Premium Judge Report — Francis J. "Frank" Allman · BenchPath

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Francis J. "Frank" Allman

Chief Judge · Second Judicial Circuit Court · Franklin County, Florida

High confidence· verified July 24, 2026Report generated July 24, 2026 · 112 verified requirements · 6 sources cited

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01 Division & assignment

No current assignment on record.

Chambers & practice notes

Divisions: Leon Family Division I; 35% of family cases
Judicial assistant: Kelly Porritt
Phone: 850-606-4305
Fax: UNVERIFIED - no judge-specific fax published in the cited directory/profile
Counties: Leon
Role: Chief Judge
Assignment order: https://2ndcircuit.leoncountyfl.gov/AdminOrders/AOs/2026-02.pdf

PorrittK@leoncountyfl.gov

Leon County Courthouse

Courtroom Courtroom 3F on July 20 (week of July 20-24, 2026)

Chambers 365-B

Captured verbatim from the circuit's own roster, 2026-07-24, during the completeness pass.

Captured verbatim from the court's own published pages and orders during circuit verification. Chambers practices change without notice — confirm anything time-critical with the judicial assistant. Procedural information only; not legal advice.

02 Procedural requirements (112)

County

Second Cir. — at-filing / case-initiation requirement: FilingHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

Second Judicial Circuit (pp. HTML) — captured and sha256-hashed 2026-07-24

1 verbatim requirement on filing.

Second Cir. — civil circuit jury disposition timeline: DeadlinesHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

Second Judicial Circuit (pp. HTML) — captured and sha256-hashed 2026-07-24

1 verbatim requirement on deadlines.

Second Cir. — civil circuit non-jury and civil county disposition timeline: DeadlinesHigh confidence

03 Deadline table

Deadline	Trigger	Period	Citation
Mail service +5 days	Service by mail	5 calendar days after	Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.514
Final hearing within 15 days	Temporary injunction issued	15 calendar days after	Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.610; § 741.30, Fla. Stat.
Financial affidavit 45 days	Service of initial pleading	45 calendar days after	Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285
Notice of appeal 30 days	Rendition of final order	30 calendar days after	Fla. R. App. P. 9.110
Serve MSJ 40 days before hearing	Hearing date	40 calendar days before	Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510
MSJ response 20 days before hearing

04 Ruling intelligence

No verified ruling summary yet — summaries publish only after human review of a real opinion/docket corpus. The live scan below covers what public sources hold today.

05 Live case-law scan

Case-law search

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Filter to opinions naming Judge Francis J. "Frank" Allman

Coverage note: CourtListener is strongest for federal and state appellate courts; Florida circuit-court opinions are sparsely represented.

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06 Source appendix (6)

2nd Circuit — Judge manuals, forms & procedures (county)Healthychecked July 24, 2026
2nd Circuit — Judge manuals, forms & procedures (circuit)Healthychecked July 24, 2026
2nd Circuit — Administrative Order PDFs (BROKEN retrieval)Healthychecked July 24, 2026
Florida Courts — State Courts SystemHealthychecked July 24, 2026
Florida Courts E-Filing PortalHealthychecked July 24, 2026
Fla. Sup. Ct. Opinion SC2026-0673 — Amendments to Rule 2.515 (AI-era authority certification)

07 Recent change events

July 24, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 23, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 22, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 21, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 21, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 18, 2026Monitor: content changed at Florida Courts — State Courts System. Review before republishing dependent rules.

08 Contribute ground truth

Intelligence skills executed on this report

Procedural FingerprintConferral Stack AnalyzerDeadline Matrix BuilderAI-Filing Policy DetectorEx Parte & Motion-Calendar DecoderProposed-Order Protocol ExtractorRuling Corpus ScannerSource Freshness AuditorChambers Access CardAttorney Ground-Truth Intake

How the 15-skill engine works →

This report compiles procedural information and public-record research from the official sources cited above, with per-item verification status. It is not legal advice, contains no outcome predictions, and creates no attorney–client relationship. Items below high confidence must be verified against the official source before relying on them. Print with your browser for a clean PDF.

Circuit

Judge Jason L. Jones (2nd Cir.) — hearings of two hours or less are held via Zoom; materials over 50 pages must be in a three-ring binder; good-faith conferral before any motionHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

Judge Jason L. Jones, Procedures & Preferences (rev. 02/04/2026), §§2.2, 3, 9

Judge Jones's procedures set several hard operational rules: hearings scheduled for two hours or less are typically held via Zoom (remote appearance for in-person hearings requires a motion and proposed order at least 48 hours ahead, granted only for good cause); materials exceeding 50 pages must be submitted in a three-ring binder; before filing any motion the movant must confer with opposing counsel (Certificate of Good Faith Conference); proposed orders go to the JA in Word .docx (the clerk will not forward orders e-filed as attachments to motions); and handing the judge case law during a hearing is highly disfavored.

Judge Jason L. Jones (2nd Cir.) — lawyers and pro se litigants must review generative-AI work product; failure to verify accuracy may result in sanctionsHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

Judge Jason L. Jones, Procedures & Preferences (rev. 02/04/2026), Section 10 — Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Judge Jones's published procedures (rev. Feb 4, 2026), Section 10, are the Second Circuit's only local generative-AI provision. They require lawyers and pro se litigants to review the work product of a generative AI, make parties responsible for that work product regardless of whether AI drafted or researched it, and warn that failure to verify accuracy may result in sanctions. It is a review-and-responsibility rule, NOT an AI-use disclosure or certification mandate — consistent with statewide AOSC26-12 (which bars circuit-level AI disclosure/certification requirements) and amended Rule 2.515(d)(2).

Second Circuit — AO 2018-09 establishes the circuit's Alternative Dispute Resolution programMedium — verify before relying· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2018-09, Alternative Dispute Resolution Program

Administrative Order 2018-09 (Second Judicial Circuit Alternative Dispute Resolution Program) establishes the circuit's ADR/mediation framework; it remains active per the live ledger. Family mediation contract mediators and parenting coordinators are published on the court's mediation pages (in BenchPath custody).

Second Circuit — AO 2019-06 (as amended) governs first appearance and pretrial detention proceduresMedium — verify before relying· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2019-06 (First Appearance and Pretrial Detention Procedures), 2nd Amendment (eff. Oct. 1, 2025)

Administrative Order 2019-06 (First Appearance and Pretrial Detention Procedures), amended through a 2nd Amendment (effective October 1, 2025), governs first-appearance and pretrial-detention practice circuit-wide. The 1st Amendment directs Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, and Wakulla to fax documents to the Leon County Detention Center. The binary is unrecoverable from the court's endpoint (metadata verified live from the active ledger).

Second Circuit — AO 2025-02 (as amended) sets the Uniform Bond Schedule and pretrial release proceduresHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2025-02 (Uniform Bond Schedule), 1st Amendment

Administrative Order 2025-02 (Uniform Bond Schedule and Pretrial Release Procedures), as amended by its 1st Amendment (June 23, 2026), governs bond amounts and pretrial release across the Second Circuit. BenchPath holds both the base order and the 1st Amendment as verified PDFs.

Second Circuit — AO 2026-02 is the controlling judicial assignment order (effective July 1, 2026)High confidence· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2026-02, Circuit and County Judge Assignments (eff. July 1, 2026)

Administrative Order 2026-02 (Circuit and County Judge Assignments), effective July 1, 2026, is the current controlling assignment order for the Second Circuit — one of only nine of the circuit's 970 administrative orders whose binary the court's website actually serves (the rest return database output; see review task). BenchPath holds the verified PDF. It supersedes the AO 2024-04 assignment chain (which reached an 8th Amendment).

Second Circuit — AO 2026-03 governs expert witness compensation and procedures in criminal casesHigh confidence· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2026-03, Expert Witness Compensation and Procedures in Criminal Cases (Feb. 18, 2026)

Administrative Order 2026-03 (Expert Witness Compensation and Procedures in Criminal Cases), signed February 18, 2026, is the circuit's current expert-witness order — a verified PDF in BenchPath custody.

Second Circuit — Differential Civil Case Management: circuit jury cases resolve in 18 months, non-jury and county in 12; plaintiff serves the CMO at case start (AO 2024-08, 2nd Amendment)High confidence· verified July 24, 2026

2nd Cir. Admin. Order 2024-08 (Differential Civil Case Management, eff. Jan. 1, 2025; 2nd Amendment eff. Oct. 1, 2025), per the court's civilCaseManagement.php page

The Second Circuit's Differential Civil Case Management order (AO 2024-08, effective January 1, 2025; Second Amendment effective October 1, 2025) sets firm disposition timelines: Civil Circuit jury trial cases must be resolved within 18 months, and Civil Circuit non-jury and Civil County cases within 12 months. The order includes a case-management order the plaintiff must serve at the beginning of the case, with deadlines the court states will be strictly enforced.

Statewide

Computing Time — Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.514Medium — verify before relying

Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.514

How Florida procedural deadlines are computed: exclude the trigger day; count every day for periods of 7 days or more; for periods under 7 days, skip intermediate weekends and legal holidays; roll forward when the last day is a weekend or holiday.

Exclude the day of the triggering event.
Periods of 7+ days: count every day, including weekends and holidays.
Periods under 7 days: skip intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.
If the last day is a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day.
Add 5 days when the party may act after service by mail.

Conferral Required Before Filing Nondispositive Motions — Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.202Medium — verify before relying

Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.202

Under the 2025 case-management amendments, a movant must confer with the opposing party in a good-faith effort to resolve a nondispositive motion before filing it, and must include a certificate of conferral.

Confer with the opposing party before filing any nondispositive motion.
Make the conferral a genuine attempt to resolve — document date, time, method, and outcome.
Include a certificate of conferral in the motion (or describe the specific attempts if the other side did not respond).
Check the division's instructions for additional local conferral requirements.

Domestic Violence Injunctions: Ex Parte Temporary Relief and Prompt Final Hearing — Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.610Medium — verify before relying

Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.610; § 741.30, Fla. Stat.

A DV injunction petition is reviewed promptly; the court may issue a temporary injunction ex parte, and when it does, a full evidentiary hearing is generally set within 15 days. There is no filing fee.

File the petition on the approved form — no filing fee.
A temporary injunction may issue ex parte on the verified petition.
Calendar the final hearing — generally within 15 days when a temporary injunction issues.
Appear with evidence and witnesses; non-appearance can end the case.

E-Filing Through the Statewide Portal — Florida Courts E-Filing PortalMedium — verify before relying

Florida Courts E-Filing Portal; Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.525

Florida attorneys must file court documents electronically through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). Self-represented litigants may e-file through the same portal. Local circuits layer their own formatting and routing quirks on top.

Register a Portal account at myflcourtaccess.com.
Attorneys: e-file every document through the Portal.
Check the destination circuit's e-filing instructions for format quirks before filing.

E-Service of Pleadings and Documents — Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.516Medium — verify before relying

Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.516

Service of pleadings and documents after the initial pleading is made by e-mail — in practice through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal's e-service feature — to the designated service addresses on file.

Serve by e-mail to every designated e-mail service address (via Portal e-service in ordinary practice).
Confirm all parties' designated service addresses are current before serving.
Include a certificate of service reflecting method and date.

Florida AI Filing Rules: One Circuit-Wide Mandate Is Still Live, and Dozens of Pages Are Still StaleHigh confidence· verified July 22, 2026

BenchPath statewide AI stale-publication audit, July 22, 2026 (53 sources re-fetched and sha256-hashed; evidence in repo docs/handoff/ai-audit-2026-07/)

Only Rule 2.515(d)(2) binds you statewide. Five circuits rescinded their AI orders outright — but the SEVENTH CIRCUIT's G-2026-045-SC has never been rescinded and is still posted with sanctions language. It is preempted and unenforceable, yet it remains the circuit's most recent general administrative order. Dozens of judge pages statewide also still publish AI mandates.

Mandatory Disclosure in Family Cases — Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285Medium — verify before relying

Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.285

Parties in dissolution and most family financial cases must exchange a financial affidavit and specified financial documents within 45 days of service of the initial pleading, file a certificate of compliance, and supplement as circumstances change.

Serve the financial affidavit within 45 days of service of the initial pleading.
Exchange the documents required by rule 12.285.
File the certificate of compliance.
Supplement disclosure as circumstances change — the duty is continuing.

Notice of Appeal: 30 Days from Rendition — Fla. R. App. P. 9.110Medium — verify before relying

Fla. R. App. P. 9.110

An appeal of a final order must be commenced by filing a notice of appeal within 30 days of rendition of the order. This deadline is jurisdictional — missing it generally ends the appeal.

Calendar 30 days from rendition of the final order.
Confirm the rendition date — timely authorized post-judgment motions suspend rendition.
File the notice of appeal with the lower tribunal's clerk with the filing fee.

Small Claims Pretrial Conference: Appearance Mandatory — Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.090Medium — verify before relying

Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.090

Small claims cases (up to $8,000) begin with a mandatory pretrial conference where the court narrows issues and typically orders mediation. Failure to appear can result in default or dismissal.

Confirm the claim is within the $8,000 small-claims limit (exclusive of costs, interest, and fees).
File the Statement of Claim on the approved form.
Attend the pretrial conference — appearance is mandatory.
Come prepared to mediate.

Statewide AI-Era Certification: Every Signer Certifies Cited Authorities Exist — Rule 2.515(d)(2)High confidence· verified July 5, 2026

In re: Amends. to Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515, No. SC2026-0673 (Fla. May 28, 2026); Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2); AOSC26-12

Effective June 15, 2026, every signer of a Florida court filing — attorney or self-represented — represents that "the legal authorities identified exist and are accurately cited," with express sanctions (reprimand, contempt, striking, dismissal, costs, fees) for violations. Companion order AOSC26-12 preempts ALL circuit- and judge-level AI disclosure/certification requirements.

Summary Judgment Timing: 40 Days / 20 Days — Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510Medium — verify before relying

Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.510

Florida follows the federal summary-judgment standard. The motion must be served at least 40 days before the hearing; the nonmovant's response is due no later than 20 days before the hearing.

Serve the motion at least 40 days before the hearing date.
Support factual positions with record citations.
Calendar the nonmovant's response deadline — no later than 20 days before the hearing.
Special-set the hearing per the division's procedure and confirm courtesy-copy requirements.