The office is large with a budget of more than $300 million and over 2,700 sworn and civilian employees.

The current sheriff, John Mina, was elected in a 2018 special election, and is the chief law enforcement officer of Orange County responsible for the safety of over one million residents and the more than 72 million tourists that visit Orange County each year.

The first sheriff of Orange County dates from the earliest days of Florida's statehood in 1845.

[1] Since 1845, numerous prominent individuals have held the position of the Orange County Sheriff, including David William Mizell.

There have been numerous theories and tales regarding the story which led to his demise, ranging from the local tradition of the Barber–Mizell feud to Reconstruction politics to a lawman simply attempting to do his additional duty of levying fines and collecting taxes.