Hillsborough County, FL
All 265 county-scoped rules
Every published instrument scoped to Hillsborough County, newest effective date first. 0 circuit-wide and 636 statewide instruments also apply here — search all three layers together. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Published rules, newest effective date first
Showing 51–100 of 265 · page 2 of 6
Motions (Except Limine) Waived If Not Heard Before the PTC — Criminal I
Judge Rice mirrors the F-division waiver with an exception: all motions other than motions in limine must be filed AND heard before the Pretrial Conference or they are waived; limine motions must at least be filed by then.
Motions Not Heard Before the Pretrial Conference Are WAIVED — Criminal F
Judge Alvarez deems all motions not heard before the Pre-Trial Conference waived — and no grounds for continuance; substitutions of counsel must be filed AND heard 7 days before PTC, and continuances are not considered at PTC absent unforeseen circumstances.
No Binders Under 30 Minutes; Mailed-Only Binders at 45+ — Circuit Civil H
Judge Daniel splits binder practice by hearing length: short hearings (UMC 5–7 min, CMC 15/30) get NO binders with authority filed 3 business days ahead; 45-minute-plus hearings may have binders — but only by mail or courthouse drop-off, never e-mail.
No Cherry-Picking Trial Weeks — Circuit Civil C
Judge Polo's published trial calendar bars attorneys from choosing a single week out of a multi-week trial period: the trial order must reflect the entire period, and all PTCs and trials are in person.
NO Evidentiary Hearing of Any Length via Zoom — Family L
Judge Fuson's practices PDF (mod. June 25, 2026): evidentiary hearings never happen on Zoom regardless of length, and all temporary-relief hearings are in person; scheduling impasses go to the JA.
No Final Hearing Without Mediation in the Past 6 Months — Family D
Judge Ayers will not schedule a final hearing or trial unless mediation occurred within the past six months (or new counsel appeared since) — and the Order Setting Final Hearing must hit JAWS 15 days before the date.
No Hybrid Hearings — but Mutual In-Person Is Always Available — Family E
Judge Hooi does not usually allow hybrid hearings (one side in person, one virtual); if both sides prefer, everyone may appear in person instead; emergencies route through the clerk to a judge-entered handling order.
No Hybrid Hearings — Ever — Circuit Civil B
Judge Palermo bars hybrid hearings outright: the courtroom is not equipped for them, so everyone is on Zoom or everyone is in the courtroom, absent a specific advance order.
No Orphaned Signature Lines; Capitalize Mother and Father — Juvenile Delinquency B/F
The Delinquency B/F division publishes unusually granular order-formatting rules: PDFs created from Word (not scans), no signature line or ORDERED-AND-ADJUDGED text alone on a page, Mother/Father capitalized, descriptive titles, "number of number" pagination — with orders in the JAWS queue presumed shared and unobjected.
Orders Cite the Hearing Date; Uploaded No More Than 2 Days Early — Probate A
Judge Catlin's paperless order regime: PDF only (never Word), the hearing date in the opening paragraph, uploaded no more than 2 days before the hearing (early uploads rejected and removed), 3-business-day docketing wait, and "no hanging signatures."
Orders in "Microsoft Adobe Acrobat" PDF; Paper Exhibits — Mental Health / Veterans / Drug Court
Judge Scionti's specialty-docket practices PDF (Mental Health M, Veterans V, Adult Drug Treatment W): proposed orders submitted in what the document memorably calls "Microsoft Adobe Acrobat™" format, exhibits to the clerk on paper — and no standing Zoom ID (access is provided upon approval only).
Orders in PDF; Exhibits to the Clerk on Paper, Single-Sided — Felony C
Judge Lefler's practices PDF (mod. June 30, 2026 — which also confirms his division as Felony C): proposed orders submit in PDF format, and exhibits go to the clerk in paper, single-sided.
PDF for Agreed, Word for Competing, 3- and 5-Day Clocks — Circuit Civil O
Judge Ward: agreed orders upload PDF-only to the ePortal within 5 days of hearing; objectors must deliver Word competing orders within 3 days; no response after 5 days of service lets the movant upload; binders are welcome if indexed, tabbed, and 3 days early.
PDF Orders; Zoom Decorum Violations Risk Sanctions — Criminal B / Jimmy Ryce T
Judge Fernandez's practices PDF (mod. 6/24/2026, covering Circuit Criminal B and the Jimmy Ryce Act T docket): proposed orders upload in PDF, and Zoom-decorum violators "may be subject to sanctions."
Plant City's 31-Item Bench Book: In Person, Written Speedy Waivers — East County X/W/Y
Judge Griner publishes the circuit's most detailed single page (31 items) under the shared County Criminal Standing Pretrial Order: all cases in person unless special-set on Zoom, speedy waivers written-or-on-the-record only, opposing party on every e-mail.
Pretrial Motions Not Heard by the Transferring Judge Are WAIVED — Trial Division 3
Judge Wolfe enforces AO S-2024-062(28)(A) with teeth: every pretrial motion in a case transferred to TD-3 must be scheduled and heard by the original transferring judge — failure to do so timely is deemed a waiver.
Pretrials and the Discovery Docket Auto-Run on Zoom — Circuit Civil E
Judge Oster's procedures (recovered from her practices PDF, mod. May 4, 2026): pretrials and the discovery docket are automatically held via Zoom, with hearing requests stating whether the setting is remote or in person.
Protective-Injunction Hearings Are In Person — No Zoom Unless Directed — East Circuit S
Judge Chandler's Division S sheet is unambiguous: all protective-injunction hearings happen in person at Plant City, and you may not participate by Zoom unless the Court specifically directs it.
Remote Appearance Only on Good Cause; No Arraignment Transport — Criminal E
Judge Tibbals: good cause must be established to appear remotely in his criminal division, and in-custody defendants are not transported to arraignment.
Remote Only on Good Cause; Materials 3 Business Days Out — Criminal G
Judge Nazaretian (practices PDF, mod. Jan. 23, 2026 — recovered from the portal vein after his directory page showed nothing): good cause required for remote appearance, all hearing materials 3 business days ahead, continuances 5 days ahead, defendant present at the PTC.
Respond to Offered Dates in 3 Business Days or Lose Them — Criminal I
Judge Rice releases offered hearing dates to other parties if the JA gets no response within three business days — and layers deadlines: authority 3 business days, evidence for review 2 business days, Zoom exhibits 48 hours.
Retrieve Hearing Binders Within 3 Days or They're Recycled — County Civil U / Injunctions M
Judge Johnson's practices PDF: hearing binders must be picked up within 3 days after the proceeding or they are recycled; anything over 15 minutes schedules by e-mail only; materials and continuances run on 5-day clocks.
Silence for 2 Business Days = Unilateral Setting — Family A
Judge Felix's scheduling protocol: the JA offers at least two dates; if the responding side stays silent for two business days after a documented good-faith attempt, the movant may pick the hearing time.
Speedy-Trial Waivers Are Never Accepted by E-Mail — County Criminal E
Judge Scott: all cases in person unless special-set on Zoom (good cause, documentation possible), waivers of speedy trial refused via e-mail — written and filed, or on the record — and every e-mail to the Court copies the opposing party.
Study Smith v. Crider Before Filing Any Emergency — Family B
Judge Tompkins orders counsel to study Smith v. Crider before filing an emergency motion, files it with the Clerk only (never deliver to the judge), and runs UMC at 7–10 minutes per case.
The Movant Appears Even If the Motion Settled — County Civil O
Judge Allen: every hearing is in person (no phone/Zoom for small-claims initial pretrials), 60-minutes-or-less books through JAWS — and even after the parties agree, the movant must appear at the scheduled time unless a timely cancellation or signed stipulation reached the division.
Thirteenth Cir. — A-2013-006
5 verbatim mandatory provisions from A-2013-006.
Thirteenth Cir. — A-2025-036
8 verbatim mandatory provisions from A-2025-036.
Thirteenth Cir. — AOSC24-112
2 verbatim mandatory provisions from AOSC24-112.
Thirteenth Cir. — AOSC24-87
2 verbatim mandatory provisions from AOSC24-87.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Adam L. Bantner: Courtroom procedures
3 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Adam L. Bantner's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Alissa Ellison: Hearing & argument time
102 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Alissa Ellison's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Barbara Twine Thomas: Proposed orders
34 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Barbara Twine Thomas's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Branden M. Henderson: Hearing & argument time
47 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Branden M. Henderson's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Caroline Tesche Arkin: Hearing & argument time
22 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Caroline Tesche Arkin's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Catherine M. Catlin: Proposed orders
23 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Catherine M. Catlin's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Chardean M. Hill: Remote appearances
7 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Chardean M. Hill's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Charles A. Denton: Remote appearances
4 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Charles A. Denton's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Cheryl L. Mason: Remote appearances
30 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Cheryl L. Mason's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Cheryl Thomas: Hearing & argument time
15 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Cheryl Thomas's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christine A. Marlewski: Proposed orders
23 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christine A. Marlewski's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christopher A. Phillips: Remote appearances
7 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christopher A. Phillips's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christopher Brown: Proposed orders
60 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christopher Brown's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christopher C. Nash: Exhibits
87 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christopher C. Nash's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christopher C. Sabella: Proposed orders
12 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christopher C. Sabella's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Christopher Saba: Hearing & argument time
48 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Christopher Saba's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Colleen O'Brien: Hearing & argument time
48 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Colleen O'Brien's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Cynthia Oster: Hearing & argument time
36 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Cynthia Oster's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Darren D. Farfante: Proposed orders
26 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Darren D. Farfante's published division procedures.
Thirteenth Cir. — Judge Daryl M. Manning: Proposed orders
17 verbatim courtroom requirements from Judge Daryl M. Manning's published division procedures.