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13 verbatim requirements extracted from media-13455__1-2025-Judge-Wallaces-Office-Office-Procedures.pdf, across 4 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 • Please do not ask the Judicial Assistant or other Court personnel to communicate any message to the Judge. This is prohibited ex-parte communication. The Court’s staff is not permitted to relay ex-parte information to the Judge. The Code of Judicial Conduct governing behavior by Judges forbids the Judge to discuss pending cases with the public. Please do not call the Court expecting to speak with a Judge about any case. The Court is only allowed to consider arguments made in the courtroom and in documents properly filed by actual parties in the case as authorized by law and the Rules of Court. Unless otherwise specifically directed by the Court, communication with chambers on case -related matters is limited to scheduling hearings and related issues. If the Court has directed the parties to send an email to chambers, please indicate in the email exactly what direction was given and when. All communications must be via email to JA Karen Harris at harrisk@circuit19.org, with all parties copied and otherwise in accord with the instructions on setting hearings set forth below. The Court does not accept ex parte communications via email or by telephone. The Judicial Assistant will direct anyone who contacts chambers ex parte to send an email with all parties copied. All substantive issues are handled by the Court via motion. Please file a motion and do not contact the judicial assistant about any substantive matters. E-mails • COMPLIANCE WITH AO 2021 -05 MANDATORY/CIVIL CASE MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION: Please see Administrative Order 2021 -05 which is available on this website; compliance is required. Pursuant to Florida Supreme Court AOSC20-23, Amendment 12, ALL parties MUST comply with Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Admin. Order 2021 -06, by timely filing a Civil Case Management Plan and Order. The parties must comply with the Civil Case Management Plan and Order, until superseded by subsequent Court Order. A WORD version of the Civil Case Management Plan and Order can be found on the Judge’s webpage. Small Claims Pre-Trials All Pre-Trial Conferences are conducted in person. Cases must go to Mediation and Mediators are provided. If not resolved, the case will be set for Trial. Please read Pre-Trial Procedures above. Scheduling Hearings • All Hearings must be coordinated with the Judge’s Judicial Assistant. Please e- mail the Judicial Assistant at harrisk@circuit19.org or call (863) 763-3193. DO NOT use the online calendar system to schedule any Hearing – you must get hearing time from the Judicial Assistant or directly from the Judge in Court. • Hearings must be cleared with opposing counsel and/or Pro Se parties. Good faith cooperation is expected and required from counsel, their support staff, and Pro Se litigants. Notice of the hearing must be provided at least five (5) working days prior to the hearing. • Hearings may not be specifically set until the Motion and Notice of Hearing are filed . Please be advised that Court Interpreters and/or Court Reporters are not provided on civil cases. Settlements, Cancellations and Telephonic Hearings • Cancellation of any Hearing must be done by filing or e-filing a Notice of Cancellation of Hearing in advance of the hearing date and by sending a courtesy copy of your Notice to the Judicial Assistant via e-mail, once you have e-filed same. • Telephonic and Zoom hearings are permitted upon Court approval. A Motion and proposed Order is necessary. A toll-free number is needed for non-local calls. Persons electing to make a telephonic appearance must notify all parties in writing no less than five (5) business days prior to the scheduled hearing date. • If an emergency arises, counsel may request that a H earing be set on short notice. The body of the Motion must contain a detailed explanation of the circumstances constituting the emergency as well as the substance of the Motion . The Motion must be e-mailed to the Court at harrisk@circuit19.org before a hearing will be set. The Court will review the Motion and, if it is determined an emergency exists, the Judicial Assistant will contact counsel to set the hearing. In light of the short setting, opposing counsel may attend the hearing via Zoom or telephonic appearance if their schedule will not allow them to appear in person. Landlord/Tenant Cases The parties are asked to become familiar with the Landlord/Tenant process. Plaintiff(s) are required to provide two self- addressed stamped envelopes for each party upon the filing of the Complaint for Eviction. The Court may set a case after a review of any documents or when the Court decides it is necessary. • If a case is set for a Motion , Docket Call/Case Management Conference, or Trial and you desire a Continuance (for good reason), you must contact the opposing party and determine if they will stipulate to a continuance. If there is a stipulation, please submit a stipulated Motion and proposed Order no less than three (3) business days prior to the scheduled hearing date. If there is no stipulation, file the Motion and contact the Court for a hearing date and time, just as with any other Motion. Any such Motion must be filed as soon as you are aware of the need for a continuance. If an emergency occurs, contact the other party and the Court as soon as possible to resolve such an issue. The Court will regulate continuances, if the case is being unreasonably delayed. Any party may request a continuance of the case in open court, if necessary. Civil Traffic Please follow all instructions on the Citation. Any request for extension, traffic school, Court date, etc. should be filed with the Clerk of Court first. Be sure to include case name, case number and subject matter. If you are looking for a continuance, please provide a detailed explanation as to the request. The Court will regulate continuances, if the case is being unreasonably delayed. Probate CONTINUANCES • Docket Sounding: All Defendants are required to be present unless counsel appears on their behalf to request a continuance and waive speedy Trial. The Court will grant Unopposed Motions for continuances with a waiver of speedy Trial at the Docket Sounding. • Only for good cause shown, will the Court grant further continuances at the Jury Docket Call. Defense Counsel, both private and Public Defender, shall inform their clients prior to the Jury Docket Call that if their case is announced that “it is ready for trial”, all plea offers are withdrawn. PROPOSED ORDERS • All original pleadings, letters, requests, etc., must be filed with the Clerk of Court and a copy must be furnished to the opposing party. Please make sure your case number, phone number, correct address and/or e-mail are included in the event the Judicial Assistant may need to contact you regarding your case. Please DO NOT send original documents to the Judge's Chambers unless instructed. All parties on e-service may forward proposed Orders and provide copies to the opposing party. Please be sure to list all address and e-mail addresses. Please do not put “cc: all counsel of record or parties of record” and do not leave it blank. If any party is Pro Se , any proposed Order /Final Judgment must be mailed in with self -addressed stamped envelopes and copies for conforming. Proposed Orders, Agreed Orders, or Stipulations shall contain addresses. FILING & INITIATION • Trials may be set directly by the Judge in Court or by the Judicial Assistant upon request. A Pretrial Order will be sent to both parties regarding Mediation and uniform pretrial procedures. Should the case settle prior to the Trial date, please notify the Court by emailing harrisk@circuit19.org. A written confirmation of the settlement agreement must be filed/uploaded with the Court with a copy to opposing party. PLEASE REMEMBER: ALL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT MUST BE IN WRITING , filed with the Clerk and copied to all parties in the lawsuit. Be sure to include the case number, case name, and your telephone number, the reason for said correspondence or documents being sent and, if the case is scheduled for a H earing or Trial, include the date and time. Otherwise, we will be unable to process your request. Misdemeanor Cases and Criminal Traffic
Please do not ask the Judicial Assistant or other Court personnel to communicate any message to the Judge. This is prohibited ex-parte communication. The Court’s staff is not permitted to relay ex-parte information to the Judge. The Code of Judicial Conduct governing behavior by Judges forbids the Judge to discuss pending cases with the public. Please do not call the Court expecting to speak with a Judge about any case. The Court is only allowed to consider arguments made in the courtroom and in documents properly filed by actual parties in the case as authorized by law and the Rules of Court. Unless otherwise specifically directed by the Court, communication with chambers on case -related matters is limited to scheduling hearings and related issues. If the Court has directed the parties to send an email to chambers, please indicate in the email exactly what direction was given and when.
Reviewer note: Document sha256: b3d74e0b02ba1e2f8023fdd780e85872b9f828086a990ecb69599855e7017cc3. 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. — media-13455__1-2025-Judge-Wallaces-Office-Office-Procedures.pdf: published requirements". Only the display title changed — the requirement text, source URL and hash are untouched. Text layer cleaned 2026-09-08 (Phase 3g): 4 kerning-split words rejoined; wording 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.