Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties Filing Rules

The nonmovant may also assert additional material facts in its Statement of Material Facts that it contends defeat summary judgment.

Plaintiff’s expert-witness disclosure must contain the specified identifying, expertise, opinion, supporting, and deposition-availability information.

A summary judgment motion must be filed with a statement of material facts under the attached Modified Rule 56.1.

Emails to the judicial assistant must include the case name and case number in the subject line.

A hearing-time request email must use the Bay County case number and case style as its subject line.

Communications to the judicial office must be sent by e-mail to the judicial assistant.

Notify the judicial assistant when a trial-set case settles or is dismissed even if related matters remain, but wait until the agreement or release language is agreed upon if the settlement is contingent on that agreement.

After the response is filed, movant’s counsel must contact the judicial assistant, report that the motion and response were filed, and provide copies of both.

Do not call the judge’s office to request a hearing time.

Before opening statements, the parties must communicate with the trial clerk to coordinate exhibit marking, organization, and handling.

Plaintiff must serve and file expert disclosures no later than 130 days before trial.

A party seeking complex-case designation must promptly file a motion after good cause appears.

Civil actions, except those covered by Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.200(a), must be assigned a case management track within 120 days after filing.

Except for actions enumerated in Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.200(a), each civil action must be assigned a case management track within 120 days after filing.

Do not file a notice of hearing until the judicial assistant has sent the confirmation email.

Discovery requiring an adverse party’s response must be served early enough for the response to be due before the applicable deadline.

Motions must be filed with the Clerk and served on all parties or counsel of record.

ALL motions for summary judgment must be filed and served no later than 60 days before the trial to allow sufficient time for consideration by the Court.

A signed order will be served through the e-portal on all counsel and parties registered for service there.

Attorneys and self-represented litigants must serve and receive service by email, generally through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, unless excused.

Proposed orders must use DJMCA format.

The cover letter accompanying a proposed order must be in PDF format.

All proposed orders must include a cover letter in .pdf format.

The cover letter accompanying a proposed order must be in PDF format.

Counsel and parties attending a hearing must appear by video unless video is impossible.

Proposed orders must be submitted through the e-filing portal.

Proposed orders must be submitted through the e-filing portal.

All proposed orders must be submitted via the 14th Judicial Circuit’s e-filing portal.

Proposed orders must be submitted electronically through the 14th Judicial Circuit’s e-filing portal.

Proposed orders must be submitted through the 14th Judicial Circuit’s e-filing portal.

Extensions or modifications of deadlines in case management orders that were in effect before January 1, 2025, are governed by amended Rule 1.200.

An inability to obtain a hearing date within the expected period generally is not grounds to extend deadlines or continue trial.

A hearing set unilaterally by the Court cannot be canceled without a Court order.

Submit a continuance motion at least three business days before the scheduled court date, absent exigent circumstances, and have the requesting party sign it unless good cause is shown.

A hearing unilaterally set by the Court may not be canceled without a Court order.

Before filing most motions, the movant must make a good-faith attempt to resolve the issues; if there is no response to an email or initial phone call, the movant must call at least twice before certifying the attempt, subject to stated exceptions.

Movants and nonmovants must satisfy the Pre-Hearing Meeting Requirement and file a Pre-Summary Judgment Hearing Stipulation before the hearing.

When the parties stipulate to a decision without a hearing, the motion and response follow the stated briefing sequence, with the non-movant’s response due within 10 days.

Before filing a motion, the movant generally must confer in good faith with opposing counsel by substantive in-person or telephone conversation, subject to stated exceptions, and meet the certificate requirements.

For cross-motions for summary judgment, the Court may order consolidated fact statements and responses, and the parties may jointly seek an order for consolidated statements before filing their motions.

Email the judicial assistant a copy of each notice of hearing after it is filed.

Counsel for the moving and non-moving parties shall prepare a Pre-Summary Judgment Hearing Stipulation (“Stipulation”) which shall be filed with the Court no later than 3 days prior to the summary judgment hearing with a courtesy copy emailed to the Court’s Judicial Assistant and must contain the following:

If a party chooses to submit trial briefs, courtesy hard copies must be delivered to Judge Goodman’s chambers at least three business days before trial.

A Reply Statement of Material Facts may not exceed five pages.

A. Not exceed ten (10) pages;

All Statements of Material Facts (whether filed by the movant or the non-movant) shall be filed and served as separate documents and not as exhibits or attachments. In addition, the Statements of Material Facts shall: (A) Not exceed ten (10) pages;

Confidential or sensitive information in exhibits must be protected in accordance with the cited Florida Rules of Judicial Administration.

Counsel must redact all confidential information from documents to be offered into evidence.

Counsel or a party offering a document into evidence is responsible for redacting all confidential information in it.