Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida (Monroe County) Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Parties and counsel must not have ex parte communications with the court about substantive case matters or disagreements with opponents.

Parties and counsel must refrain from ex-parte communications with the court regarding substantive matters in pending cases and disagreements with opposing parties and/or counsel.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Email communications to the judicial office at the division address and include the case number, case name, and relevant matter in the subject line.

All communications to the judicial office must be submitted by email to brandy.wilson@keyscourts.net, the dedicated division e-mail account. The subject line of any e-mail to the judicial office must contain the case number, case name, and relevant matter (e.g., 24 DR 1234 K – Doe v. Doe – 1 hour Hearing Requested on Respondent’s Motion for Contempt).

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Contact

Email to chambers

Email the Judicial Assistant to request trial dates unless a trial order has already been filed.

Unless a trial order has been filed already, please file a notice for trial to set the case for trial and email the Judicial Assistant for trial dates..

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Contact

Email to chambers

Include the case number, case name, and relevant matter in the subject line of hearing-request emails to the judicial office.

The subject line of any e-mail to the judicial office must contain the case number, case name, and relevant matter (e.g., 24 DR 001234 K – Doe v. Doe – 15 Minute Hearing Requested on Motion for Continuance.

CRITICAL

Copy all parties and counsel on written communications to the court.

All written communications to the court must be copied to all parties and counsel.

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Contact

Email to chambers

Email a copy of the Notice of Settlement to the Judicial Assistant for a settled case scheduled for a hearing or trial.

Cases that have been settled that are scheduled for a hearing and/or trial, must file a Notice of Settlement with the Clerk of Court and email a copy to the Judicial Assistant.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Notify the Judicial Assistant by email immediately when canceling a hearing, and immediately file and serve a Notice of Cancellation on opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.

You must cancel hearings by notifying the judicial assistant immediately via e-mail. You must also immediately file and serve a “Notice of Cancellation” on opposing counsel and any self-represented litigant.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Request hearings by email to brandy.wilson@keyscourts.net.

Hearings must be requested by e-mail: brandy.wilson@keyscourts.net

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Unless otherwise instructed, email copies of exhibits and exhibit lists to the Judicial Assistant at least five business days before the hearing.

Unless otherwise instructed, Copies of exhibits and exhibit lists shall be forwarded to the Judicial Assistant via e-mail at least five (5) business days prior to the scheduled hearing.

CRITICAL

Add-on motions may not be set unilaterally.

This court does not permit add-on motions to be set unilaterally.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Family matters requiring two hours or less of hearing time must be scheduled with General Magistrate Holly Aliprandi through the Family Court Case Manager by email.

Family matters requesting hearing time of 2 hours or less shall be set with General Magistrate Holly Aliprandi through the Family Court Case Manager via email.

CRITICAL

Criminal hearing dates are offered first-come, first-served; after confirming availability with all parties, confirm the date with the office before noticing the hearing, but do not include the Judicial Assistant in party coordination communications.

Parties will be offered three dates and times of availability. Please note that dates first come first serve.  Once availability of all parties is confirmed, please confirm with this office prior to noticing for hearing.  It is not necessary to include the Judicial Assistant in communications regarding the coordination of the hearing.

CRITICAL

Civil hearing dates are offered first-come, first-served; after confirming availability with all parties, confirm the date with the office before noticing the hearing, but do not include the Judicial Assistant in party coordination communications.

Parties will be offered three dates and times of availability. Please note that dates are  on a first come first serve basis.  Once availability of all parties is confirmed, please confirm with this office prior to noticing for hearing.  It is not necessary to include the Judicial Assistant in communications regarding the coordination of the hearing.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

A copy of the Notice of Ready for Trial must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant.

Please forward a copy of your Notice of Ready for Trial to the Judicial Assistant via email.

CRITICAL

Criminal hearing-time requests may be made by phone or email to the Judicial Assistant and must state the case number, time needed, and motion title.

Parties seeking hearing time with Judge Morgan may call the office or send a request via email to the Judicial Assistant. Please provide the following information with your request: case number, amount of time necessary, title of motion(s) to be set.

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A hearing may be cancelled only by the party that scheduled it, who must contact the Judicial Assistant by phone or email.

Please call or email the Judicial Assistant to cancel the hearing. Please note, the hearing may only be cancelled by the party that scheduled the hearing.

CRITICAL

Civil hearing-time requests may be made by phone or email to the Judicial Assistant and must state the case number, time needed, motion title, and preferred hearing platform.

Parties seeking hearing time with Judge Morgan may call the office or send a request via email to the Judicial Assistant. Please provide the following information with your request: case number, amount of time necessary, title of motion(s) to be set and the preferred platform for the hearing request (In-Person or via Zoom).

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

A copy of the Notice of Settlement must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant.

Cases that have been settled that are scheduled for a hearing and/or trial, must file a Notice of Settlement with the Clerk of Court and email a copy to the Judicial Assistant.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

A motion to continue must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant along with a proposed order.

Motions to Continue must be filed with the Clerk of the Court and emailed to the Judicial Assistant along with a proposed order, at least three business days prior to the scheduled hearing.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

After filing an emergency motion, email a copy to the Judge’s JA for submission to Judge Jones and follow up with a phone call; do not assume the JA will see the email immediately.

Emergency Motions: As stated above, the Judges’ offices do not receive e-filings. If you file an emergency motion, you MUST then email a copy to the Judge’s JA for submission to Judge Jones and you MUST follow up with a phone call. Do not assume the JA will see the email instantly.

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Contact

Email

Schedule civil hearings through the Judicial Assistant, preferably by email with the specified case and motion details; confirm all counsel are available and reconfirm with the JA before noticing the hearing.

Motion Setting: All civil hearing scheduling is through the Judicial Assistant. Preferred method is via e-mail to include the case number, style, type of motion and time needed. The setting of a hearing requires availability of all counsel. Once given dates, you MUST reconfirm availability with the JA prior to noticing it for hearing.

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Request that the Judicial Assistant specially set dissolution final hearings; they may not be set on the open motion docket.

No final hearings for dissolution of marriage shall be set on the court’s open motion docket, but rather, shall be specially set by the Judicial Assistant upon request.

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A party may request a case management conference, but may not set one without prior court approval.

Any party may make a request to the court for a case management conference, prior to setting it. Parties are not permitted to set a case management conference without prior court approval.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Motion hearings are scheduled through the Judicial Assistant by email.

Motion Setting: All motion hearings are set through the Court’s Judicial Assistant by email at jennifer.tipcke@KeysCourts.net.

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Contact

Email to chambers

Email a copy of the hearing notice to the Judicial Assistant to confirm the hearing setting.

A copy of the notice of hearing must be emailed to the Court’s Judicial Assistant to confirm a setting on the Court’s docket.

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Contact

Email to chambers

Set all probate hearings through the Judicial Assistant by email.

All probate hearings are to be set through the Court’s Judicial Assistant by email at jennifer.tipcke@keyscourts.net.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Do not contact the Court expecting legal advice or to speak with the judge; written communications to the Court must copy opposing parties or counsel, while the Judicial Assistant may be emailed about procedural or scheduling matters.

The judicial assistant is not authorized to provide legal advice. Accordingly, do not contact the Court expecting to speak to the judge about any case. You may, however, contact the judicial assistant via e-mail concerning purely procedural or scheduling matters. Any communication with the Court must be in writing and opposing side/counsel must be copied.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

Coordinate hearing dates with other parties; unilateral scheduling with the Judicial Assistant is permitted only after three attempts to obtain dates, including one telephone call.

Parties must coordinate hearing dates amongst themselves. If a party cannot obtain dates from opposing parties or self-represented litigants, they may unilaterally schedule a hearing with the Judicial Assistant, provided they made three (3) attempts to secure dates, one of which included a phone call.

WARNING

All emails and telephonic communications should be directed to the Judicial Assistant, either via telephone or by e-mail, and should be limited to scheduling matters.

All emails and telephonic communications should be directed to the Judicial Assistant, either via telephone or by e-mail, and should be limited to scheduling matters.

WARNING

The judicial office does not accept text messages.

The judicial office does not accept text messages.

WARNING

Contact

Phone to chambers

Counsel may appear by phone at qualifying short, non-evidentiary Open Motion Calendar hearings, but must conference onto one line before calling in; the JA provides the location-based call-in number before the hearing.

Phone appearances for hearings: Non-evidentiary hearings of 15 minutes or less that are scheduled on an Open Motion Calendar (not specially set) are permitted to attend telephonically. Judge Jones does not utilize Court Call so all counsel appearing telephonically will be required to conference onto one line prior to calling in for the hearing. The JA will provide the call-in number based on location prior to the hearing.

WARNING

Criminal motions may be scheduled through the Judicial Assistant by email or phone.

Motion Setting: All criminal motions may be set through the JA via e-mail or phone.

WARNING

Letters to the court via the court’s judicial assistant or otherwise should likewise be limited to scheduling matters and/or for purposes of transmitting proposed orders.

Letters to the court via the court’s judicial assistant or otherwise should likewise be limited to scheduling matters and/or for purposes of transmitting proposed orders.

WARNING

Contact

Email to chambers

Motions may be scheduled through the Judicial Assistant by email.

Motion Setting: Motions may set through the court’s judicial assistant via email to jennifer.tipcke@keyscourts.net.

WARNING

Telephone and email communications with the Judicial Assistant should be limited to scheduling and submitting agreed or previously pronounced orders.

Communications with the judge’s judicial assistant, either via telephone or by email, should be limited to scheduling matters and submission of agreed orders or orders on matters previously pronounced in court.

WARNING

Parties and counsel should refrain from communications with the court regarding substantive matters in pending cases and regarding disagreements with opposing parties and/or counsel.

Parties and counsel should refrain from communications with the court regarding substantive matters in pending cases and regarding disagreements with opposing parties and/or counsel.

INFO

Contact

Email

Contact Maria Maynard or Isis Majeska by email to request an interpreter for a hearing or trial.

If an interpreter is needed for a hearing or trial, please contact Maria Maynard at Maria.Maynard@keyscourts.net or Isis Majeska at Isis.Majeska@keyscourts.net.

INFO

Contact

Phone to chambers

Phone

305-852-7155

Self-represented litigants and attorneys excused from email service may contact the judicial office by telephone at 305-852-7155.

Self-represented litigants and attorneys excused from e-mail service may communicate with the judicial office by telephone call to 305-852-7155.

INFO

Contact

Email

Contact Cheryl Alfonso at Cheryl.Alfonso@keyscourts.net to request an ADA accommodation.

If you need an ADA accommodation, please contact Cheryl Alfonso, Court Operations Manager, at Cheryl.Alfonso@keyscourts.net.

INFO

Contact

Phone to chambers

Phone

305-292-3433

Jennifer Tipcke may also be reached by telephone at 305-292-3433 for probate hearing scheduling.

You may also reach Jennifer Tipcke at 305-292-3433.

INFO

An attorney and party may request a breakout room to communicate privately during the hearing.

There is an option for a breakout room which would allow the attorney and party to communicate privately upon request to the Court.