Judge Danielle Brewer
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
Limits & Logistics
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
- Three Business Days Before Hearing
Exhibits
- 2 copies
Proposed Order, Letter
Communication
Chambers
Document Format Requirements7 rules
All proposed orders must be submitted through the Portal and submitted in Word format only.
Cover letters: PDF/A format only
- File type
- PDF/A
- Letter
If the document is to be recorded (e.g., judgment), there must be a blank space measuring 3 inches by 3 inches at the top right for Clerk’s recording stamp.
Attachments to orders: PDF/A format only
- File type
- PDF/A
- Proposed order
The Clerk’s office requires evidence admitted during an evidentiary hearing to be in paper format without leave of court.
- File type
- Paper
If you have electronic evidence that cannot be converted into paper format — e.g., video files — please place all such files onto a single thumb drive when possible.
Wherever possible, please convert your electronic evidence into paper format and introduce the paper copy.
- File type
- Paper
Document Filing Requirements13 rules
The stipulation must be completely filled out and contain the Defendant’s signature.
The Court will reject proposed orders seeking to put this burden on the Court or the Court's staff.
If the parties stipulate to a trial date, they must use the approved Stipulation for Trial Date.
Defendants’ in-person appearance at docket sounding is mandatory unless excused by the Court.
Judge Brewer expects that you will only submit a proposed order when all attorneys or parties agree on its form.
Score sheets must be completed in full (or to the extent possible on an open plea) so that, at most, only the judge’s signature will be required.
All proposed orders must be accompanied by a cover letter in PDF/A format.
Defendants must attend case management unless excused by the Court or they personally sign a waiver of appearance.
Court's wording
The presence of defendants at Case Management is mandatory unless excused by the Court or Defendant has personally signed a Waiver of Appearance at case management per the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure and case law.
Please do not include a directive such as “hold this proposed order for x days for an objection to be lodged.”
Attorneys and Defendants are expected to appear “in person” in the courtroom.
If opposing counsel does not respond within a reasonable time, you may email the proposed order with a concise statement identifying the specific steps you took to obtain an agreement to the Judicial Assistant.
Unless the Court directs otherwise, the State should mark their exhibits ahead of time as “State 1, 2, 3, etc.,” and the Defense/Defendant should mark their exhibits ahead of time as “Defense A, B, C, etc.”
Proceedings are held in person, but expert-witness testimony may be remote by Zoom if the parties agree and submit an agreed order.
Court's wording
All proceedings in front of Judge Brewer are held in person in Courtroom 5B. (See Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, updated January 1, 2017, amended effective July 1, 2024.) This Court permits Zoom expert witness testimony upon agreement of the parties and the submission of an agreed Order.
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Submit all proposed orders through the Portal in Word format only.
All proposed orders must be submitted through the Portal and submitted in Word format only.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Submit any proposed-order attachment through the Portal in PDF/A format at the same time as the proposed order.
Further, any proposed attachment to a proposed order must simultaneously be submitted through the Portal in PDF/A format.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Attorneys and most self-represented litigants must register with the E-Filing Portal to send and receive court documents as required by the cited rule.
Most self-represented litigants (pro se litigants) as well as attorneys must register with the Portal to send and receive court documents as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Filing a Notice of Cancellation with the Clerk or through the e-Filing Portal does not cancel the hearing in JACS.
The filing of a Notice of Cancellation with the Clerk or via the e-Filing Portal does not cancel the hearing on JACS.
Page 1 | Cancellation of Hearings
Alternatively, a proposed order may be mailed with courtesy copies and stamped envelopes or dropped off with Court Administration on the courthouse’s eighth floor.
In the alternative you can mail in the Proposed Order with courtesy copies and stamped envelopes or drop off the Proposed Order on the 8th floor to Court Administration at the Silvertooth Courthouse.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
If the motion is received in the afternoon, the State must respond by noon on the following business day.
If the motion is received in the afternoon, the State shall respond by the following business day by 12:00 pm.
Page 1 | Motions/Orders for Release of Uncharged Defendants
The State must respond by 4:30 p.m. on the day it receives the motion about whether it intends to file an Information, a Notice of Case Action, or has no objection to an ROR order.
The State will have until 4:30 pm of the day a motion was received to respond regarding the State’s intention to file an Information, a Notice of Case Action or no objection to an ROR Order.
Page 1 | Motions/Orders for Release of Uncharged Defendants
For all cases on a trial docket, the negotiated plea cutoff is Friday of the docket-sounding week.
The negotiated plea cut-off date for all cases on a trial docket is the Friday of the docket sounding week.
Page 1 | I. Setting Case for Trial
The Court may extend the negotiated plea cutoff date for extenuating circumstances.
The Court may extend the negotiated plea cut-off date due to extenuating circumstances.
Page 1 | I. Setting Case for Trial
Trial stipulations may be completed and submitted to the Court before case management.
Stipulations for trial may be completed and submitted to the Court in advance of Case Management.
Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Service and Proof of Service Rules
If JACS will not permit cancellation, immediately contact the Judicial Assistant by phone or email, file a Notice of Cancellation, and send it to the Court, parties, and affected non-parties.
If JACS will not authorize a cancellation, the party should immediately: contact the judicial assistant by telephone or email; file a Notice of Cancellation with the Clerk; and send a copy of the Notice to the Court, all parties, and affected non-parties.
Page 1 | Cancellation of Hearings
When filing something with the Clerk or providing the Judge a copy, send a copy to all attorneys or parties at the same time.
Please remember that whenever you file something with the Clerk or provide the Judge a copy, you must send a copy to all the attorneys or parties at the same time.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
Courtesy Copy Requirements
If relevant documents and case law are not in the Court’s file, provide them to the Court no later than three business days before the hearing.
If relevant documents and case law have not been filed in the Court’s file, they are to be provided to the Court no later than three business days prior to the scheduled hearing.
Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies
Unless the Court instructs you otherwise, please provide the Court’s Judicial Assistant two paper sets of all evidence at least two business days before the hearing/trial.
Unless the Court instructs you otherwise, please provide the Court’s Judicial Assistant two paper sets of all evidence at least two business days before the hearing/trial.
Page 1 | G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
The submitting attorney must ensure all parties and attorneys receive courtesy copies of both the proposed order and its cover letter.
The submitting attorney must ensure all parties/attorneys receive a courtesy copy of both the proposed Order and cover letter.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Do not email these materials to the Court.
Please do not email the Court these materials.
Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies are not required when relevant documents have been filed in the Court’s file at least three business days before the hearing.
If the relevant documents have been filed in the Court’s file at least three business days prior to the hearing, the Court does NOT require courtesy copies.
Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Do not add or cross-notice another motion to a scheduled motion without prior approval from opposing counsel and the Court.
Once a motion is scheduled, subsequent motions may not be added or cross-noticed without prior approval by opposing counsel and the Court.
Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures
A different motion may not replace a scheduled motion that is canceled or resolved without prior approval from opposing counsel and the Court.
Once a motion is scheduled, another motion shall not be substituted in the event the original motion is canceled or resolved absent prior approval by opposing counsel and the Court.
Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures
Counsel must comply with trial deadlines and have motions heard before trial.
Counsel must comply with trial deadlines and have motions heard prior to trial.
Page 1 | I. Setting Case for Trial
File a motion before requesting or reserving hearing time for it.
All motions must be filed prior to requesting or reserving hearing time.
Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures
No oral or written motions, including motions to continue, will be heard at docket sounding.
No motions of any kind (oral or written), including motions to continue, will be heard at docket sounding.
Page 1 | I. Setting Case for Trial
If the Judicial Assistant does not receive the State Attorney’s response by the deadline, a hearing will be set on the next available hearing date.
If the JA does not receive a response from the State Attorney by the specified deadline, a hearing will be set on the next available hearing date.
Page 1 | Motions/Orders for Release of Uncharged Defendants
The Court will select the trial date if the parties cannot agree.
If the parties cannot agree on a trial date, the Court will select one.
Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Chambers Communication Rules
For a hearing requiring transport of a client in custody, email the Judicial Assistant at least two days before the hearing.
If you have a client that is in custody that will need to be transported for any Court hearing, you must email the JA 2 days prior to the scheduled hearing or your client will not be transported.
Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures
Attorneys must request and schedule interpreter services at least five business days in advance.
Due to the limited number of on-site and contractual court interpreters, attorneys must request and schedule interpreter services at least five business days in advance.
Page 1 | K. Other Division Procedures
An email is not a motion; a party seeking action from the Judge must file a motion.
Emails are not motions: The Court will not consider an email to be a motion. If any party wants Judge Brewer to take action, the party must file a motion.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
After conferring with opposing counsel about the time needed, email the Judicial Assistant the motion and make a courtesy call for an emergency hearing request.
After conferring with opposing counsel on amount of time needed for emergency hearing time, an email and a copy of the motion should be emailed to the JA with a courtesy call.
Page 1 | F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
Email motions to release uncharged defendants to the Court and the assigned Assistant State Attorney.
Motions to release uncharged defendants must be emailed to the Court and the assigned Assistant State Attorney.
Page 1 | Motions/Orders for Release of Uncharged Defendants
Do not call the Judge to discuss your case; the Judge may not discuss it with you outside the courtroom.
The Judge may not talk to you about your case outside of the courtroom, so please do not call to speak with the Judge.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
If the parties disagree about the form of a proposed order, the proposed order may be emailed to the Judicial Assistant in red-line form.
If there is a disagreement on the form, you may email the proposed order, in red-line form, to the Judicial Assistant.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders
Do not copy the Judicial Assistant on scheduling emails exchanged between attorneys and parties.
The Judicial Assistant’s email should not be copied with scheduling emails between attorneys and parties.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
Please do not call and leave a voicemail of a cancellation, instead email the Judicial Assistant a courtesy copy of the filed Notice of Cancellation and copy all parties.
Please do not call and leave a voicemail of a cancellation, instead email the Judicial Assistant a courtesy copy of the filed Notice of Cancellation and copy all parties.
Page 1 | Cancellation of Hearings
Schedule requests for hearing time exceeding one hour with the Judicial Assistant.
All requests for hearing time over one hour must be scheduled with the Judicial Assistant.
Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures
Use email only for basic information and sending documents, not to state a position, argue, or persuade the Court on substantive or procedural matters.
Email is strictly a method of communicating basic information and sending documents and is not a medium to state a position, make an argument, or attempt to persuade the Court on a substantive or procedural matter.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
The Judicial Assistant may help schedule hearings but cannot provide case assistance, communicate for you, relay messages to the Judge, or provide hearing outcomes or order-signing status.
Judge Brewer’s Judicial Assistant can help you schedule a hearing. The Judicial Assistant may not help you with your case or send information to the other party or attorney for you. The Judicial Assistant may not “give the Judge a message.” Please do not ask the Judicial Assistant for the outcome of a hearing or verify that an order has been signed; you may review the Sarasota County Clerk’s website for details about your case.
Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court
Contact the Judicial Assistant for delivery of a capias.
Capias: Please contact the JA for delivery.
Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders