Our Methodology
CourtWatch.us is built entirely on public records. Every data point on this site can be independently verified through official government sources. This page explains exactly where our data comes from, what it means, and — critically — what it does not mean.
Where the data comes from
Our primary data source is the Citizens' Right to Know Act Annual Report, published each year by county pretrial release programs under Florida State Statute 907.043. This law requires every pretrial release program in Florida to submit an annual report to their county's governing body by March 31 of each year.
The report identifies — by name and case number — every defendant who was granted non-secured pretrial release and then failed in one of three ways:
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Failure to Appear (FTA) | Defendant was issued a warrant for failing to appear at a scheduled court date while on pretrial release |
| New Arrest | Defendant was arrested for any new offense while on pretrial release |
| Revocation | Defendant had their pretrial release revoked and was presented to the judiciary for noncompliance with release conditions |
Individual case records — including judge name, charge, plea, and disposition — are sourced from publicly accessible county Clerk of Courts databases. All case information is a matter of public record and can be independently verified through official government sources.
How to read judge profiles
Each judge profile on CourtWatch.us shows the cases from the Citizens' Right to Know report that were assigned to that judge. The numbers reflect cases where pretrial release failed — not the judge's overall caseload.
For example: if a judge profile shows "20 total cases," that means 20 defendants whose cases were assigned to that judge appeared on the Citizens' Right to Know list for failure to appear, new arrest, or revocation during the reporting year.
What this data does not show
CourtWatch.us is committed to accuracy and transparency. The following limitations apply to all data on this site:
- Not all cases from the Citizens' Right to Know report could be matched to a judge. Some case records are no longer publicly available, may have been expunged, sealed, or transferred. Approximately 80% of cases were successfully matched.
- This database reflects only pretrial release failures — not a judge's full caseload or overall record. A judge with many cases here may simply handle a high volume of pretrial matters.
- Judge assignments can change. A case filed under one judge may be reassigned before disposition. We display the judge of record at the time of the case record.
- This database currently covers Orange County, Florida only. It is not representative of a judge's record in other jurisdictions.
- Data is updated annually based on the Citizens' Right to Know Act report cycle. Real-time case updates are not reflected.
- Some defendants may appear in multiple categories (e.g., a defendant who both failed to appear and was rearrested) and may be counted in each applicable category.
Public records and legal authority
All data displayed on CourtWatch.us is sourced from public records. Under Florida's Public Records Law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes), all state, county, and municipal records are open for public inspection unless specifically exempted.
The Citizens' Right to Know Act (FSS 907.043) explicitly requires annual public disclosure of pretrial release failure data including defendant names and case numbers. Court records from Florida county clerks are publicly accessible under Florida law.
CourtWatch.us does not publish any information that is not already available to any member of the public through official government sources.
Errors and corrections
We take accuracy seriously. If you believe any data on this site is incorrect, outdated, or has been improperly attributed, please contact us. We will investigate and correct verified errors promptly.
If a case record has been expunged or sealed after our data collection, we will remove it upon receiving official documentation of the court order.