Attorneys, defendants, family members and interested parties can now set up email and text alerts to stay up-to-date with criminal cases. Photo: TierneyMJ/Shutterstock.com.

A new e-Notify platform just made it easier for attorneys, defendants, family members and interested parties to attend court hearings in Florida.

The user-friendly system means that anyone who registers their name, telephone number and email at enotify.flcourts.org could arrange to have reminders about upcoming court events in criminal cases sent to their device.

It's expected to reduce the amount of arrest warrants issued for no-shows, according to Chief Broward Circuit Judge Jack Tuter, who said trial courts have welcomed the change.

Broward Circuit Chief Judge Jack Tuter. Photo: J. Albert Diaz/ALM.

"We are certain it will benefit those accused of a crime, their family members and attorneys in the criminal justice system," Tuter said. "We hope everyone will take advantage of the system. We also think the system will be beneficial in reducing the issuance of warrants for those who do not show up for their court date."

After successful test runs in Orange, Okaloosa, and Nassau counties in late 2019, the system has gone statewide, funded by the Florida Legislature, and implemented with the help of the Florida State Courts System, the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers and the Clerks of Court Operations Corp.

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