You have been charged with a crime in Gainesville or elsewhere in Alachua County. You've attended your First Appearance hearing where a judge has set a bond or other pre-trial restrictions that you must follow. Many people are left with the question of their case goes from here.

Cases fall under the Circuit Court if the charge is a Felony. Felonies are crimes that may result in a sentence of more than one year of imprisonment or, in certain cases, by capital punishment. Cases fall under the County Court if the charge is a Misdemeanor, a crime that may result in a sentence of up to one year in the county jail. Both of these types of cases are heard in the Alachua County Criminal Justice Center, located at 220 South Main Street in Gainesville.

In both the Circuit and County Courts of Alachua County, cases are assigned to judges based on the first letter of your, the defendant's, last name. This assignment is done AFTER your First Appearance. The assigned judge will preside on all pre-trial hearings and conferences through the disposition, also known as the result, of your case, including trial. While assignment may vary on a case-by-case basis due to a judge's absence or the circumstances of your case, assignment is ordered as followed:

Circuit (Felony) Court

Division I (Last Names A-E) Honorable Mark W. Moseley
Division II (Last Names F-K) Honorable James P. Nilon
Division III (Last Names L-R) Honorable Ysleta McDonald
Division IV (Last Names S-Z) Honorable David A. Glant

County (Misdemeanor) Court

Criminal Division I (Last Names A-G) Honorable Thomas M. Jaworski
Criminal Division II (Last Names H-N) Honorable Denise R. Ferrero
Criminal Division III (Last Names O-Z) Honorable Walter M. Green

These assignments change from time to time so it is important to check back for regular updates. While anyone can tell you which judge will be assigned to your case, the attorneys at Silverman, Vorhis & Doan have the experience and expertise to tell you what to expect from which judge, including which one is nick named "Father Time" and which one almost always sentences people charged with burglary to prison (a sentence in excess of one year) time. That is information that is vital to your case and can't be looked up. That is why it is vital to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney with local experience. To speak to an experienced criminal attorney, call the Law Office of Silverman, Vorhis & Doan at 352-337-8373 today or click here to contact us.