Court Rules

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 99 rules apply across Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Broward County. Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Filing Requirements

All 31
  • Applies to
    Motion
    Must include
    case number

    Motions must state the facts with specificity, list all of the defendant's cases, the charges for each case, and the legal reason for custody; boilerplate motions are not allowed.

  • Applies to
    Motion
    Must include
    case number

    A separate motion must be filed for each individual case number, including the new law charge and VOP case numbers.

  • Applies to
    Motion
    Must include
    certificate of conference

    Counsel must certify a good-faith attempt to resolve the issue with opposing counsel; if contact was unsuccessful, counsel must certify at least three contact attempts plus a follow-up email.

Communication

All 13
  • Contact
    Phone to chambers

    Counsel must contact the Division Judge's judicial assistant to be placed on an in-custody docket and must provide a working phone number and email address.

  • Contact
    Phone to chambers

    When setting a hearing, counsel must give the Division Judge's judicial assistant a good-faith estimate of the anticipated hearing length.

  • Contact
    Email to chambers

    Out-of-jurisdiction bond and change-of-plea matters are heard by Judge Andrew Siegel and must be set through Sabrina Albert at Salbert@17th.flcourts.org.

E-Filing

All 11
  • Applies to
    Motion

    A copy of the motion must be e-filed with the Clerk's office.

  • Applies to
    Notice of change of plea

    The notice of change of plea must be e-filed with the Clerk's office.

  • Applies to
    Motion

    For motions seeking to exceed page limits, proposed orders may be uploaded to CMS, the motion must be uploaded as a supporting document, and no hearing is required.

Formatting

All 9
  • Margins
    top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

    All motions and responses must be double-spaced with at least one-inch margins and a font size of at least 12 points.

  • Format
    PDF

    PDF submissions containing more than one item must be bookmarked.

  • Uploaded orders must not duplicate header and footer content because CMS inserts that content automatically.

About Judge Barbara R. Duffy

Judge Barbara R. Duffy serves on the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, which handles circuit and county court matters for Broward County.

Practitioners will find this judge's published procedures in the document titled 'division-fd'.

Common questions about Judge Barbara R. Duffy's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for motions. Details: delivery at least 48 hours prior to hearing. Courtesy copies of all motions must be provided to the Judge and opposing counsel at least 48 hours prior to the hearing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Pre-Trial Motions/Courtesy Copies

Does Judge Barbara R. Duffy require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge Barbara R. Duffy's rules set a pre-motion procedure for covered motions. Calendar Call is limited to trial readiness and negotiated pleas; no other substantive motions or requests will be heard at Calendar Call without specific permission from the Court.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Trials

What must be included with notice of hearing filings before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. The attorney who sets a hearing must file a Notice of Hearing; without one the Court may not hear the matter unless the opposing party waives the notice requirement.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Scheduling

What must be included with motion to withdraw filings before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

The rule requires certificate of service. Motions to Withdraw must include a certificate of service to the Defendant, and the Court will not hear the motion if the Defendant is absent and proper notice was not provided.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Motions/Courtesy Copies

How may parties contact Judge Barbara R. Duffy's chambers?

The rule addresses email communications with Judge Barbara R. Duffy's chambers. All parties must be copied on any communication with the Judge's Office; ex parte communications are not accepted.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Scheduling

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance when this rule applies before Judge Barbara R. Duffy. Continuance requests must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant at least 48 hours before the hearing date.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Written Requests for Continuance

Is electronic filing required before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Effective 10/1/25, all orders must be sent through CMS with the motion attached as a supporting document or the order will be rejected.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Division FD Policies and Procedures

When is a filing treated as filed before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. Motions must be filed with the Clerk of Courts and provided to the Court before a hearing is set.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Motions/Courtesy Copies

What rule applies to serving the opposing party before Judge Barbara R. Duffy?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: the opposing party. Motions require proper notice to opposing counsel and must be set for a hearing; they may not be noticed for Calendar Call.

View ruleSource: page 1, section Pre-Trial Motions/Courtesy Copies
Complete rules summary for Judge Barbara R. Duffy

Effective 10/1/25, all orders must be sent through CMS with the motion attached as a supporting document or the order will be rejected.

Hearings not accommodated in court are scheduled by calling Judicial Assistant Kami Rubin at 954.831.5540, with the total time needed for both sides in mind.

Hearings expected to last more than 30 minutes must be set by contacting the Judicial Assistant.

The attorney who sets a hearing must file a Notice of Hearing; without one the Court may not hear the matter unless the opposing party waives the notice requirement.

Motions must be filed with the Clerk of Courts and provided to the Court before a hearing is set.

Witness and exhibit lists for evidentiary hearings must be filed and exchanged no later than 5 business days before the hearing, or unlisted witnesses/exhibits may be stricken.

Hearing cancellations must be requested in writing to the Judicial Assistant at least 2 days before the hearing.

All parties must be copied on any communication with the Judge's Office; ex parte communications are not accepted.

Calendar Call is limited to trial readiness and negotiated pleas; no other substantive motions or requests will be heard at Calendar Call without specific permission from the Court.

All motions must be filed in writing.

Courtesy copies of all motions must be provided to the Judge and opposing counsel at least 48 hours prior to the hearing.

Motions require proper notice to opposing counsel and must be set for a hearing; they may not be noticed for Calendar Call.

Continuance requests must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant at least 48 hours before the hearing date.

Continuance motions must be filed through CMS, and once a continuance date is provided the updated order must be filed in CMS with the supporting documentation.

When a written continuance is granted, the attorney is responsible for providing notice to the Defendant.

A Waiver of Appearance is valid for 6 months, after which it must be resubmitted as a new form or the Defendant must appear in court.

Motions may be submitted to the Court via email in addition to being filed with the Clerk of Courts.

Motions to Withdraw must include a certificate of service to the Defendant, and the Court will not hear the motion if the Defendant is absent and proper notice was not provided.

The Notice of Hearing on a Motion to Withdraw must also include a certificate of service to the Defendant.

Agreed motions must contain a motion indicating the parties' agreement, and they need not be scheduled for hearing unless the Court determines it necessary.

Orders submitted on agreed motions must contain the language "Agreed Order" in the heading.

Agreed motions must be filed via CMS as a supporting document with the Agreed Order or the order will be rejected.

Orders not requiring findings of law or fact are completed by the party seeking relief, while orders requiring factual findings or legal interpretations are prepared by the Court.

All orders must be filed through CMS with all supporting documentation or they will be rejected.

Pro se defendants must follow all Florida law, Rules of Procedure, and division policies, but the Court will make accommodations where the pro se litigant has a valid basis for being unable to comply.

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