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12 verbatim requirements from admin. order AO 2.33 - Procedure for Determining Compensation for Court-Appointed Counsel in Excess of Flat Fee Rates Established by the Florida Legislature, effective February 11, 2025 [Judicial].
20th Judicial Circuit. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Verbatim from https://www.ca.cjis20.org/pdf/ao/ao_2_33_8amended.pdf, harvested 2026-07-25; whitespace normalised only. • WHEREAS , in 2007, th e Florida Legislature amended Florida Statute § 27.5304, so as to provide that compensation for court-appointed counsel shall be in accordance with specific flat fee amounts established annually in the General Appropriations Act; and • The original of all motions by court-appointed counsel seeking compensation in excess of the established flat fee shall be filed in the underlying case with the respecti ve Clerk of • Court of the county in which the case is pending, and counsel shall be responsible for providing a courtesy copy of the motion. accompanied by a cover letter. to the Chief Judge, to the appropriate designee. as described below, and to the Administrative Office of the Court s, attn. • Stat.§ 27.5304(12), prior to filing any motion seeking compensation in excess of the established flat fee, counsel must deli ver a copy of the intended billing, together with supporting affidavits and a ll other necessary d oc umentation to the Justice • Administrative Order 2 .33 2 -- 2 of 5 -- objects to any portion of the billing or the sufficiency of doc umentation, and shall attach the • Court by the Legislature· s decision to limit multi-county circuits to the use of only two designees, and, finaJl y, acknowledging the expense and inconvenience upon counsel an d witnesses who must travel from Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties to ap p ear before the de signees in Lee County and Collier County, upon m ot io n. th e designees in Lee County and • However, to the extent that evidence or testimony may be presented, counsel shall be responsible fo r en suring that it is pre se nted appropriately and in accordance wi th the rules of evidence. even if that requires an appearance from a remote location in the presence of a person wi th the authority to administer the proper oath, or a personal appearance in Lee County or Collier Count y. • In a criminal case, as per statute, relief may not be granted if the nwnber of work hours does not exceed seventy-five (75) or the number of the state's witnesses deposed does not exceed twenty (20). • However, the percentage may be only the rate necessary to ensure that the fees paid are not confiscatory under common law , and may not exceed 200 percent of the es ta bl ished flat fee. absent a specific finding that 200 percent of the flat fee in the case would be confiscatory. • If the designated judge determines that 200 percent of the flat fee would be confiscatory, the judge is to order the amount of compensation using an hourly rate not to exceed $75.00 per hour for a noncapital case and $ 100.00 per hour for a capital case. • To the extent that any provision of this Administrative Order may be construed as being in conflict with any law , s tatute, or rule, the law. statute. or rule shall prevai l. • The amendment to paragraph 2.a of this Administrative Order shall be effective upon signing, even as it relates to motions which may have been filed prior to execution.
WHEREAS , in 2007, th e Florida Legislature amended Florida Statute § 27.5304, so as to provide that compensation for court-appointed counsel shall be in accordance with specific flat fee amounts established annually in the General Appropriations Act; and
Reviewer note: Order PDF sha256: d41f927e7df4bdead9ecc6f83c64536cd8ef8754c14e71f3004ccdb7eb2e9115. Extracted from the order's own text layer.
Judge Bell caps motions and responses at 5 pages for UMC hearings and 12 pages for special-set hearings.
Judge Alijewicz requires every motion for attorney's fees and/or costs to attach a document detailing time records — no records, no fee award.
Judge Corlew bars informal contact: every communication with the Court must be in writing, filed with the Clerk, with copies furnished to all parties — and no calls to the JA to schedule or cancel UMC.