Submitted by Teresa J. Sopp
Attorney at Law
December 21, 2016 10:33 a.m.
According to Nassau County Administrative Judge Robert M. Foster, the new year will bring significant change to the Nassau County Courts, part of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida.
First, Circuit Judge Adrian Soud, who has been sitting in the Historic Courthouse in Fernandina Beach, will return to the Jacksonville bench. In his stead, Circuit Judge Steven Fahlgren will be assigned to Nassau County. However, Judge Fahlgren’s chambers and courtrooms will not be in the downtown Courthouse but rather in Yulee at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center.
Judge Fahlgren, who lives in Nassau County, will assume Judge Soud’s caseload of civil lawsuits in excess of $15,000.00, one-half of both family law and probate matters and juvenile delinquency court. All of those matters will now be heard at the Yulee courthouse, rather than at the historic courthouse in downtown Fernandina. Litigants and attorneys who would normally appear at the historic courthouse will now have their cases handled in Yulee.
The change likely to cause the most confusion will be in misdemeanor court. Those cases have in the past been heard by County Court Judge Wesley R. Poole in Yulee.
Arraignments and “jail cases” have been heard on Mondays, and pre-trial (status hearings) have been held on Tuesdays. Starting in 2017, Judge Poole’s offices will be in downtown Fernandina, but arraignments and jail cases in misdemeanor court will continue to be held in Yulee on Mondays. Pre-trial or status hearings will be held in Fernandina on Tuesdays. County court jury trials will be held in the downtown courthouse.
Juror qualification will continue to be held in Yulee; anyone who receives a jury summons should report to the Yulee Courthouse.
Editor’s Note: Teri Sopp is an attorney who lives and practices in Nassau County. We thank Teri for her contribution to the Fernandina Observer.