SARASOTA, Fla. - Clerk and Comptroller Karen E. Rushing's website, SarasotaClerk.com, is offering a link to an electronic notification system for upcoming criminal court events: E-Notify. The application, created by the Clerks of Court Operations Corporation (CCOC) and the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA), will send text messages or email alerts intended to help those with court cases to never miss a hearing. As of January 2020, E-Notify was activated in all 67 Florida counties.

Designed specifically to fulfill the legislature's direction to provide alerts to defendants in criminal cases, the system is not limited to defendants and offers a valuable resource to others who may wish to be notified of case events. Failure to appear for a court event can result in a warrant being issued for the arrest of a defendant. Fewer defendants with missed court dates will reduce negative consequences both for the individuals and associated costs to the justice system.

Users who sign up for the service choose how they will get alerts - by email, text, or both - and timing of the reminders, choosing any combination of 14-day, 7-day, or day-ahead notifications. There is no limit to the number of cases users can sign up to get notifications. E-Notify allows users to manage their alert subscriptions and make changes to cases and frequency. 

For more information, visit SarasotaClerk.com and look for the E-Notify banner.

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