Judge Jeffrey W. Hendriks

Judge Jeffrey Hendriks was born in Ontario, Canada in 1972. He graduated from Martin County High School in 1989. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as an armor crewman. He was deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Storm as well as Operation Restore Hope in Somalia.
He then attended the University of Central Florida (UCF) while still serving in the Marine Corps with an armor unit in Tallahassee, Florida. He graduated UCF with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice in 1998.
After graduating UCF, he attended Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia where he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
Judge Hendriks then attended Stetson University, College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida, while still attached to the Marine Corps Amphibian Assault unit out of Tampa, Florida as a Training Officer.
After completing law school, Judge Hendriks was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001. Judge Hendriks then went back on active duty in the Marine Corps where he served in numerous capacities to include as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) as well as working with Special Operations Command - Central (SOCCENT) out of MacDill Air Force Base in the Command Center.
Judge Hendriks, in 2004, began working as an Assistant State Attorney (ASA) in the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida. He prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases as a line prosecutor for approximately 3 years. In 2007, he was promoted to a Felony Division Supervisor where he continued prosecuting cases while supervising other felony prosecutors for approximately 9 years. In 2016, Judge Hendriks was promoted to the Major Crimes Division where he prosecuted the Treasure Coast’s most serious and high profile crimes including murder and RICO cases. During his time as an ASA, Judge Hendriks tried over 100 jury trials.
In July 2019 Judge Hendriks was appointed to the St. Lucie County bench to serve the citizens of St. Lucie County in Criminal Court. He was re-elected unopposed in 2020.
Currently, he is assigned to the county court criminal docket in St. Lucie County. Judge Hendriks also spent two years appointed to the Florida Supreme Court Criminal Steering Committee. Upon completing that appointment he now serves on the Florida Supreme Court Criminal Jury Instructions Committee. Additionally, Judge Hendriks was the co-chair of the St. Lucie County Homelessness Task Force. He also sits on the Board of Directors with the local “Major Harding Inns of Court” and is their Community Outreach Coordinator. Judge Hendriks also sits on the advisory committee for the Indian River State College (IRSC) Paralegal Studies Program and has recently been appointed as the District Chair of the Treasure Coast District for Scouts of America.
Additionally, Judge Hendriks has been an adjunct professor at the Indian River State College for over 10 years. He has taught paralegal classes; law classes; Police Academy Recruit classes and Advanced Law Enforcement classes. In 2012, Judge Hendriks was named the IRSC Adjunct Professor of the Year.
Judge Hendriks is married to Jennifer, a St. Lucie County Deputy Sheriff of 25 years. They have two children, Samuel, 10, and Claire, 6.