of this IV-phase program is normally under 12 months in length. The Sumter County Veterans Court is a special division of the Sumter County Court system. This Court supervised program for eligible Veterans in Sumter County who have a mental illness, substance abuse, or other mental health condition related to their military service, who need treatment and other services, and who choose to participate in the Veterans Court instead of having their case proceed through the regular court process. The Mission of the Sumter County Veterans Court is to promote public safety while supporting eligible veterans and their families through a coordinated effort among veteran’s services, community services, and the Court to leave no eligible veteran behind
Teen Court
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It is a diversion program for first time juvenile offenders who admit their guilt. Guilt is not an issue in Teen Court, it is strictly a sentencing phase. Those who are accepted and successfully complete the program will have their charges dropped by the State Attorney. Teen Court is based on the philosophy that juveniles judged by a jury of their peers are less likely to continue their unlawful behavior. With the help of teen jurors and attorneys, defendants in Teen Court achieve a true understanding of the consequences of breaking the law and are held accountable for their actions.
