Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota) Filing Rules
Official filing rules, court-wide sources, and procedure resources for Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota)
For Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota) filings, start with the official local rules and court-level instructions. Then confirm any division, department, clerk, or assigned-officer procedure that applies to the case.
- Judge Kevin Bruning
Exhibit labels should legibly identify the offering party, distinguish each exhibit, state its entry date if known, and include the case number.
- Judge Megan Leaf
Each summary judgment motion must include a specifically captioned “Statement of Material Facts” section.
- Judge Kennedy Legler
The certificate of service for an order must be completed and include all email addresses to which the order should be sent.
- Court-level rules
Plaintiffs must include the Standing Order and Case Management Report in the initial filing and serve copies on all defendants with the initial process.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Do not submit a proposed order until all parties have had a meaningful opportunity to review it.
- Judge Maria Ruhl
Copy all parties on every written communication with the judicial assistant, including email.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Confine arguments to letters, motions, memoranda, or legal documents attached to the email.
- Judge Danielle Brewer
For a hearing requiring transport of a client in custody, email the Judicial Assistant at least two days before the hearing.
- Judge D. Ryan Felix
A pro se defendant seeking motion hearing time must email a copy of the motion to the Judicial Assistant and request available timeslots.
- Judge Kennedy Legler
Emails to Family Division 4 must comply with all court-contact rules, including rules governing ex parte communications.
- Judge Donna Marie Padar
A departure request may be filed at sentencing if the State already knows of the request and no continuance is needed to secure rebuttal witnesses.
- Judge Kaylin Humerickhouse
The Court recommends filing initial witness and exhibit lists 15 days before the pre-trial conference in jury cases or the trial period in nonjury cases.
- Judge Melissa Gould
For a plea in absentia, file the appropriate forms with the Clerk three business days before the hearing and do not send them to the Judicial Assistant.
- Court-level rules
The Plaintiff must file the signed, completed Case Management Report within five days after the first meet-and-confer conference.
- Judge Jacqueline B. Steele
A party seeking pretrial redaction of an exhibit portion must make the request to opposing counsel at least five business days before trial.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Except for the listed orders, clerks may establish protocols to reject and return unsigned orders e-filed without proper Portal submission as Proposed Documents.
- Court-level rules
Effective May 2, 2022, attorneys must submit proposed orders through the Portal whenever feasible unless good cause is shown; the requirement excludes paper proposed orders provided to a judge during a proceeding.
- Judge Charles E. Williams
E-filing proposed orders with the Clerk is prohibited in Probate and Guardianship cases except for specified orders that must be e-filed.
- Judge Kevin Bruning
Selecting the Portal’s Emergency Filing button does not make a filing an emergency; send a copy directly to the Court for consideration.
- Judge Diana Moreland
E-filing proposed orders with the Clerk of Circuit Court in Probate cases is prohibited, subject to the separately identified Clerk-audit procedures.
- Judge Maria Ruhl
Unless otherwise instructed, judicial reviews, dependency docket soundings, and non-evidentiary dependency hearings under 30 minutes will remain remote.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Ancillary documents related to a proposed order may be attached to the cover letter in PDF/A format.
- Judge Kennedy Legler
Do not date a proposed order; leave room for the judge’s electronic signature.
- Judge Danielle Brewer
When electronic evidence cannot be converted to paper, place all such files on a single thumb drive when possible.
- Judge Edward Nicholas
Ancillary documents related to a proposed order may be attached to the cover letter in PDF/A format.
- Judge Kennedy Legler
A hearing must be set for an unagreed or objected-to motion, and packets should not be sent to the Court before the hearing is set.
- Judge Maria Ruhl
Provide courtesy copies of all agreed and disputed evidentiary exhibits to all parties and the Court at least three days before the hearing.
- Judge Danielle Brewer
Do not email these materials to the Court.
- Judge Don T. Hall
Notices and motions totaling fewer than 15 pages may be emailed to Anita.
- Judge Hunter W. Carroll
Unless the Court instructs you otherwise, please provide the Court’s Judicial Assistant three paper sets of all evidence at least two business days before the hearing/trial.
- Court-level rules
When time is of the essence, copies of court submissions should be provided to opposing counsel simultaneously by substantially the same delivery method used for the court.
- Judge Frederick P. Mercurio
A request to redact an exhibit must be made to opposing counsel at least five business days before trial; if the parties cannot stipulate, a motion must be filed and scheduled for hearing before trial.
- Judge Hunter W. Carroll
The withdrawing attorney and law firm must immediately serve the Order and file a certificate identifying everyone served and their service information.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Copy all parties when sending a proposed final judgment for court review.
- Judge Matt Whyte
A self-represented party must serve and receive documents by email unless excused by the Court under the cited rule.
- Court-level rules
Attorneys should endeavor to give affected persons sufficient notice of proceedings, with expedited scheduling permitted by agreement, emergency, or other compelling circumstances.
- Judge Donna Marie Padar
Only the Court may cancel extended hearing time.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Successive trial continuances are highly disfavored.
- Judge Kennedy Legler
After a case is placed on the trial docket, the Court must approve any stipulation to continue the trial.
- Judge Thomas Krug
Written trial-continuance motions and stipulations must bear both litigant and attorney signatures and explain the reasons; witness unavailability requests must state when the witness is expected to be available.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
The court, not a party, schedules the hearing on exceptions.
- Judge Donna Marie Padar
No oral or written motions, including motions to continue, will be heard at docket sounding.
- Judge Danielle Brewer
Do not add or cross-notice another motion to a scheduled motion without prior approval from opposing counsel and the Court.
- Judge Kevin Bruning
The Court may waive mediation after a verified motion and hearing based on hardship, emergency, or a history of domestic violence that would compromise mediation.
- Court-level rules
Before setting a motion for hearing, an attorney should make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue with opposing counsel.
- Judge Charles Sniffen
Submit motions and proposed orders as separate Portal documents; combined motion-and-order documents are prohibited.
- Court-level rules
Motions and proposed orders must be submitted as separate Portal documents and may not be combined in one document.
- Judge Stephen Walker
After a motion is scheduled, subsequent motions may not be cross-noticed without prior approval from opposing counsel and the Court.
- Judge Thomas Krug
Do not submit two orders for the same case at the same time through the ePortal because one or both may be erased.
- Judge Diana Moreland
Email all Ex Parte hearing documents together in one PDF attachment by noon on the business day immediately before the hearing.
- Judge Thomas Krug
Parties determined indigent by the Clerk under Florida guidelines are not required to pay a mediation fee.
- Court-level rules
The mediation fee is $60 per person per scheduled session when the parties’ combined gross annual income is less than $50,000.
- Judge Megan Leaf
A defendant unable to pay the total when the plea in absentia is entered may elect a Clerk payment plan and must set it up within six months after disposition; the Clerk charges $25 to establish the plan and $5 with each payment.