LEGAL SERVICES

About the Legal Services Division:

The Sheriff’s Office maintains a Legal Services Division which consists of the General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, and Legal Executive Assistant. 

The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel serve as the legal advisors to the Sheriff of Marion County and as staff attorneys for the Office of the Sheriff, providing advice and services in a wide range of civil, criminal, and administrative matters.  They represent the Sheriff in court proceedings, including matters involving civil asset forfeitures and risk protection orders, and work closely with outside legal counsel to defend the legal interests of the Office of the Sheriff.  The General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel are also responsible for a host of other duties, including reviewing contracts and public records requests, advising on Internal Affairs investigations and other employment matters, providing legal updates and training to members of the agency, reviewing agency policies and procedures, reviewing and drafting search and arrest warrants, and other duties as may be requested or required.

The Legal Executive Assistant provides paralegal services, clerical support, and other assistance to the General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel and the agency in all matters, including litigation, civil asset forfeiture, risk protection orders, contract administration, and public records requests.

The legal services division DOES NOT provide legal advice to members of the public. If you require legal advice, the Florida Bar provides an attorney referral service, which may be contacted at (800) 342-8011 or accessed by clicking here.

Frequently asked questions may be found below by clicking here.

Ms. Kristi Van Vleet currently serves as General Counsel to Sheriff Billy Woods and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Ms. Van Vleet began her legal career in 2007 as an Assistant State Attorney in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. During her tenure at the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Van Vleet gained criminal law experience in the criminal traffic, misdemeanor, and felony divisions. She was selected to be a Sex Crimes Prosecutor and given the responsibility of litigating cases involving child abuse and sex crimes. Ms. Van Vleet left the State Attorney’s Office after ten years to become an Assistant General Counsel for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in 2018.  She was tasked to the Florida Highway Patrol as a Troop Legal Advisor, giving legal advice to Troopers from Marion County through the panhandle of Florida, prosecuting civil traffic citations with a fatality, and training both state and local law enforcement.  In 2023, Ms. Van Vleet became an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Ocala and was the legal advisor for the Ocala Police Department and Ocala Code Enforcement. 

Ms. Van Vleet received her law degree in 2007 from Regent University School of Law. She received an undergraduate degree in History in 2004 from the University of Central Florida. Ms. Van Vleet also sits as the Vice President of the West Central Florida Driver Improvement Board of Directors and is a member of the Marion County Bar Association.