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31 verbatim requirements extracted from judge-lauren-sweet__L.-Sweet-Judicial-Practices-and-Procedures-Updated-7_1_2025.pdf, across 6 topics.
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie). Check the order's own effective and rescission dates before relying on it. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
HEARING TIME & ARGUMENT LIMITS • • Method of Communication: SLCJudge1@circuit19.org (Email is the preferred method of communication). The subject line must contain the case number, case name, and relevant matter (e.g., 2025 MM 001234 – Plaintiff/Petitioner v. Defendant/Respondent - 2-Hour Hearing Requested.) Phone contact is also permitted at the phone number listed above. • When the judicial assistant is out of the office, your message will be acknowledged as received with an indication of when to expect a substantive response and an alternate contact for immediate assistance. The judicial assistant is unable to give legal advice, so inquiries should be limited to procedural questions and hearing/scheduling requests. • Arraignments: All Defendants are required to be present unless counsel appears for them or a written plea of not guilty and waiver of arraignment is filed by Counsel prior to the start of court. If a waiver of arraignment is filed prior to a scheduled arraignement the case will automatically be rescheduled to a docket call unless otherwise requested. Any waivers of arraignment filed within 72 hours of the arraignment must be emailed to the judicial assistant. All pro se Defendants and counsel need to check in with the court clerk when you arrive in court. A case may be resolved at arraignment if there is a plea to the Court, the plea offer provided by the State Attorney’s Office is accepted, or there is participation in the proof of compliance program offered by the Saint Lucie County Clerk’s Office for certain traffic offenses. For more information on the proof of compliance program you must contact the Saint Lucie County Clerk’s Office or visit their website. • Motion Hearings: Are scheduled by contacting the judicial assistant for hearing dates. Motion hearings may be set for other court dates depending on the length of the hearing, the court schedule, the needs of the case, and for good cause shown. Make sure to include opposing counsel, the amount of time requested for the hearing, and a copy of the already e-filed motion in the email. Once a date is selected a notice of hearing must be filed by the moving party. Once filed, a copy of the notice of hearing, the motion, and a proposed order in Microsoft Word format must be submitted to the judicial assistant to ensure the hearing is docketed. (See Notice of Hearings requirements below) • Change of Plea Hearings: Change of pleas may be special set or are accepted at arraignment, docket call, and mini docket. A change of plea may be set at 8:30 A.M. on jury trial days if it is fully negotiated. Some change of pleas may be set for other court dates depending on the court schedule, the needs of the case, and for good cause shown. Change of plea hearings will not be scheduled in cases with an active warrant until the warrant is resolved. You may request a change of plea date from the judicial assistant by email. Please state whether the plea is negotiated and include opposing counsel. - Deferred Prosecution Program Plea Agreements: The agreement must be signed by the Defendant, the State, and a representative of C.O.R.E. prior to the Court accepting the agreement. It is the Attorney or Defendant’s responsibility to ensure that the agreement is signed prior to the start of the change of plea hearing. Counsel and the Defendant must appear at the change of plea hearing with the signed paperwork unless approval for a plea in absentia is granted. - Plea in Absentia: A plea in absentia must be approved by the Court by sending an email to the judicial assistant at SLCJudge1@circuit19.org. A signed plea form, a signed affidavit stating counsel explained the terms, conditions and waiver of rights in the plea form, and fingerprint card (for applicable offenses) must be provided for the Court to accept the plea in absentia. If counsel and the Defendant are requesting to appear via Zoom for the plea in absentia, the paperwork must be submitted to the Judicial Assistant via email to receive the Zoom link. All original paperwork (including the fingerprint card) must be mailed to the clerk’s office prior to the hearing or delivered to the Court at the hearing. • Pre-trial Hearings: Evidentiary motions that need to be heard prior to trial are scheduled on these hearing dates. Contact the judicial assistant to coordinate these hearings. The email should include: 1) the opposing party, 2) the case number and case style in the subject line, 3) a copy of the already e-filed motion, and 4) the length of time requested by the parties. • • Scheduling Hearings: The parties are encouraged to confer on Motions prior to reaching out to the Court for hearing time. The Court initially considers agreed orders in Chambers and will let the parties know whether a hearing is needed. The body of the motions must state whether opposing counsel has an objection to the motion or stipulates/agrees with the contents of the motion. Hearings must be requested by e-mail at SLCJudge1@circuit19.org. The judicial assistant will provide several dates to coordinate with opposing counsel. The on-line judicial calendar outlines what dates are available for hearings, so you may request a certain date coordinated by the parties prior to reaching out to the judicial assistant. The request will be granted so long as the hearing time is available. • • Inmate Transport : It is the attorney’s responsibility to advise the judicial assistant by email if any inmate needs to be transported to appear in-person or appear via Zoom for court at least two (2) business days prior to the court date. • Notice of Hearing: Hearing notices must be emailed to the judicial assistant within two business day of filing at SLCjudge1@circuit19.org to ensure the hearing is docketed. Otherwise, the hearing time may be provided for other cases or the hearing may be canceled. Notices must include the hearing type, date, time, location, the length of the time requested for the hearing, and a certificate of service to opposing counsel/interested parties. A notice of hearing involving any remote appearance must list the judicial Zoom credentials. All hearing notices must comply with the notice requirement in Fla. R. Gen. P. and Jud Admin. 2.540(c) Requests for Accommodations by Persons with Disabilities. • Submission Deadlines: Any materials that you would like the Judge to consider prior to a hearing, including case law, memoranda of law, or evidence agreed to by opposing counsel, may be emailed to • SLCJudge1@circuit19.org in advance of the hearing and copied to opposing counsel. Do not assume that if you have filed a memorandum or response that the Judge will review it, it must be emailed the judicial assistant with the case number and date of the hearing so that the Judge may have sufficient time to review. Include in the email 1) whether the parties agree to the Court considering the exhibits in chambers prior to the hearing, and 2) the specific exhibits the parties would like the Court to review. • Order of Proceedings: The Court calls all in-person appearances first. Typically, parties with counsel are called first, then pro se parties, then parties appearing remotely. Cases are called in the order they are ready for cases with counsel, then in alphabetical order for all other cases. Remote appearance cases are called at the Court’s discretion. Special requests to be called out of order are considered by the Court. • Continuance Procedure: Unopposed Motions to Continue and proposed orders must be submitted no later than noon the Friday prior to the docket/hearing. A written motion to continue must state the basis for the continuance, whether it is unnopposed, how many prior continuances have been granted, and age of the case (in days). Except for good cause shown, the motion must be signed by the party requesting the continuance, as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.545(e). • Canceling Hearings: A notice of cancelation must be filed in the court file and submitted to the judicial assistant immediately. If the hearing is scheduled by the Court but the matter is resolved you must notify the judicial assistant immediately by email. C. Remote Appearance • • Requirements: Requests to appear via Zoom for non-evidentiary hearings are approved upon written request sent by email to the judicial assistant and opposing counsel at least three (3) days prior to the hearing. Requests to appear remotely for non-evidentiary hearings must be renewed prior to every court date. Zoom appearance for all parties and witnesses is not permitted for evidentiary hearings, pleas (with the exception of jail arraignment), mini dockets, and trials. Requests to appear for any of these hearing types must be made by motion. • • Technology Needs: The attorney is responsible for providing the Zoom link to his or her client or witness and must be prepared with digital copies of evidence if necessary for the hearing. A phone or computer with access to wifi or data is required to access Zoom. The Court does not provide hardware to access Zoom. • • Deadline for Submissions: If the matter is scheduled for a hearing proposed orders must be submitted to the judicial assistant no later than noon the day prior to the hearing. Agreed/Stipulated orders must be submitted to the judicial assistant with the corresponding motion. The Court initially considers agreed orders in Chambers and will let the parties know whether a hearing is needed. • • Format: WORD/PDF is accepted for case law so long as the relevant sections of the case law are highlighted. PDF is preferred for any other documents. Audio/video may be provided on a USB drive by agreement of the parties and with prior approval from the Court. You must obtain prior approval from the Court before sending an electronic link (e.g. Drop Box) that contains hearing materials. • • Requirements: If a party believes there is a factual basis for setting an emergency hearing, a detailed motion setting forth the following must be filed: (1) the issues to be resolved, (2) reasons why an emergency hearing is necessary, and (3) the amount of time needed for each party’s presentation. The motion must be submitted to the Court after filing at SLCjudge1@circuit19.org and “EMERGENCY” must be inlucded in the subject line of the email. • • Scheduling: If the court determines that an emergency exists, a hearing will be scheduled unilaterally by the court. All parties shall make themselves available for the emergency hearing, barring exigent circumstances. G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings • Submission Method: Contact the Saint Lucie County Clerk’s Office at 772-462-6900 or CriminalCourt@stlucieclerk.gov. • Format: Exhibits must be submitted to the clerk of court in paper format or USB drive for media. All attorneys and self-represented litigants must bring sufficient copies of each exhibit for the clerk, the court, and each party to review during the hearing or trial. Exhibits must be labeled in the format required by the Clerk of Court. • Deadline for Submissions: Evidence may be submitted during the hearing or trial. If the parties agree that the Court may view evidence prior to a hearing (such as a video or transcript), such evidence may be emailed to the Court in advance of the hearing and copied to opposing counsel at SLCjudge1@circuit19.org. The Court will make its best efforts to review any agreed evidence submitted in advance as to make efficient use of time during the hearing. H. Pretrial Procedures and Conferences • • Active Warrant Cases: Cases with active warrants pending are not set for hearing until the warrant is served or resolved by motion, so hearing dates will not be provided until the warrant is resolved. Jail dockets are scheduled every other week, therefore the parties may contact the judicial assistant via email regarding setting a case on a jail docket once the Defendant is in custody. Any hearings scheduled without court • • Motions to Recall Bench Warrant and Set New Court Date: The motion must state the reason for the missed court appearance, whether the State/opposing counsel has an objection to the motion, whether the bondsman is willing to stay on the bond, and the relief requested. If the motion is agreed to, for example, you have reached out the Assistant State Attorney assigned to the case and they have no objection to the motion, then you may submit a stipulated motion and agreed order to the judicial assistant. If the motion is not agreed, then reach out to the judicial assistant for a hearing date and include opposing counsel in the email • • Wavier of Appearance: Waivers of Appearance for criminal defendants must conform with Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.180(3) and must be filed in the court file. If a waiver of appearance is filed within three (3) days of the court appearance counsel should come prepared with an already e-filed copy of the waiver of appearance to present to the Court. In-person appearance is required at evidentiary hearings, change of pleas, mini docket, and trial regardless of whether a waiver of appearance is filed in the court file. • • Notice of Substitution of Counsel or Motion to Withdraw as Counsel: Absent written consent of the client, a hearing is required on a Notice of Substitution of Counsel and on a Motion to Withdraw as Counsel. (See Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.505). If you have written consent from the client, please submit such with the motion. • Case Management Conference: The Court holds regular docket calls in lieu of case management conferences. If a specific case management conference is requested, then such request can be made via email at SLCJudge1@circuit19.org. • Status Conference: Any party may request hearing time for a status conference or the Court may set a status conference when a case requires one. • Requirements: Any request for a CMC or status conference must articulate the reasons for the necessity of the conference. • Scheduling: If the court agrees that a CMC or status conference is required, several hearing dates are provided and the moving party must file a notice of hearing or the Court may unilaterally set the status conference or CMC. • Pretrial Motions: All pretrial motions, motions to suppress and pretrial • • Interpreter Requests: It is the attorney’s responsibility to arrange interpreter services. Information for the 19th Circuit Court Interpreters may be found on the website at: www.circuit19.org/court-interpreters. Please notify the judicial assistant if interpreting services are needed when coordinating hearings. • • Mobile Presentation Station Request/Court Technology: The 70” touch screen display is made available to attorneys appearing before a Judge or Magistrate of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit on a first come- first serve basis. It is the responsibility of the attorney using the device to connect/disconnect the equipment and return it to its original location after use. Reservations must be made a least 5 days in advance of a court hearing, but not more than 3 weeks prior to the hearing. For and A.V Request contact AV-Request@circuit19.org. For technical assistance contact email CourtSupport@circuit19.org or phone number 772-807-4390. REMOTE & VIRTUAL APPEARANCES • Jail Arraignment/Jail Docket: Jail arraignment will start at 9:30 A.M. on on Wednesdays or Friday unless there are scheduling conflicts. Attorneys must appear in-person unless they are granted prior approval to appear via Zoom by emailing the judicial assistant. (See Section C. Remote Appearance below) All inmates will appear via Zoom from the Saint Lucie County Jail unless a request for in-person appearance is submitted to the judicial assistant by noon the day before jail arraignment. Signed plea forms do not need to be submitted prior to jail arraignment, but plea negotiations are expected to be complete and the offer must be conveyed to the Defendant prior to jail arraignment. Counsel will submit completed plea forms to the Court at jail arraignment for any cases that result in a plea. (Exceptions may be made upon request and for good cause shown). Cases with pending warrants will not be set on the jail docket until the warrant is served. Arrests made within five (5) days of a jail arraignment date are set on the following jail arraignment date unless otherwise approved by the Court. • Those appearing by Zoom must be dressed as if they were coming into the courtroom in person and in appropriate surroundings. Zoom appearances are to be conducted in all aspects as if all parties were in the courtroom. When appearing by Zoom, you must mute your microphone until your case is called. Anyone violating these conditions are deemed not in attendance. Zoom appearances are called after in person appearances are conducted. (Need to fix spacing) • • Inmate Transport: It is the attorney’s responsibility to advise the judicial assistant by email if any inmate needs to be transported or appear via Zoom for court at least two (2) business days prior to the court date. COURTESY COPIES • A. Communications with the Judicial Office ............................................................... 1 B. Scheduling Procedures .......................................................................................... 2 C. Remote Appearance ............................................................................................... 6 D. Submission of Orders and Judgments.................................................................... 7 E. Courtesy Copies of Case Law and Other Documents ............................................... 7 F. Emergency and Other Urgent Matters .................................................................... 8 G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings ...................................................................... 8 H. Pretrial Procedures and Conferences ...................................................................... 8 I. Setting Case for Trial ........................................................................................... 10 J. Forms .................................................................................................................. 11 K. Other Division Procedures ................................................................................... 11 • • Deadline for Submissions: Courtesy copies must be delivered to the court no later than two days before any evidentiary proceeding unless otherwise designated by the Court. EXHIBITS & EVIDENCE • Trials: Trials are scheduled Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the designated trial weeks. - Trial Media: All redactions to trial media must be complete no later than the morning of jury selection unless there is good cause as to why the redactions are unable to be made. - Jury Instructions: Proposed jury instructions must be submitted to the Court no later than the morning of trial. The Court will review the proposed jury instructions with counsel at the charge conference after the evidence is closed. Requests for special jury instructions will be addressed at the charge conference. • I. Setting Case for Trial • Procedure: Cases that are set for mini docket are cases that are ready for trial. Cases are scheduled for jury selection from mini docket. Trial position is prioritized by, 1) in-custody Defendants, then, 2) age of the case. Any cases not set for the jury selection date immediately following mini docket are set for another jury selection date or another mini docket depending on the needs of the case. • Notice Period: Jury Selection commences on the Tuesday of each trial week unless otherwise designated by the court. The trial date is determined at jury selection. Trial begins the same week of jury selection unless otherwise approved by the Court. The Court will consider an agreed trial date, so the parties are encouraged to come to an agreement prior to jury selection. • Trials: Trials are scheduled Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the designated trial weeks. - Trial Media: All redactions to trial media must be completed no later than the morning of jury selection unless there is good cause as to why the redactions are unable to be made. - Proposed Jury Instructions: Must be submitted to the Court no later than the morning of trial. The Court will review the proposed jury instructions with counsel at the charge conference after the evidence is closed. Requests for special jury instructions will be addressed at the charge conference. • Inmates: Defense Counsel or the Defendant must provide a change of clothes for their clients to wear during trial. You may contact Court Security to obtain the appropriate form to request that an inmate is dressed out for jury selection and trial. PROPOSED ORDERS • • Format: All proposed orders must be submitted in WORD format. • • Petitions to Expunge/Seal: Petitions to Expunge/Seal must include whether there is an objection from the State in the petition and must be filed in the court file. After the petition is filed in the court file submit the petition, certificate of eligibility, affidavit, and a proposed order in Microsoft Word format to the Court at SLCJudge1@circuit19.org. The Court will not receive a copy of the Petition and other documents unless you submit them to that email address. The case style and case number must be included in the subject line of the email. CONTINUANCES • Docket Call: All defendants are required to be present at docket call unless appearance is waived. Zoom appearance on behalf of counsel and the Defendant is approved on a case by case basis. A written waiver of appearance that complies with Rule 3.180(3) must already be filed in the court file prior to docket call and Zoom appearance approval. If the waiver of appearance is filed within three (3) days of the docket call counsel must come prepared with an already e-filed copy of the waiver to present to the Court. All counsel should make every effort to be ready to resolve a case set for docket call whether through a negotiated plea, open plea to the Court, or announce ready for trial. Only for good cause shown will the Court grant further continuances at docket call. Written motions to continue docket call, with an agreement by the State are the preferred method of continuing a docket call. Inmates are not transported for docekt call unless specifically requested by counsel. You must send an email request to have an inmate transported to the judicial assistant at least two days prior to docket call. See Section C. Remote Appearance for more information regarding Zoom appearance.
A. Communications with the Judicial Office ............................................................... 1 B. Scheduling Procedures .......................................................................................... 2 C. Remote Appearance ............................................................................................... 6 D. Submission of Orders and Judgments.................................................................... 7 E. Courtesy Copies of Case Law and Other Documents ............................................... 7 F. Emergency and Other Urgent Matters .................................................................... 8 G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings ...................................................................... 8 H. Pretrial Procedures and Conferences ...................................................................... 8 I. Setting
Reviewer note: Document sha256: e1e32331347aeff09b5075df8a45658f4f40f4df4ff0df47ccad3fc4d67dd787. One rule per order rather than per topic, so an order's requirements stay together. Published during the completeness pass. | Title normalised 2026-07-26 for readability; the court's own asset name was "19th Cir. — judge-lauren-sweet__L.-Sweet-Judicial-Practices-and-Procedures-Updated-7_1_2025.pdf: published requirements". Only the display title changed — the requirement text, source URL and hash are untouched. Verbatim from the order, captured 2026-07-24; whitespace normalised only. No OCR was used anywhere in this chain. [moved from the text 2026-09-14]
4 verbatim requirements on hearings.
2 verbatim requirements on hearing time in LAUREN N. PEFFER's division.