TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE LAW OFFICE
OF CHRIS BEARDSLEE
–
FREE CASE CONSULTATION
Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Attorney
Hillsborough County: Tampa and Plant City, FL
The Law Office of Chris Beardslee has its primary office location in Tampa, Florida–the heart of Hillsborough County. If you have been charged with a misdemeanor or felony criminal offense in Hillsborough County, criminal defense attorney Chris Beardslee has the experience and resources to defend your needs.
Contact us to find out what you might need to do right now to protect yourself against criminal prosecution.
Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Attorney Chris Beardslee provides free initial consultations to discuss your misdemeanor or felony charge. The free consultation can be conducted in the office, over Zoom, or by phone.
Call 813-496-7778, or fill out a contact form and we will get in touch with you.
Attorney Chris Beardslee is an experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer for Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay area. He is dedicated to not only providing the best legal advice and defense for your case, but also to making sure that you are informed about the process and your legal options along the way.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your case or any current charges in Hillsborough County, our office is happy to help.
Hillsborough County Court Information
Information for the Hillsborough County Criminal Courts in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida:
Tampa Courthouse
Edgecomb Courthouse
800 E. Twiggs St.
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 276-8100
Plant City Courthouse
Plant City Courthouse
301 N. Michigan Ave
Plant City, FL 33563
Phone: (813) 757-3918
Courtroom Locations
The Courtroom layout can be confusing for non-local attorneys or people coming into the Court system for the first time. The various Courtrooms are located at:
Tampa Courtrooms
- Edgecomb Courthouse
- 35 courtrooms, primarily Civil Court rooms for Injunctions, Personal Injury, Family Law, etc.
- Annex Building (Criminal Courthouse Annex)
- 31 courtrooms, primarily Criminal Court rooms
- Located across the street from the Edgecomb Courthouse
- Entered via a skybridge that crosses from the Edgecomb Courthouse building over to the Annex
- 419 Pierce (Civil Traffic Court)
- 1 courtroom for Traffic Court cases, located across the street at 419 N. Pierce Street
- This is also the location for the 13th Circuit Office of the State Attorney.
Plant City Courtrooms
- Plant City Courthouse
- 4 courtrooms for civil, traffic, and misdemeanor cases
- Cases assigned to Plant City are primarily those that have geographical proximity to Plant City given the size of Hillsborough County.
County Court Judges in Hillsborough County, FL
There are nine criminal divisions of the County Court of Thirteenth Judicial Circuit for Hillsborough County, Florida. Divisions A, B, C, D, E, F (domestic violence), G, and O (first appearance) are based in Tampa. East County Divisions P and X are based in Plant City.
The County Court Judges for those Divisions are listed below along with links to their pages in the Hillsborough County Judicial Directory. There you can find more information about any Procedures, Preferences, Forms, etc., that are made available.
Tampa County Criminal Divisions and Judges
If you are charged with a misdemeanor or traffic crime in Tampa, with the exception of first appearance and domestic violence cases, your case will be assigned to a particular division and judge based on the first letter of your last name.
| Tampa County Criminal Division | Judge | First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name |
|---|---|---|
| Division A | The Honorable Jack Gutman | A, G, O, S, U |
| Division B | The Honorable Margaret R. Taylor | B, F, I, P, Q, Z |
| Division C | The Honorable Scott A. Farr | D, E, M, N, V, X, Y |
| Division D | The Honorable Jeffrey M. Rich | C, K, R, T |
| Division E | The Honorable John N. Conrad | H, J, L, W |
| Division F (Domestic Violence) | The Honorable Michael C. Bagge-Hernandez | All Domestic Violence |
| Division O (First Appearance) | The Honorable Catherine M. Catlin | All First Appearance |
East County Criminal Divisions (Plant City) and Judges
The clerk will assign all misdemeanor offenses (including domestic violence cases) and criminal traffic offenses in which the offense occurred within the East Division boundaries to East County Criminal Divisions “P” or “X” based on the first letter of the defendant’s last name.
| East County Criminal Division | Judge | First Letter of Defendant’s Last Name |
|---|---|---|
| Division P | The Honorable Monique M. Scott | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L |
| Division X | The Honorable Richard A. Weis | M, N, O, P Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Circuit Court Judges in Hillsborough County, FL
If you are charged with a felony crime in Tampa (Hillsborough County), your case will be assigned to a Circuit Criminal Division and Judge. The Circuit Criminal Divisions of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit for Hillsborough County are Divisions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J (Post Conviction Relief), K (Violation of Probation), M (Mental Health), O (First Appearance/Emergency), V (Veterans Treatment Court), and Trial Divisions 1, 2, and 3.
The Circuit Court Judges for those Divisions are listed below along with links to their pages in the Hillsborough County Judicial Directory. There you can find more information about any Procedures, Preferences, Forms, etc., that are made available.
| Circuit Criminal Division | Judge |
|---|---|
| Division A | The Honorable Barbara Twine Thomas |
| Division B | The Honorable Lyann Goudie |
| Division C | The Honorable Christine A. Marlewski |
| Division D | The Honorable Michael S. Williams |
| Division E | The Honorable Mark D. Kiser |
| Division F | The Honorable Kimberly K. Fernandez |
| Division G | The Honorable Robin F. Fuson |
| Division I | The Honorable Laura E. Ward |
| Division J (Post Conviction Relief) | The Honorable Michelle D. Sisco |
| Division K (Violation of Probation) | The Honorable Nick Nazaretian |
| Division M (Mental Health) | The Honorable Ronald Ficarotta |
| Division O (First Appearance/ Emergency) | The Honorable Catherine M. Catlin |
| Division V (Veterans Treatment Court) | The Honorable Michael J. Scionti |
| Trial Division 1 | The Honorable Michelle D. Sisco |
| Trial Division 2 | The Honorable Christopher C. Sabella |
| Trial Division 3 | The Honorable Samantha L. Ward |
Hillsborough County Court Case Information and Tracking
Case details for criminal matters in Hillsborough County, Florida, can be viewed on the website for the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court. Questions about your case can also be answered by contacting Hillsborough criminal defense attorney Chris Beardslee.
Arrest and warrant information and inquiries can be found on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office website.
- Hillsborough County Online Viewing of Court Records
- Hillsborough County Court Date Lookup
- Hillsborough County Arrest Inquiry Search
- Hillsborough County Warrant Inquiry Search
Diversion Programs in Hillsborough County, FL
Recognizing the needs of first-time offenders or minor transgressions of the law, the 13th Circuit State Attorney’s Office has created felony and misdemeanor diversion programs including:
- Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (APAD)
- Domestic Violence Pre-Trial Intervention (DVPI)
- Drug Education and Treatment Reducing Recidivism (DETRR)
- Felony Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI)
- Misdemeanor Intervention Program (MIP)
- Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism (RIDR)
- Veterans Treatment Court (VTC)
Resources for Hillsborough County Criminal Cases
- Hillsborough County Clerk of Court
- HSCO Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
- Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court
- State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit