TIME STANDARDS FOR TRIAL AND APPELLATE COURTS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

(a) Time Standards. The following time standards are hereby established as a presumptively reasonable time period for the completion of cases in the trial and appellate courts of this state. Periods during which a case is on inactive status are excluded from the calculation of the time periods set forth below. It is recognized that there are cases that, because of their complexity, present problems that cause reasonable delays. However, most cases should be completed within the following time periods:

(1) Trial Court Time Standards.

(A) Criminal. i. Felony — 180 days (arrest to final disposition) ii. Misdemeanor — 90 days (arrest to final disposition)

(B) Civil. i. Complex cases under the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure — 30 months (from date of service of initial process of the last defendant or 120 days after commencement of the action as provided in Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.050, whichever occurs first, to final disposition) ii. Other jury cases — 18 months (from date of service of initial process on the last defendant or 120 days after commencement of the action as provided in rule 1.050, whichever occurs first, to final disposition) iii. Other non-jury cases — 12 months (from date of service of initial process on the last defendant or 120 days after commencement of the action as provided in rule 1.050, whichever occurs first, to final disposition) iv. Small claims cases — 95 days (from commencement of the action as provided in Florida Small Claims Rule of Procedure 7.050 to final disposition, unless 1 or more rules of civil procedure are invoked that eliminate the deadline for trial under rule 7.090(d), in which event the “complex,” “other jury,” or “other nonjury” deadline will apply, as appropriate to the case)

(C) Domestic Relations. i. Uncontested — 90 days (filing to final disposition) ii. Contested — 180 days (filing to final disposition)

(D) Probate. i. Uncontested, no federal estate tax return — 12 months (from issuance of letters of administration to final discharge) ii. Uncontested, with federal estate tax return — 12 months (from the return’s due date to final discharge) iii. Contested — 24 months (from filing to final discharge)

(E) Juvenile Delinquency. i. Disposition hearing — 120 days (filing of petition or child being taken into custody to hearing) ii. Disposition hearing (child detained) — 36 days (date of detention to hearing)

(F) Juvenile Dependency. i. Disposition hearing (child sheltered) — 88 days (shelter hearing to disposition) ii. Disposition hearing (child not sheltered) — 120 days (filing of petition for dependency to hearing)

(G) Permanency Proceedings. Permanency hearing — 12 months (date child is sheltered to hearing)

(2) Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal Time Standards. Rendering a decision — within 180 days of either oral argument or the submission of the case to the court panel for a decision without oral argument, except in juvenile dependency or termination of parental rights cases, in which a decision should be rendered within 60 days of either oral argument or submission of the case to the court panel for a decision without oral argument.

(3) Florida Bar Referee Time Standards. Report of referee — within 180 days of being assigned to hear the case

(4) Circuit Court Acting as Appellate Court. Ninety days from submission of the case to the judge for review

(b) Reporting of Cases.

(1) Quarterly Reports. The time standards require that the following monitoring procedures be implemented: All pending cases in circuit and district courts of appeal exceeding the time standards must be listed separately on a report submitted quarterly to the chief justice. The report must include for each case listed the case number, type of case, case status (active or inactive for civil cases and contested or uncontested for domestic relations and probate cases), the date of arrest in criminal cases, and the original filing date in civil cases. The Office of the State Courts Administrator will provide the necessary forms for submission of this data. The report is due on the 15th day of the month following the last day of the quarter.

(2) Annual Report of Pending Civil Cases.

(A) By the last business day of July of every year, the chief judge of each circuit must serve on the chief justice and the state courts administrator a report of the status of the docket of the general of the general civil division of that circuit, including both circuit and county courts, for the preceding fiscal year. The office of the State Courts Administrator must provide the necessary forms for submission of this data. The report must, at a minimum, include the following:

(i) a list of all civil cases, except cases on inactive status, by case number and style, grouped by county, court level (circuit or count), division, and assigned judge, pending in that circuit 3 years or more from the filing of the complaint or other case-initiation filing as of the last day of the fiscal year;

(ii) a reference as to whether each such case appeared on the previous fiscal year’s report and, if so, whether the same or a different judge was responsible for the case as of the previous fiscal year’s report; and

(iii) a reference as to whether an active case management order is in effect in the case.

(B) Cases that must remain confidential by statute, court rule, or court order must be included in the report, anonymized by an appropriate designation. The Office of the State Court Administrator must devise a designation system for such cases that enables the chief judge and the recipients of the report to identify cases that appear on a second of subsequent annual report.