What should I expect at the Martin County Courthouse and jail in Stuart after an arrest?

Stuart is where every Martin County criminal case is handled, from the jail on Monterey Road to the courthouse downtown. The two buildings work differently from the Palm Beach County jail and courthouses many families know, especially on bonds, visits and how the first hearing is held. This page sets out what the Sheriff, the Clerk and the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit publish about them. The county-wide picture, including the State Attorney, the treatment courts and the caseload, is on our Martin County DUI and criminal defense page. The charges the office handles are listed under criminal defense.

What happens in Stuart, step by step?

1. Booking on Monterey Road. The arresting agency brings the person to the Martin County Jail at the Holt Law Enforcement Center.
2. Charge and bond information. Family calls the Booking Unit for the charges, the bond amount and release dates.
3. Bond, if one is set. It is paid by money order, cashier's check or through a bondsperson; the jail takes no cash.
4. First appearance. Anyone not released sees a judge within 24 hours, by Zoom; on weekends the Martin circuit and county judges take turns.
5. Arraignment at the courthouse. The next hearing is at 100 SE Ocean Boulevard; a felony arraignment is in person unless a written plea of not guilty was filed first.
6. Docket calls and motions. Felony cases move through monthly docket calls, scheduled motion hearings and, if needed, trial.

What is the Martin County Jail like?

The Sheriff's Office describes the jail as a 696-bed maximum-security facility that holds people charged with everything from civil infractions to capital offenses. It sits on the south side of Monterey Road, in the Martin County Public Safety Complex at the Holt Law Enforcement Center. A Reduced Custody Building, added in 2001, houses low-custody inmates who do community labor and people sentenced to serve weekends; a 144-bed direct supervision unit opened in 2007, where deputies work directly among the inmates. The Booking Unit, at 772-220-7200 (option 0), gives information about charges, bonds and release dates.

The jail also charges subsistence fees and medical co-pays, which the Sheriff's Office says Florida law allows it to collect, while giving every inmate the same level of care regardless of ability to pay. How bond amounts and conditions are set under Florida law is explained in how bond is set after an arrest in Florida.

How does first appearance work in Martin County?

Florida's Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130 requires that a person not lawfully released be brought before a judge within 24 hours of arrest, and it allows the hearing by audio-video technology. The Martin County Clerk links to the Nineteenth Circuit's Zoom meeting information for criminal first appearances, and the circuit's Administrative Order 2026-03 makes every circuit judge assigned to Martin County responsible, in rotation with the Martin County judges, for weekend first appearances. At the hearing the judge reviews probable cause, decides on counsel and sets release conditions under the factors in s. 903.046 and Rule 3.131.

A person arrested for domestic violence is held until a judge sets bail, and the State Attorney must research the defendant's history before that hearing (s. 741.2901(3)). The office's domestic violence defense page explains how those cases are handled. The release rules are covered in what happens after a domestic violence arrest. The general sequence of the first two days is covered in what happens in the first 48 hours after an arrest.

Where do you go inside the courthouse?

The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit lists the Martin County Courthouse at 100 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, telephone 772-288-5576. Parking is free in the lot on SW Flagler Avenue, on the west side of the courthouse, with limited street parking along SE Ocean Boulevard. The Clerk's Criminal Division is on the second floor of the Constitutional Building: turn right off the elevator, go through the double doors and turn right, and the felony and misdemeanor counters are on the left. The Clerk posts a daily court calendar and accepts cash, checks, money orders and most major credit cards, with processing fees on cards.

The cash bond rule surprises families: money posted to get someone out of jail can be used to pay the fines at the end of the case. Whether a record can later be sealed or expunged, and the steps through FDLE and the court, are covered on our records expungement page.

What rules apply in the Martin County felony division?

The procedures posted for the Martin County Felony Division in January 2026 set out how that courtroom runs. Evidentiary hearings are noticed for Courtroom 3-2. Appearance at arraignment is in person, but if a written plea of not guilty has been filed before arraignment, neither the attorney nor the defendant has to appear. A waiver of appearance must be filed for pretrial hearings unless a broader waiver is on file. Docket call is usually held once a month; defendants not in custody must attend unless excused, and failing to appear can lead to a bench warrant without bond.

• Plea changes: a fully executed plea form and an accurate scoresheet must be submitted before a change of plea is set.
• Bond and short motions: generally heard from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m., scheduled online at least five business days ahead; a bond already ruled on by another judge is not reheard without a change in circumstances, and reassignment to a new judge does not count.
• Pretrial motions: filed at least 30 days before trial and set for hearing at least 14 days before trial.
• Remote appearance: a written motion 20 days before a short non-evidentiary hearing, with 10 days for the other side to object.

The felony sentencing worksheet the plea form relies on is explained in how a felony sentence is calculated in Florida. The time limits on the whole case are in Florida's speedy trial deadlines.

Which court hears the case after first appearance?

Misdemeanors and criminal traffic, including DUI, are county court cases (s. 34.01), and Administrative Order 2026-03 splits Martin County Court cases into thirds among three county judges. Felonies are circuit court cases (s. 26.012(2)(d)). Both are heard in the same courthouse, so the courtroom on the notice, not the building, is what changes. For a DUI, the separate license deadline is explained in how to keep your license within 10 days of a DUI arrest.

What changes the answer?

• The 24-hour rule. First appearance within 24 hours of arrest, by video where allowed (Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130).
• Release factors. The charge, record, ties to the community and danger to others (s. 903.046; Rule 3.131).
• Domestic violence. No release before a judge sets bail (s. 741.2901(3)).
• Felony or misdemeanor. Circuit or county court, with different judges and docket rules.
• A written plea. Filing a written not guilty plea before a felony arraignment can excuse attendance under the division's procedures.

A worked example

For example, imagine a hypothetical Palm City resident arrested on a Saturday for a third-degree felony. The person is booked on Monterey Road and, without a bond on the schedule, appears by Zoom before whichever Martin judge has the weekend rotation. The judge sets a bond; the family brings a cashier's check because the jail takes no cash. Weeks later, the defense files a written plea of not guilty before the arraignment, so under the felony division's procedures neither the defendant nor the attorney must appear that day, and the case moves to the monthly docket call. This is an illustration, not a prediction.

Common mistakes families make

• Bringing cash to post a bond.
• Driving to the jail for a visit; visits are now remote or offsite.
• Mailing books to the jail.
• Posting a cash bond without knowing fines may be taken from it at the end of the case.
• Skipping a docket call without a filed waiver of appearance.

What to do this week

1. Call the Booking Unit at 772-220-7200, option 0, for the charges and bond.
2. Arrange a money order, cashier's check or bondsperson.
3. Set up a HomeWAV account for remote visits.
4. Check the Clerk's daily court calendar once there is a case number.
5. Gather proof of work and residence for the bond hearing.
6. Talk to a defense attorney before the arraignment.

Questions people ask after a Martin County arrest

• Early dismissals are discussed in whether charges can be dropped before trial.
• Diversion options are compared in pretrial diversion in Florida.
• Plea outcomes are explained in withhold of adjudication.
• The limits for each degree of crime are in our penalties chart.
• After a drunk driving arrest, read what happens after a DUI arrest.
• The penalties for a DUI are in Florida DUI penalties.
• The first days after a DUI are planned in the DUI first-week checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Martin County Courthouse?

At 100 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, telephone 772-288-5576, with free parking in the lot on SW Flagler Avenue on the west side of the building.

Can I visit someone at the Martin County Jail in person?

The Sheriff's Office ended on-site visitation on September 18, 2023. Visits are remote or offsite through HomeWAV, with two free visits a month.

Is first appearance held in a courtroom?

The Clerk refers the public to the circuit's Zoom information for criminal first appearances, so the hearing is usually by video.

Will I get my cash bond back?

The Clerk says court fines are taken from a cash bond after final disposition, and any remaining balance is mailed by check on a Friday.

Do I have to attend a felony arraignment?

Under the posted felony division procedures, appearance is in person, unless a written plea of not guilty was filed before the arraignment.

How much does a sealing packet cost?

The packet is free from the Criminal Division; a certified copy of the final disposition costs $1.00 per page plus $2.00 for certification. The FDLE and court steps that follow are in how to seal or expunge a record, step by step.

How can Mr. Mead help after a Martin County 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 the Palm Beach County side of the county line, see our page on the Palm Beach County jail and first appearance.

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

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