DeSoto County was created in 1887 from Manatee County to the west. It is named after the great…read moreSpanish conquistador and Florida explorer Hernando De Soto. The area's original inhabitants were the Caloosa (alternate spelling: Calusa) Indians. In early Florida history, the region was the scene of numerous Indian battles. The county's 416,640 acres offer a diversified economy of citrus, cattle, agriculture and industry. Arcadia is the county seat. I don't have anything to add to Ariel's review of the courthouse. The building was closed on this early Saturday morning and not open for a tour. DeSoto County originally included several other present-day counties until 1921, when the Florida legislature created the following new counties: Charlotte, Glades, Hardee, and Highlands. During World War II, DeSoto County operated the Carlstrom Field Air Base, which provided training for both American and British pilots. In 1945, the base turned out its last cadets and was decommissioned. [Review 16804 overall - 1528 in Florida - 317 of 2022.]

The DeSoto County Courthouse is a historic red brick courthouse designed in the Classic Revial…read morestyle by architects Bonfoey & Elliott of Tampa. It was built between 1912 and 1913 by the Read Parker Construction Company. It is DeSoto County's third courthouse and the second one built in Arcadia. The first DeSoto Courthouse was a wood frame structure built in 1888. The 1912 courthouse that is still in use today was constructed on the same property. The courthouse was restored in 1976 and it is part of Arcadia's historic district which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Ellie, Kristan & Betty were wonderful at helping me with what I needed. They took the time to point…read moreme in the right direction. I will say out of the few court houses I've been to they strive At customer service here.

Judge Taylor is amazing. She is funny and kind and doesn't put up with any crap. Love it!! Need…read moremore judges like her!

I reported to jury duty at 8 AM Monday morning. I drove an hour, parked for $20 day @ walked 7…read moreminutes to the courthouse with the line wrapped around the dome. The officer announced no guns, knives or ammo said I was in the right place. I stood for :20 outside & :10 in the a/c before getting to the metal detectors. Ninety minutes later I checked into the computer took a badge & was directed into another juror waiting room with about a hundred others to wait. At 9:30 I was called to the 10th floor Judge Sherry Collins' courtroom. From the 10th floor, I had a view of the Palm Beach County Museum, intercostal, bridges, marina, and the Breakers. I am on a jury & have an hour break for lunch. Unfortunately, I'm back on the huge line wrapping around the courthouse to go through the metal detectors.

Title: Terrible Experience -- Complete Lack of Organization and Misinformation…read more I visited Robert Weissman's Palm Beach County Government Center (301 North Olive Ave, 1st Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401) for a driver's license appointment, and the service was absolutely unacceptable. I scheduled my appointment carefully, made sure I had all my documents in order, and confirmed details about my visit. I was clearly misinformed by staff: I was told I could come back to change my Florida Title appointment to a license appointment. However, when I returned, I was denied service -- the supervisor said no, explaining that adding or changing services was not allowed, only adding a license on a title appointment. This left me frustrated, confused, and forced to reschedule an entirely new process. The wait times are awful -- even with an appointment, expect at least an hour. Staff appeared completely overwhelmed and unprepared. Some clerks were emotional and crying at their desks, and the person assisting me seemed barely capable of keeping things together. The supervisor, Junior, offered minimal help despite the clear misinformation I received. To add insult to injury, parking costs money unless you're willing to walk 15 minutes. Overall, this location demonstrates poor management, disorganization, and a lack of customer service. I would not recommend anyone use this office for driver's license or DMV services.

Standing in front of this beautiful courthouse building, the sign points out "Okeechobee County was…read moreformed Aug. 7, 1917, from St. Lucie, Osceola and Palm Beach Counties. Long a haunt of the Seminoles, the area saw almost no white penetration until the 2nd Seminole War, 1835-42. Much fighting occurred in the county during the war including the Battle of Lake Okeechobee on Dec. 25, 1837. The county has become a major truck crop area. The vicious 1928 hurricane led to flood control on the Lake." It is marker number F-59. The courthouse building was completed in 1926 by architect George Gaynor Hyde in a style blending Southern Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival elements. The building faces south and is a three story concrete and glass structure. The main part of the building has a pink colored façade with rounded corners and rounded glass bay windows. On the weekend, the rolling doors were down so the large arch with a double set of stairs inside were not visible. Okeechobee County is named for Okeechobee Lake, the largest lake in Florida, and the name comes from the Hitchiti words "oki" meaning "water" and "chubi" meaning "big." [Review 444 of 2025 - 2087 in Florida - 24006 overall]

As an avid fan of 1920's courthouse design in Florida I had to check out the Okeechobee Courthouse…read moreon a recent trip through town. This historic courthouse was in 1926, the same year Okeechobee became the seat of government for Okeechobee County. In the Native American language of Hitchiti, oki means water and chobi means big which refers to Lake Okeechobee, the largest fresh water lake in Florida. The courthouse was designed by architect George Gaynor in a Mediterranean Revival style. This ornate style was very common in the 1920's when Florida was flush with money. The collapse of Florida's economy due to the land boom bust sparked a recession so the central dome of the courthouse was never added. During the 1928 Hurricane, the first recorded hurricane 5 in the Atlantic, the hallways of the courthouse served as a temporary morgue. Approximately 2,500 people died, making it one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. In 2009 -2010 the courthouse was renovated by Rowe Architects and Dooley Mack Constructors. A security door was added that can be shut when the building is closed. There is a historical marker out front that details the history of Okeechobee County.

What a fantastic court house!…read more The parking is SHADED & FREE! There was no lines, no wait, everyone was so friendly & professional. Cannot wait to vote! Will Return!

Everyone was so helpful and nice. The staff went above and beyond to make the ceremony room look…read morelike Halloween.

I was here in LaBelle for a meetup with the awesome Ariel W…read more https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=lvthTfCQGD0qaEk6jCdRdQ and happened to stop by this amazing building. This is the original Hendry County Courthouse. It was built in 1926 and is at the intersection of Bridge Street and Hickpochee Avenue, which are the two main north-south and east-west roads through LaBelle. You can't miss it as one of the few working traffic lights is at these corners. The architecture is the Mediterranean Mission Revival style and it looks like some of the courthouses I saw during my trip through Texas last October. The inspiration is the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions. The structure got a complete restoration last year which included the brick façade, iron work, and even a full roof replacement. The building looks brand new and not nearly 100 years old. Unfortunately, closed and locked in a Saturday morning but during the week is open to walk around. Or just tour the grounds like I did. There is parking at the adjacent sheriff's building. [Review 16787 overall - 1512 in Florida - round number 300 of 2022!]

I am a fan of history and architecture, especially old Florida courthouses. Usually they are…read moreNeoclassical but the Hendry County Courthouse is a bit different. The Old Hendry County Courthouse was built in in 1927 on the corner of Bridge Street and Hickpochee Avenue. The courthouse was designed in the Mediterranean Revival-Mission Revival styles by architect Edward Columbus Hosford. The building is 3 stories with three subsidiary towers with pyramid roofs at the corner of the building. The most striking feature of the building is a large Renaissance 70 foot clock tower that contained a one thousand pound bell. A Seth Thomas electrically-regulated clock that cost $3,000 at the time was added to the tower. The clock would frequently lose time forcing the late Ray C. Hull, Sr. who was chosen for this thinness to climb the inside of the tower to wind the clock. On May 11, 1926 a shameful incident happened in LaBelle that was not uncommon during this period of history in Florida. A mob tortured and lynched an African-American man named Henry Patterson who asked for a glass of water while working on building Hwy 80. He was attacked and hung from a tree south of the newly built courthouse. No one was brought to justice for the murder. After the crime a series of lightning storms struck the tower and eventually the clock and bell were dismantled. The courthouse began operating on May 3, 1927. Ever since then it has served as the center of Hendry County's civic and political functions. On February 22, 1975 a new clock was installed in the tower but it is no longer working. On November 8, 1990, the Hendry County Courthouse was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse is currently undergoing restoration. It has been granted two Special Category Grants to rehabilitate, restore and preserve the Old Hendry County Courthouse. The first grant was for $350,000 to rehabilitate the foundation. Another $500,000 has been granted for facade preservation. Once that work is completed it is hoped that another $500,000 dollars will be granted for brick work and installing a new clock at a price of $42,000. An additional $10,000 would be required for bells and chimes in the form of digital carillon Sonata that can programmed to also play hymns and songs. If you go by the courthouse now it is covered in scaffolding. It will be interesting to see how the restoration turns out.

Visited the downtown Tampa courthouse to find needed records on the ground floor, Clerk of Circuit…read moreCourt Customer Service Center, 'Room 101.' It was a nice touch to have a person assist you after going through security. She walked me to the computer kiosk and assisted. There are 30 or so service windows divided by category. My number was called but they then asked me to go back to the kiosk for a different category. The woman at window four seemed 'bothered' to find solutions in helping me. A very rude coworker stood behind her meddling in my business while working on something shaking her head no and mumbling "no." They are there to serve the public and find solutions since they are trained and the public is not familiar with the processes and options. The woman said I needed to hire an attorney to get the records. No, not an option. I am not paying to get records I can get myself. They were not helpful and unwilling to do their job. I went back to the kiosk a third time and went back to a different rep in the first category, records. I was called immediately. The man at window 29 was SO HELPFUL. He asked questions and even asked a manager for guidance. He filled out papers for a record search and said the archives would work on it and I would be contacted. I received a call within a couple of hours. She had questions and was researching. Received two more calls from the nice lady as she was broadening her search. She called me a fourth time and found the records. I thanked her profusely on the phone. She replied, "it is my job to serve our customers." That is a public servant. This woman and the nice man are what is right with the staff on the ground floor, Room 101. Tax dollars well spent. Heading in today to pick up my papers, WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY ON AN ATTORNEY.

Final judgment. Judge ruled in my favor. He's ordered that Brickpavers showroom pay me $500 and…read morecourt costs of $130. Now comes the fun. I have to collect the money from the owner Andre. I was a fool for not checking the BBB first. This guy has some really bad history. Wish me luck.

I had jury duty for the very first time since I have lived here and I was not excited about the…read moreconcept as I have never been a fan. I did my civic duty planned in advance showed up on time and sat and waited and in the end was not chosen for a jury and we were sent home early. For me that makes for an excellent experience. Regarding the actual courthouse though there was an extensive line to get in in the morning but they were processing people at a very good rate. You checked in at one of two tables where they took your temperature and asked questions about travel and if you'd experience any symptoms or been exposed to covid. You then moved on to go through the metal detectors which was run as efficiently as most airports I've been in. I was very happy with the experience per se. They directed us to the elevator to go to and to go to the second floor for the next stage of processing. This was fairly easy except no one was limiting how many people could get on an elevator at one time so the one I ended up getting on and ended up having five people on it which was way too many for any type of social distancing. Everyone was wearing a mask and the employees processing people were all wearing gloves. My only real issue was on the second floor where you actually check in and they tell you what courtroom to go to is a very narrow space and I quickly realized if I had arrived in my wheelchair I never could have gotten through it. I'm sure they have some work around but it's not really ADA compliance so far as I can tell. We were sent to a second Bank of elevators and I was in a group that went to the 9th floor. When you get off the elevator there was a deputy who checked that everyone was in the right place and then sat us in fairly well socially distancing in the outer area from the two courtrooms. For overflow they were seen people in the second courtroom that was not the main one. After a short wait they separated us into two separate groups of 15, half waited in the outer area and the rest of us were in the second courtroom. A short bit later the judge came in and briefed us and then went to the main courtroom to start the processing with the first 15 drawers and the lawyers. During break the deputies went through and sanitized all the surfaces. For covid measures I guess I would give him a score of about 85% because of the social distancing problems with the elevators. Mostly it was a good experience and for me the only concern I had was if I had been chosen when brakes would have come as I am on a fairly strict regimen of when I have to eat because of my diabetes. Plus I am constantly watching my blood sugar and sometimes need a boost if I drop low. I'm not sure how this would work without disturbing an ongoing trial. I'm glad I didn't have to stick around. From everything I read through paperwork and their website I generally would not qualify for a medical exemption from serving so I will go whenever they call me and I will prepare as best I can.

so furious with their service. could never get a tag for my vehicle because of forms they wouldn't…read moreaccept. service is completely unacceptable will not be returning!!!

A bit intimidating entering as the place is full of police. Free Parking was easy across the…read morestreet near the library. You go through a metal detector before entering the courtroom. The experience was good. Witnesses can get paid $6-8 for appearing.

Beautiful court house in Delray . Parking was easy, I parked at the library across from the court…read morehouse and a short walk into the court house. You have to pass security to get in. My daughter married the love of her life Friday the 29 and now she begins a new life. Getting hitched only took about a half hour so if you have all your papers in properly everything goes easy. The court house is beautiful and empty so if you need great pictures for your wedding this is the place.