What should I expect at the Gerstein Justice Building in Miami after an arrest?

The Gerstein Justice Building is where the first days of most Miami-Dade criminal cases play out, even though the person arrested is held miles away. Families who know which courtroom handles which hearing, and when, waste less time and can help at the hearing itself. This page sets out what the court, the Clerk, the Public Defender and the county's Corrections department publish about it. The rest of the county, including the district courts, the State Attorney's programs and the caseload, is on our Miami-Dade County DUI and criminal defense page. The charges the office handles are listed under criminal defense.

What happens between the arrest and the courtroom, step by step?

1. Booking at TGK. Corrections processes the person at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, 7000 NW 41st Street; the county says this may take several hours.
2. Standard bond, if allowed. Most people can post the standard bond amount once processing is done and are released.
3. Held for a judge. People who cannot pay, and anyone held on a domestic violence charge, a probation violation, a bench warrant or a non-bondable charge, are taken before a judge within 24 hours.
4. The hearing. Felony bond hearings run by video between the courtroom and the jail; misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases go to jail arraignments.
5. Conditions and release. The judge sets release conditions, and the person is released from TGK between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
6. The next date. A felony is usually set for arraignment on the 21st day after arrest; the court notice gives the courtroom.

When and where are the first hearings held?

Florida's Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130 requires that a person who has not been lawfully released be brought before a judge within 24 hours of arrest. In Miami-Dade, three official sources describe the schedule, and they do not agree on every weekend detail:

Because the weekend entries differ, check the court's current posting the morning of the hearing. The Clerk says the list of people scheduled for a bond hearing can be viewed just before each session; on weekends and holidays a copy is posted outside Courtroom 1-5 and at the first-floor security desk. For misdemeanor jail arraignments, a copy is posted outside the courtroom every day and, on weekdays, at the information window in Suite 8100.

What does the judge decide at a bond hearing?

The Public Defender's Office lists four purposes for the first appearance and bond hearing: telling the defendant the charges, deciding whether the police had probable cause for the arrest, deciding whether the defendant can afford an attorney and appointing the Public Defender if not, and setting conditions of pretrial release. It says the conditions are based on the charges, the defendant's ties to the community, prior record and other relevant facts, and that it is often important for family, friends or an employer to speak on the defendant's behalf. Florida's bail statute lists similar factors (s. 903.046).

The options the Public Defender lists are release on the person's own recognizance, a money bond paid in cash or through a bail bondsman, monitored release with an electronic device, release to a responsible member of the community, or release to a drug program or mental health facility. How each type of bond works, and what happens when a condition is broken, is explained in how bond is set after an arrest in Florida.

What is different when the charge is domestic violence?

Florida law requires a person arrested for an act of domestic violence to be held until a judge sets bail, and the State Attorney must research the defendant's history first (s. 741.2901(3)). The Public Defender adds two Miami-Dade details: at the hearing the judge also issues an order barring contact with the alleged victim, though the judge may decline to issue it if the alleged victim appears, testifies for the defendant and shows no threat of harm exists; and a defendant who cannot post bond is set for a jail report hearing in the Domestic Violence Division within four days. The office's domestic violence defense page explains how Mr. Mead approaches these cases. The statewide rules are covered in what happens after a domestic violence arrest.

What if there is a warrant or a non-bondable charge?

A person arrested on a bench warrant, also called an alias capias, may not post bond and must see a judge, according to the Public Defender. For non-bondable charges such as murder, sexual battery or kidnapping, the law presumes the person stays in jail until trial, and the person may ask for what the Public Defender calls an Arthur hearing, in which the judge decides whether release is allowed. A probation violation arrest also goes before a judge; what follows from there is covered on our page about probation violations.

Can family watch or join the hearing?

The circuit says its weekend and holiday first appearances are open to the public. It also warns that unauthorized live streaming or recording of Zoom first appearance hearings is strictly prohibited under Administrative Order 14-02. Lawyers and other case participants may appear by Zoom only with the presiding judge's permission; on weekends and holidays, when chambers are closed, they can call 305-548-5767 to get the meeting ID. Anyone who plans to speak for the defendant should come in person, with identification and something that shows the person's job, home and family ties.

Where are the Clerk's criminal offices in the building?

The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller keeps three criminal intake points at the Gerstein building, each listed with its own suite for mail requests: felonies at Suite 9000, misdemeanors at Suite 8100 and traffic at Suite 124. A certified copy costs $7, and a search for a case whose year or number is unknown adds $2 per year, per name. A certified criminal history disposition letter can be requested online, by mail or at any district court. The Clerk also offers e-Notify, which sends text or email reminders before each hearing.

What happens after the first hearing?

The Public Defender explains that the prosecutor has 30 days from arrest to file an information, but nearly all felony defendants in Miami-Dade are set for arraignment on the 21st day. If no information is filed by then and the defendant is in custody, the defense can ask for release on the person's promise to appear or for an adversary preliminary hearing. If the prosecution needs more time, the court can extend to the 30th day, release follows by the 33rd day if nothing is filed, and with good cause the State can hold the person until the 40th day, but not longer. What happens at the arraignment itself is covered in whether you have to go to your arraignment. The longer time limits are in Florida's speedy trial deadlines.

Anyone who wants the Public Defender must fill out an Affidavit of Indigent Status, which carries a $50 application fee, although the office says it may represent clients regardless of ability to pay it. For 2026, it lists the Florida income guideline for public defender services at $31,920 for a household of one, 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline.

How does release and property pickup work at TGK?

Corrections says TGK is the designated release center, and people are released there between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. regardless of whether they have transportation; even after bond is posted, release can take several hours. Property taken at booking can usually be picked up from TGK's Property Room for up to 30 days, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and an inmate may authorize someone to collect it. After 30 days it goes to offsite storage, arranged at 786-263-5355, and under the county's Implementing Order 7-20 property left unclaimed for 30 days or more after release is scheduled for destruction.

How do you get to the Gerstein building?

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit lists the building at 1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami 33125, with court hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and limited street meters and off-street lots for parking. The circuit's own criminal division page prints the street as NW 13 Street; its courthouse page, the Clerk and the Public Defender all use NW 12th Street. Since March 1, 2023, jurors serving there can request an Uber to the surrounding lots or to the Civic Center Metrorail station. The domestic violence courthouse, the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, is downtown at the corner of NW 2nd Street and NW 1st Avenue, where the circuit suggests Metrorail to the Government Center station.

What changes the answer?

• The 24-hour rule. A person not lawfully released must see a judge within 24 hours of arrest (Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130).
• The release factors. The court weighs the charge, the person's ties, record and danger to the community (s. 903.046; Rule 3.131).
• Domestic violence. No release before the hearing, and the State researches the person's history first (s. 741.2901(3)).
• Felony or misdemeanor. Felonies go to circuit court (s. 26.012(2)(d)); misdemeanors and criminal traffic to county court (s. 34.01).
• The day of the week. Weekend and holiday hearings follow a reduced schedule.

A worked example

For example, imagine a hypothetical Palm Beach County resident arrested in Miami on a Friday evening for a third-degree felony who cannot afford the standard bond. The person is booked at TGK and, because the arrest falls on a weekend, appears at the single weekend bond session the Clerk describes after the 9 a.m. jail arraignments, or at the 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. session the circuit lists, in Courtroom 1-5. A spouse who brings a pay stub and a lease can tell the judge about the person's job and home. If the judge sets a bond the family can post, the person walks out at TGK, not at the courthouse, and the felony arraignment is usually set for the 21st day after the arrest. This is an illustration, not a prediction.

Common mistakes families make

• Waiting at the Gerstein building for a release that happens at TGK.
• Going to Courtroom 5-3 for a weekday domestic violence hearing that is held at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center.
• Arriving without anything that shows the person's job, home or family ties.
• Contacting the alleged victim or listed witnesses, which the Public Defender warns can lead to a separate charge of tampering with witnesses.
• Letting property sit at TGK beyond 30 days.

What to do this week

1. Call 786-263-7000 for the charges, jail number and bond, or the TGK Information Desk at 786-263-5550.
2. Check whether the hearing is felony, misdemeanor or domestic violence, which decides the courtroom.
3. Bring proof of work, residence and family ties to the hearing.
4. Sign up for the Clerk's e-Notify reminders once there is a case number.
5. Arrange property pickup at TGK within 30 days.
6. Speak with a defense attorney before the arraignment date.

Questions people ask after a Miami-Dade arrest

• The 48 hours that follow any arrest are mapped out in the first 48 hours after an arrest.
• Diversion programs are compared in pretrial diversion in Florida.
• Ending a case early is discussed in whether charges can be dropped.
• The outcome of a plea is explained in withhold of adjudication.
• The ceiling for each degree is in our chart of criminal penalties.
• Felony points are worked through in the sentencing scoresheet.
• After a DUI arrest, start with what happens after a DUI arrest.
• The driver license deadline is covered in the 10-day rule.
• A first-week plan for drivers is in the DUI first-week checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Gerstein Justice Building?

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit lists it at 1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami 33125, with court hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Is the person brought to the courthouse for a felony bond hearing?

The Clerk says felony bond hearings are conducted by video transmission between the courtroom and the jail, and are now held virtually on weekdays at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Where is someone released after bond is posted?

At the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to Corrections.

Can a judge drop the no-contact order in a domestic violence case?

The Public Defender says the judge may decide not to issue it if the alleged victim appears, testifies for the defendant and proves no threat of harm exists. Whether that happens is up to the judge.

Is there a fee for the Public Defender?

There is a $50 application fee with the Affidavit of Indigent Status, though the office says Florida law lets it represent clients regardless of their ability to pay it.

How long can someone be held without formal charges?

According to the Public Defender, no one may remain in custody more than 40 days if no information has been filed.

How can Mr. Mead help after a Miami-Dade arrest?

Mr. Mead has spent more than three decades in South Florida criminal courts, and his practice is devoted entirely to criminal defense. The office is at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton; Spanish and Portuguese are spoken, and you can call 24 hours. His background is on the firm overview page. For a comparison with the counties to the north, see our page on the Broward Central Courthouse and Main Jail.

Every case is different, and no result can be promised. If someone in your family is being held in Miami-Dade, a confidential call to (561) 362-6677 is a sound first step.

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