Felony cases are under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court. Defendants sentenced for felony crimes may be fined, put on probation or community control, confined in County Jail for up to one year as a condition of probation or community control, confined in a state prison from one year up to life, or any combination of the above. If convicted of a capital crime, the defendant could be sentenced to death. Arrestable offenses include charges of No Valid Driver's License to more serious charges of murder and drug offenses. The goal of the Criminal Division is to maintain complete, accurate, and timely documentation of court files, court proceedings, and exhibits assuring that documents are prepared for court appearances, records of any and all court proceedings are documented, and criminal judgments are prepared and recorded.
Financial management is also a large part of the criminal system.
The Clerk accepts payments from sentenced defendants for the cost of supervision for probation, fines, court costs, restitution, and public defender liens. The Clerk is responsible for forwarding these fees and costs to the appropriate local or state agency and for maintaining the required reports of such collections.