AO 2020-005: Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officers — 6th Cir., FL · BenchPath

6th Cir. — AO 2020-005: Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officers

High confidence· verified September 9, 2026Administrative OrdersSixth Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 2020-005, published on the circuit's own year index — sha256-hashed 2026-08-03

Summary

10 verbatim requirements from 6th Circuit Administrative Order 2020-005.

Applies to

Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pinellas/Pasco). Administrative orders change without notice; the court's own order controls. Procedural information only; not legal advice.

Requirement

• The Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officer (Hearing Officer) shall be selected by the Chief Judge. • However, Hearing Officers shall not: i. have the power to hold any person in contempt of court, but shall be permitted to file a verified motion for order of contempt with an appropriate state trial court judge pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.840; ii. hear a case involving an accident resulting in injury or death; iii. hear a criminal traffic offense case or a case involving a civil traffic infraction issued in conjunction with a criminal traffic offense; or iv. have the power to suspend a defendant’s driver’s license pursuant to § 316.655(2), Florida Statutes. • Any Hearing Officer regularly scheduled to preside over a calendar will be an independent contractor and must enter a contract with the Sixth Judicial Circuit before serving as a Hearing Officer. • Hearing Officers shall perform their duties in accordance with Florida Statutes, Rules of Court, the Code of Judicial Conduct, applicable administrative orders, relevant case law, and the terms and conditions of the contract between Hearing Officer and the Sixth Judicial Circuit. • Matters of contempt arising from the Hearing Officers’ calendars shall be heard by the county court judge assigned to the applicable traffic sections. • On the request of a defendant in a Notice of Appearance or in a written plea, a case shall be assigned to the county court judge assigned to the applicable traffic section instead of scheduling the case to be heard by a Hearing Officer. • Appeals from dispositions of the Hearing Officers shall be filed in the circuit court. • The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall schedule the final hearing for any civil traffic infraction, other than those excluded in subparagraph 3.e. above, to an evening calendar. • In the event a civil traffic infraction is issued in conjunction with a criminal traffic offense, the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall calendar said infraction before a Hearing Officer only if the companion criminal action has been disposed of by a judge or by other dispositional filing by the Office of the State Attorney and the civil traffic infraction remains outstanding. • In that event, should the alleged offender file a plea of not guilty to the infraction, the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall calendar the infraction before a Hearing Officer as soon as practicable.

Source of truth

The Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officer (Hearing Officer) shall be selected by the Chief Judge.

Official source: 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index
Source health: Healthy · checked October 4, 2026
Effective date: —
Last verified: September 9, 2026benchpath-reverify-2026-09-08 (custody hash match) | prior: benchpath-6th-close-2026-08-03

Reviewer note: Composed from the court's own bytes during the 6th's ledger close 2026-08-03; scope from the court's numbering convention (PI-/PA-/PA⁄PI) or an exclusive county mention. Verbatim from the order, fetched live 2026-08-03; whitespace normalised only. [moved from the text 2026-09-14] [Corrected 2026-09-26: 1 bulleted sentence had been cut at a semicolon -- a list stem or item published without the rest of its sentence. 1 now reads through the end of the sentence, verbatim from the rule's own source document.]

Criminal Traffic Traffic (Civil Infractions)

Change history

August 6, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
August 5, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
August 4, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 29, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 27, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 25, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.
July 24, 2026Monitor: content changed at 6th Cir. — Administrative Orders index. Review before republishing dependent rules.