Okaloosa County Court Information

Okaloosa County is located in the northwestern part of Florida. Florida boasts of a two-tiered trial court structure. This was done during the 1970s in a bid to simplify the complicated judicial structure. The state is divided into twenty judicial districts or circuits, and each of these circuits has a court of its own located in different counties.

The circuit courts are the lowest court of appeals in the judicial pyramid of the state as cases from the county courts are forwarded to them for review of the court decision. The circuit courts, on the other hand, are the highest trial courts in the state. Okaloosa County is home to one of the circuit courts in the state. The Okaloosa court falls under the First Judicial Circuit in the state.

Okaloosa County Court Jurisdiction

Okaloosa County has original jurisdiction over a number of civil and criminal matters. These include:

·    Issues of probate such as those that involve the settlement of estates and initiating the processing of wills

·    Hearing family law cases that involve juvenile delinquency, annulment of a marriage and guardianship

·    The Okaloosa County court sessions take place in Crestview and Shalimar

·    It decides civil cases worth more than $15,000

·    The Chief Judge of the Circuit Court takes the decision on the venue and the fixture of the County and Circuit Courts meetings.

·    The court is also responsible for judging cases involving felonies that might lead to a prison term, and misdemeanors that may lead to prison term of a year.

·    Appeals forwarded from the County Court are also heard in the Okaloosa County Court, except for the ones that are filed in the Florida Supreme Court.

Okaloosa County Court Administration

The Okaloosa County Court administration cons of the circuit court judges.

County Judges:
 
Patricia S. Grinsted
Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite A-114
 1250 North Eglin Parkway
 Shalimar, Florida 32579
 Telephone No. (850) 651-7449
 Fax No.: (850) 651-7278

     
James C. Ward
Okaloosa County Courthouse, Suite 204
101 James Lee Boulevard East
Crestview, Florida 32536
Telephone No. (850) 689-5730
 Fax No. (850) 689-5749


T. Patterson Maney
Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite C-115
1250 North Eglin Parkway
Shalimar, Florida 32579
Telephone No. (850) 651-7486
Fax No.: (850) 651-7249

Circuit Court Judges

Civil, Criminal, Family Division, Probate

Terry Ketchel
Okaloosa County Courthouse, Suite 204
101 James Lee Boulevard East
Crestview, Florida 32536
Telephone No. (850) 689-5735
 Fax No. (850) 689-5749

Thomas T. Remington
 Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite C-121
 1250 North Eglin Parkway
 Shalimar, Florida 32579
 Telephone No. (850) 651-7474
 Fax No. (850) 651-7333


William F. Stone, Administrative Judge
Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite C-120
1250 North Eglin Parkway
Shalimar, Florida 32579
Telephone No. (850) 651-7482
Fax No. (850) 651-7467

Family Division, Juvenile-Dependency, Probate

    Jack Heflin
    Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite B-121
    1250 North Eglin Parkway
    Shalimar, Florida 32579
    Telephone No. (850) 651-7478
    Fax No. (850) 651-7725

    Keith Brace
    Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, Suite C-125
    1250 North Eglin Parkway
    Shalimar, Florida 32579
    Telephone No. (850) 651-7470
    Fax No.: (850) 609-3073