Legal Services of North Florida, Tallahassee

*Provides representation to low-income (based on family income) and vulnerable individuals in civil matters including: evictions and other landlord/tenant or housing problems; rental Assistance Programs such as DCF, Our Florida; Public assistance benefits such as Unemployment assistance, SSI, SSDI, Food Stamps, and others; disaster relief for those who have suffered resulting legal problems including evictions, FEMA and insurance appeals, unemployment assistance, contractor fraud; family law including abuse, divorce, child custody and support, paternity, name change; consumer law, elder law, tax law, victim's rights *Qualification is based on family income and type/details of legal assistance needed *Justice on the Block legal clinics: offered on an as needed/as requested basis in various counties served; examples include navigating Rental Assistance Programs and Disaster Legal Help; see https://www.

Services: Disaster Relief Services, Domestic/Family Violence Legal Services, General Benefits Assistance, General Legal Aid, Landlord/Tenant Assistance

Leon County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller

*Records legal documents (liens, mortgages, deeds, adoptions, etc); passport applications and renewals available; performs marriages; authorizes declaration of domicile and residency affidavits; handles domestic partnership registry.

Services: Court Filing Offices, Records/Licenses/Permits

Leon County Clerk of Courts, Civil Customer Assistance Division

*Handles Small Claims Court for hearings for claims where the dollar amount is $8,000 or less *County Civil Court for hearings for cases involving claims where the dollar amount involved is more than $8,000 but does not exceed $50,000 *The court stresses the importance that the claim is filed against the right party; The additional time spent researching the correct name could make a difference in the ability to collect on any judgment entered by the court *Copies of any contracts, notes, leases, receipts, or other evidence in support of the claim must be furnished for each person sued and the court; The originals must be brought to the first court appearance *A full explanation of the reason for the small claims action will be necessary *Other office locations: 1276 Metropolitan Blvd, Rm 101; 315 S Calhoun St, 7th Floor

Services: Small Claims Courts

Leon County Clerk of Courts, Landlord/Tenant Division

*Landlord/Tenant Division can be reached by calling the County Civil Division main number *Handles various landlord and tenant disputes which fall under the category of landlord and tenants legal rights *Pamphlets and forms are available which provide detailed information on these rights and how to initiate legal action if appropriate *Other office locations: 1276 Metropolitan Blvd, Rm 101; 315 S Calhoun St, 7th Floor

Services: Landlord/Tenant Assistance

Leon County Clerk of Courts, Traffic Citations

*Allows persons charged with a moving traffic violation to attend driver improvement school (NON-eligible are violations involving driver's license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, speeding in excess of 30 MPH or leaving a child under 6 unattended in a vehicle) *Two benefits: no points assessed against license and the violation "adjudication withheld" *Civil penalty, reduced fine plus court costs required to be paid and attendance must be completed within two months of election to attend; election affidavit must be notarized and submitted with payment.

Services: Records/Licenses/Permits, Traffic Courts

Leon County Felony Court, Drug Court

*Leon County Court has contract with an area treatment provider and offers first offense assessments for drug treatment that may include counseling, drug testing, plus individual and group treatment and residential treatment *Evaluations presented to drug court judge who can augment treatment gaps and needs for a client by using various criminal justice sanctions available to coerce, if needed, drug abusing participants into recommended treatment *All treatment modalities are ADA certified *Intensive supervision given to deferred prosecution cases for a period of not less than twelve months; deferred prosecution ordered in lieu of six months incarceration in Leon County jail *Upon satisfactory completion of program, charges are dropped; if statutorily eligible, case may be expunged by State Attorney's Office; Felony Drug Court is record keeper for such cases, rather than provider of services

Services: Diversion Programs, Substance Use Disorder Counseling

Leon County Ofc/Intervention & Detention Alternatives

*Probation, supervised pre-trial release, and drug and alcohol testing *Various conditions may be imposed, one of which is often community service *Coordinates with State Attorney, Public Defender, law enforcement, and court *Reports to court regarding compliance or non-compliance of individual participants

Services: Diversion Programs, Parole, Probation

Leon County Sheriff's Office

*Full service law enforcement agency serving Leon County courts and community *Maintains county jail *Manages Big Bend Crime Solvers program to anonymously report information about a crime which sometimes can lead to a reward *Citizens can dial 311 for non-emergency information, such as civil cases, warrants, human resources, investigations, and community relations

Services: Sheriff

Leon County Sheriff's Office, Prevention Programs

*The Leon County Sheriff's Office Community Relations Unit are designated "Florida Crime Prevention Practitioners" and maintain current Instructor Certification status, the CRU conducts personal safety programs and develops personal safety plans tailored to individuals, all services and programs are provided free of charge *Conducts residential and commercial security surveys ans suggests measures in the area of lighting, security and electronic surveillance, business owners will receive a complete debrief and a written report *Workplace Violence programs are scheduled, interactive, on-site training and discussions with all staff, training includes recognition and response to instances of workplace violence, active shooter response and de-escalation strategies *House of Worship Awareness Program is a detailed site survey and training for pastors, staff and church-goers can be conducted, to implement recommended safety procedures; training includes recognition and response to mental health crisis, de-escalation strategies, and active shooter response *Robbery Program offers a specially designed program for retail stores, banks and other businesses combining a commercial security survey with personal safety training including prevention strategies, and recognition and response *Annual Fraud Workshop is offered to area merchants in collaboration with the Big Bend Fraud and Forgery Task Force including the recognition of possible fraudulent banking activity, identity theft prevention, and general internet security *Child Safety Programs are offered to all schools Pre-K through 12th grade, as well as, After-School and Community-based Youth programs including anti-bullying, cyberbullying, internet safety, drug abuse awareness, and proper use of social media; the CRU offers the National Crime Prevention Council’s various curriculum which uses McGruff the Crime Dog to communicate messages, such as, Child Lures (“Stranger Danger”), Role of a Deputy and Let’s Play it Safe *Neighborhood Crime Watch trainers will meet with neighborhood stakeholders and assist through the process of starting and maintaining a traditional Crime Watch program, and also assists with the process of utilizing NextDoor (a free online social media application) as an alternative to the traditional program

Services: Community Crime Prevention Programs, Youth Enrichment Programs

Leon County Sheriff's Office, Victim Advocate Unit

*Provide emotional and moral support, conduct on-scene crisis intervention and grief & bereavement counseling *Act as a liaison between victim, deputies, detectives, and community-based agencies, identify and inform victims of their rights under the law *Educate law enforcement and victims of new laws pertaining to specific victimization *Provide information about professional counseling and support groups *Offer assistance with filing crime victim’s compensation to help with lost wages, medical, counseling, and funeral expenses *Help prepare victims for court injunction hearings, provide court advocacy and accompaniment *Provide transport to court, referrals to emergency shelter, and safety planning.

Services: Crime Victim Support, Crime Victim/Witness Counseling