Judge Hope Tieman Bristol
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Emergency Motion
- 1 copy • As Soon As Possible
Motion
- 1 copy • When Requesting Hearing
Motion, Provider Reports, Home Studies
- At Least 2 Business Days Before Hearing
- Email • At Least 2 Days Before Hearing
Courtesy copies
Court-wide- 1 copy
Adjournments
Court-wideRequest must include
Communication
Chambers
Phone
Chambers
Letter via ECF
Clerk
Document Filing Requirements7 rules
Any motion not agreed upon by the parties must include, at the end, a certification of good faith conferral (or reasonable efforts to confer, identified with specificity) and, where applicable, the issues resolved and those remaining unresolved.
At the end of any motion not agreed upon by the parties, counsel for the moving party shall certify either: (A) that counsel for the movant has conferred with all parties or non-parties who may be affected by the relief sought in the motion in a good faith effort to resolve the issues raised in the motion and has been unable to do so; or (B) that counsel for the movant has made reasonable efforts to confer with all parties or non-parties who may be affected by the relief sought in the motion, which efforts shall be identified with specificity in the statement, [2] but has been unable to reach the other parties or non-parties whose input is necessary. If certain of the issues have been resolved by agreement, the certification shall specify the issues so resolved and the issues remaining unresolved.
Document Type
Motion
Proposed agreed orders must include a copy of the underlying motion/agreement/petition, except that an Agreed Order Extending the Goal Date requires no accompanying motion when all parties agree to the extension.
When submitting such proposed orders, please include of the following a copy of the motion/ agreement/ petition [3]. The only exception that a motion be filed with any agreed order is an Agreed Order Extending the Goal Date. If all parties agree to extending a goal date, submission of a motion to accompany such an Agreed Order is unnecessary.
Document Type
Agreed Order
The cover letter accompanying an emergency motion must state that emergency hearing is requested, or the matter will not receive expedited consideration.
The cover letter must note that the matter is requested to be heard on an emergency basis or it will not receive expedited consideration and review.
Document Type
Cover Letter
Before submitting an 'Agreed' order, the preparing office must provide an advance copy to the opposing side and confirm there is no objection to the form of the order.
Before submitting an order to the court as 'Agreed,' the office preparing the agreed order must provide an advance copy to the opposing side and confirm there is no objection to the form of the order prior to submitting it to the Judge.
Document Type
Agreed Order
Agreed order submissions must notify the judge that the opposing side agrees to the order and/or has no objection, indicated in the order's title and/or the accompanying cover letter.
When submitting such an order, notification shall be given to the judge that the opposing side either agrees to the order and/ or has no objection/position to the relief being ordered. Such agreement can be indicated in either the title of the order and/ or the cover letter accompanying the submission.
Document Type
Agreed Order
Emergency motions must be verified and include a certification that the motion is an emergency and that the filing lawyer or party is acting in good faith.
The emergency motion should be verified and include a certification by the lawyer or party filing such motion that the motion is an emergency and that the lawyer or party is acting in good faith in seeking such relief. [5]
Document Type
Emergency Motion
A copy of the motion must be provided to the Judge with a cover letter or email stating how much hearing time is needed and whether evidence (testimony) will need to be considered.
However, the mere filing of a motion with the Clerk's Office does not bring the matter before the Judge. A copy must be provided to the Judge with a cover letter or email explaining how much time is necessary for the matter to be heard. The letter should also include information regarding whether evidence (i.e. – testimony) will need to be considered at the time of the hearing.
Document Type
Cover Letter
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
All motions must be e-filed through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal before any materials, including courtesy copies and/or agreed orders, are provided to the Court.
All motions must be filed with the Clerk of Court via the Efiling Portal [1] before any materials, including courtesy copies and/or agreed orders, are provided to the Court.
Page 1 | MOTIONS
Parties must file their own documents with the Clerk of Court; the Court will not file on a party's behalf.
The Court will not file something with the Clerk of Court on a party's behalf.
Page 1 | MOTIONS
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Courtesy copies of any materials (including motions, provider reports, and home studies) to be considered at a hearing must be filed at least 2 business days before the hearing.
While the Court makes every effort to review all filings prior to hearings, courtesy copies of any materials including, but not limited to, motions, provider reports, and home studies, that are to be considered by the Court at a hearing, must be filed at least 2 business days before the hearing.
Page 1 | SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS TO THE COURT
To set a hearing, a motion must be filed with the clerk and a courtesy copy delivered to the Judicial Assistant with a cover letter indicating the time needed and whether evidence will be considered, after which the Court will set the hearing.
All hearings are set by the Court, the Judicial Assistant, or the Clerk of Court. If you need to set a hearing, a motion must be filed with the clerk and a courtesy copy delivered to the Judicial Assistant with a cover letter indicating how much time is necessary for the hearing and whether evidence will need to be considered. Upon receipt and review of the motion, a hearing will be set with an appropriate amount of time allotted on the Court's docket.
Page 1 | HEARINGS
A copy of any emergency motion, with a cover letter advising how much time is needed, must be provided to the Court as soon as possible.
If a matter needs to be heard on an EMERGENCY basis, as defined under the 17th Judicial Circuit's definition of an 'Emergency,' [4] a copy of the Emergency Motion along with a cover letter advising how much time is needed must be provided to the Court as soon as possible.
Page 1 | EMERGENCY HEARINGS
Courtesy copies may be emailed to Judge Bristol's chambers, but must be submitted at least 2 days before the hearing in order to be reviewed.
Courtesy copies can also be emailed to Judge Bristol 's chambers and such submissions, in order to be reviewed, must be submitted at least 2 days before the hearing.
Page 1 | SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS TO THE COURT
Filing Bundling Requirements
Double-booking or adding matters onto a pre-scheduled hearing is prohibited at all times unless approved by the Court.
No double-booking or add-on of any hearing is permitted at any time, unless approved by the Court. If a matter is not set on the docket, do not expect it to be heard – even if you are in front of the Court on a case and/or a related matter. If a party tries to have a matter heard that is in addition to that which is already set, there will likely be inadequate time for consideration of all issues and/or the double-booked hearing will delay subsequent hearings for other parties and/or cases. As such, no party shall 'add on' additional matters to a pre-scheduled hearing unless the addition is approved by the Court.
Page 1 | DOUBLE BOOKING/ ADD-ONS
Chambers Communication Rules
Ex parte communications are prohibited; any issue to be considered by the Court must be raised by a motion filed with the Clerk of Court with copies provided to all parties of record.
In addition, the Code of Judicial Conduct also prohibits judges from considering ex-parte (or one-sided) communications. As a result, any issue to be considered by the Court should be in the form of a Motion filed with the Clerk of Court and copies provided to all parties of record.
Page 1 | COMMUNICATION
Correspondence providing motions and cover letters to the Judge must be sent to Judicial Assistant Nadine Turner at NTurner@17th.flcourts.org.
All such correspondence should be sent to the Judge's Judicial Assistant, Nadine Turner at NTurner@17th.flcourts.org.
Page 1 | COMMUNICATION
Judicial Assistants and courtroom staff may not discuss substantive case matters or provide legal advice to parties.
The Code of Judicial Conduct precludes Judicial Assistants and other courtroom staff from speaking to parties about substantive matters in any case. Furthermore, the Judicial Assistant and other court personnel are not legally qualified to provide legal advice to anyone.
Page 1 | COMMUNICATION
Parties must rely on the clerk's online docket rather than calling the Judicial Assistant to determine whether an order has been signed.
Additionally, due to the volume of email received and processed on a daily basis, it is nearly impossible for the Judicial Assistant to recall if an order that was submitted for review/signature has been signed and/or sent out. Motions and accompanying orders are reviewed and processed as quickly as possible and the calls inquiring as to the status of such orders only delay that process. Therefore, please rely on the clerk's on-line docket in lieu of calling the Judicial Assistant to determine if an order has been signed.
Page 1 | REMINDER
Parties must notify Judge Bristol's office of any hearing cancellations as soon as practicable.
In order to maximize the Court's time and insure the Judge's time is used as efficiently as possible to allow all parties as much access to the Court as possible, please notify Judge Bristol's office of any cancellations as soon as practicable.
Page 1 | CANCELLATIONS