What Families Should Gather After a Serious Felony Arrest in Tampa Bay

The call usually comes late at night. Someone you love has been arrested on a felony in Hillsborough, Pinellas, or Pasco County, and within hours a judge will set the terms of release. What you gather in that window shapes the first conversation with a defense attorney, and often the bond argument that follows.

Start with the public records

Each county offers two free online sources that give a lawyer most of what is needed to start.

The first is the county jail’s online inmate or booking search. It typically shows the booking number, the charges, the arresting agency, the bond amount if one has been set, and any holds from another county, a probation violation, or a federal agency. Holds matter because they can keep someone in custody even after bond is posted.

The second is the clerk of court’s online records search. Once the court case opens, it shows the case number, the next court date, and the division. In Hillsborough, that system is called HOVER. The arrest affidavit, the officer’s written account of the arrest, often appears within a day or two. Confidential or sealed records will not appear online, so a missing document may still exist.

Know which county you are dealing with

All three counties apply the same Florida law, but the details differ. Hillsborough is its own judicial circuit, the Thirteenth. Pinellas and Pasco share the Sixth Circuit, and Pasco felony cases may be heard in either New Port Richey or Dade City. Each county runs its own jail, phone and visitation system, and online records, and what gets posted varies. If the arrest happened in one county and the person lives in another, tell the attorney both.

Have this ready for the first attorney call

• Full legal name, date of birth, and booking number
• The county, date, time, and location of the arrest, and which agency made it
• Every charge listed and the bond amount, if set
• Any open cases, probation, or prior arrests, in Florida or anywhere else
• Where the person lives and for how long, where they work, and who depends on them
• Medical conditions or prescriptions the jail needs to know about
• Any arrest paperwork, such as property receipts, a search warrant, or impound notices
• Who can help with bond and who can attend court

Community ties, employment, and family responsibilities are among the factors a judge weighs on pretrial release under section 903.046, Florida Statutes. First appearance happens within 24 hours of arrest, so details gathered early can be put to use quickly.

Protect the case while you gather

This is where families most often hurt a case without meaning to.

Jail calls and video visits are recorded, and those recordings can be used as evidence. Do not discuss what happened or who was involved. Keep those calls to logistics and support.

Family members are not covered by the attorney-client privilege. If the person arrested tells you what happened, you can be subpoenaed to testify about it. Let the lawyer gather the facts.

Keep the facts off social media and out of texts and emails to anyone other than the lawyer. Do not contact anyone connected to the allegation, even to apologize or explain. Release conditions in felony cases frequently include no-contact orders, and a well-meaning call can lead to a new charge or a revoked bond.

Do not talk to detectives on your loved one’s behalf. If law enforcement reaches out, you can politely decline and refer them to the attorney.

Know the limits of a general guide

Every case turns on its own facts, and this article is not legal advice. In the first 24 hours, the most useful things a family can do are gather the public records, stay quiet about the facts, and get an experienced criminal defense attorney involved, ideally before first appearance.

Where to find the records online

Jail and booking searches

• Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Arrest Inquiry: https://webapps.hcso.tampa.fl.us/ArrestInquiry
• Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Inmate Booking: https://pinellassheriff.gov/InmateBooking
• Pasco County Corrections, Inmate Lookup: https://jailinfo.pascocorrections.net/jmc/

Clerk of court records

• Hillsborough County Clerk, HOVER: https://hover.hillsclerk.com
• Pinellas County Clerk, Court Records Public View: https://courtrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov
• Pasco County Clerk, Search Court Records: https://www.pascoclerk.com/172/Search-Court-Records