Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Do not email exhibits to Ms. Reiley; bring them to the hearing or deliver them pre-marked to the Court by mail or hand delivery in advance.

Exhibits are NOT to be emailed to Ms. Reiley but should be either brought to the hearing at the scheduled time or mailed or hand-delivered to the Court in advance of the hearing, pre-marked.

CRITICAL

Contested evidentiary hearings lasting 30 minutes or longer are scheduled in person.

All contested evidentiary hearings lasting 30 minutes or longer are scheduled as IN-PERSON hearings.

CRITICAL

Exhibits intended for introduction at a hearing must be pre-marked in accordance with Administrative Order 5-20.8.

If any exhibits are to be introduced during a hearing, they must be pre-marked as per Administrative Order 5-20.8 and example below.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders must meet the referenced Administrative Order’s formatting and technical requirements; noncompliant orders will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

All proposed orders must comply with the formatting and technical requirements listed therein; proposed orders that fail to comply with the requirements of the Administrative Order will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

CRITICAL

Submissions over 25 pages must be physically delivered to the Court.

Submissions greater than 25 pages long must be physically delivered to the Court.

CRITICAL

All participants must appear in person unless a signed order grants a virtual appearance for that hearing.

All participants MUST appear in person unless there is a signed order granting a virtual appearance for each hearing.

CRITICALCriminal cases

The submitted case law must be in color and highlight relevant text, rules of law, or holdings.

A minimum of 10 days prior to the hearing, all parties shall submit their relied upon Case law with relevant text/rule of law/holdings highlighted and in color along with a hardcopy of the Motion, Response and Notice of Hearing.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Before any hearing, documents intended for admission must be pre-marked with exhibit labels substantially following the stated template, and the submitting party must complete every blank except the admitted and excluded fields.

Prior to any hearing all documents intended for admission into evidence shall have exhibit identification information pre-marked in a form suitable for receipt into evidence. The exhibit labels shall be in substantially the following format: Case No. __________________________________________ Party ______________________ Exhibit No. ____________ Admitted__________________ Excluded________________ Date:_____________________________ The party submitting the exhibit shall fill in all blanks on the label except “admitted” and “excluded.”

CRITICALCriminal cases

Format

PDF

PDF files of all transcripts must be text searchable.

The Portable Document Format (“PDF”) file(s) of all transcripts must be text searchable.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Transcripts provided or filed with the Court must be in full-page format unless the Court authorizes condensed transcripts.

All transcripts provided or filed with the Court must be in full-page format, unless condensed transcripts are authorized by the Court.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Submitted case law must be in Word format and highlight relevant text, rules of law, or holdings.

All case law submitted to the court must be submitted via email in Word format with relevant text/rule of law/holdings highlighted.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Courtesy copies must be submitted as PDFs.

Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF format.

CRITICAL

The ADA notice must use Arial or Bookman Old Style, 14-point bold font.

The notice shall be in either Arial or Bookman Old Style 14-point BOLD font.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders submitted through the e-portal must comply with the formatting and technical requirements in AO 1-61.1.

The formatting and technical requirements set forth in AO 1-61.1 must be utilized.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Proposed order

Format

DOCX

All proposed orders should be submitted in Word format to the address above or through the e-portal.

All proposed orders should be submitted in Word format to the address above or through the e-portal.

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

In addition to using Word .docx format as required by the E-Filing Portal, a proposed order should be in only one of three font styles – Times New Roman, Courier, or Calibri.

In addition to using Word .docx format as required by the E-Filing Portal, a proposed order should be in only one of three font styles – Times New Roman, Courier, or Calibri.

CRITICALCivil cases

Select the case track with a check mark or an X.

Case Track Assignment (track must be selected with a “check mark” or “X”)

CRITICALCivil cases

The required ADA Notice must be in bold type and 14-point Arial or Bookman Old Style.

The following ADA Notice must be included in all notices of hearing or orders setting hearing in bold type and in either Arial or Bookman Old Style 14-point font:

CRITICALCivil cases

Exhibits intended for a hearing or trial must be pre-marked with exhibit information and prepared in a form suitable for admission into evidence.

A. If any exhibits are to be introduced during a hearing or trial, they must be pre-marked with exhibit information and in a form suitable for receipt into evidence.

CRITICALCivil cases

Exhibit labels may be attached by sticker or inked stamp and must substantially follow the prescribed case, party, exhibit number, admission or exclusion, and date format.

B. The exhibit labels may be affixed to the exhibits by sticker or inked stamp and shall be in substantially the following format: Case No. ________________________ Party ___________________________ Exhibit No. ________ Admitted ______________ Excluded ______________ Date ____________________________

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Proposed order

Proposed orders must comply with Administrative Order No. 1-61.1’s formatting and technical requirements or they will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

All proposed orders must comply with the formatting and technical requirements listed therein; proposed orders that fail to comply with the requirements of the Administrative Order will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Format

PDF

Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF format.

Format: Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF format.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Proposed orders must be properly formatted or the Court will automatically reject them.

Order(s) that are not properly formatted will be automatically rejected by the Court.

CRITICAL

Exhibit labels must substantially follow the stated format, and the submitting party must complete every blank except “admitted” and “excluded.”

The exhibit label shall be in substantially the following format: Case No._________________ Party ____________________ Exhibit No.________ Admitted ________________ Excluded __________ Date ________________ The party submitting the exhibit shall fill in all blanks on the label except “admitted” and “excluded.”

CRITICAL

A notice of hearing must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Any notice of hearing shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PAPER

The chief arbitrator must submit a hard copy of the decision in a separate sealed manila envelope labeled with the specified title, case style, and case number.

The chief arbitrator must file a hard copy of the decision with the clerk by submitting it in a separate sealed manila envelope labeled “Nonbinding Arbitration Decision” followed by the style of the case and case number.

CRITICAL

Exhibit labels may be stickers or inked stamps and must substantially follow the specified format, including case number, party, exhibit number, admitted/excluded fields, and date.

The exhibit labels may be affixed to the exhibits by sticker or inked stamp, and shall be in substantially the following format: Case No. __________________________________________ Party ______________________ Exhibit No. ______________ Admitted__________________ Excluded_________________ Date: _____________________________

CRITICAL

E-portal proposed orders must comply with AO 1-61.1 formatting and technical requirements or they will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

The formatting and technical requirements set forth in AO 1-61.1 must be utilized. Proposed orders submitted through the e-portal that fail to comply with the requirements of AO 1-61.1 will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

CRITICAL

Before a nonjury trial, pre-mark exhibit identification information on every item intended for admission in a form suitable for receipt into evidence.

Prior to any nonjury trial, all documents or other items intended for admission into evidence shall have exhibit identification information pre-marked in a form suitable for receipt into evidence.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Judge Butz accepts e-mailed copies of the Motion, so long as it is in PDF format and includes all attachments within the same file.

Judge Butz accepts e-mailed copies of the Motion, so long as it is in PDF format and includes all attachments within the same file.

CRITICAL

Exhibit labels may be attached by sticker or inked stamp and must substantially follow the specified label format.

2. The exhibit labels may be affixed to the exhibits by sticker or inked stamp and shall be in substantially the following format: Case no._____________________ Party________________________ Exhibit no._______ Admitted ____________Excluded ____________ Date____________________________________

CRITICAL

Exhibits to be introduced at a hearing or trial must be pre-marked with exhibit information and prepared in a form suitable for admission into evidence.

1. If any exhibits are to be introduces during a hearing or trial, they must be pre- marked with exhibit information and in a form suitable for receipt into evidence.

CRITICAL

Relied-upon case law must have relevant text, rules of law, or holdings highlighted in color, and hard copies of the Motion, Response, and Notice of Hearing must be submitted.

H. A minimum of 10 days prior to the hearing, all parties shall submit their relied upon Case law with relevant text/rule of law/holdings highlighted and in color along with a hardcopy of the Motion, Response and Notice of Hearing.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Before the appearance begins, participants must have working audio and video and know how to mute or unmute and turn their camera on or off.

All participants must have their audio and video working and know how to mute/unmute and turn their camera on and off before the appearance begins.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Each participant is responsible for having appropriate, properly functioning connection, equipment, and software for Microsoft Teams.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate connection, equipment, and software to use Microsoft Teams and that said connection, equipment, and software is operating correctly.

CRITICALCriminal cases

When the case is called, the participant must enable the microphone and unmute promptly.

When a case is called, the participant shall then enable their microphone and unmute themselves in a timely fashion.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Participants must wear attire appropriate for appearing physically in the courtroom.

All participants shall be wearing attire as if they were physically in the courtroom.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Hearings must take place in the courtroom and be noticed that way unless the court orders a remote appearance under Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.116.

All hearings will take place live in the courtroom and shall be noticed as such, absent a court order permitting a remote appearance pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.116.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Remote appearances must be conducted through Microsoft Teams.

All remote appearances will be through Microsoft Teams.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Participants must appear from a quiet space and must not move between rooms, appear outdoors or in a moving vehicle, or otherwise be in motion.

Participants must be in a space with minimal background noise. Participants must not be moving from room to room. Participants cannot be outdoors, or in a moving vehicle. Participants cannot be in motion in any way.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Participants may not eat, drink, chew gum, smoke, or engage in activities other than participating in the court appearance.

As in any courtroom, there is to be no eating, drinking, gum chewing, smoking, or engaging in any activity other than participation in the court appearance.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders must comply with the applicable Administrative Order’s formatting and technical requirements; noncompliant orders will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

All proposed orders must comply with the formatting and technical requirements listed therein; proposed orders that fail to comply with the requirements of the Administrative Order will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

CRITICAL

Exhibits to be introduced at a hearing must be pre-marked under Administrative Order 5-20.8, and the submitting party must complete every label blank except “admitted” and “excluded.”

If any exhibits are to be introduced during the hearing, they must be pre- marked as per Administrative Order 5-20.8 and example below. The party submitting the exhibit shall fill in all blanks on the label except “admitted” and “excluded.”

CRITICAL

Proposed orders that are not properly formatted will be automatically rejected.

Order(s) that are not properly formatted will be automatically rejected by the Court.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF format.

Courtesy copies must be submitted in PDF format.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders for the circuit court acting in its appellate capacity must meet Rule 9.045 requirements for font type and size.

Additionally, for proposed orders intended to be filed in the circuit court acting in its appellate capacity, font type and size must meet the requirements of Rule 9.045, Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.

CRITICAL

the date line and signature block should not appear on different pages. Further, they should not appear together, but on a page alone by themselves.

the date line and signature block should not appear on different pages. Further, they should not appear together, but on a page alone by themselves.

CRITICAL

All submissions must comply with Rule 2.526 accessibility requirements.

All submissions must comply with the requirements of Rule 2.526, Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration relating to accessibility of information and technology.

CRITICAL

Exhibits or attachments not in Word .docx format must be converted to image files and embedded in the proposed order.

Exhibits/attachments in formats other than Word .docx must be converted to image files and be embedded in the proposed order.

CRITICAL

Margins

top 1 in, bottom 1 in, left 1 in, right 1 in

To prevent the date line and signature block from appearing on different pages, the “JJJJ” or “GGGG” should not appear below line 35 or more than 6 ¾ inches from the top margin of a document formatted with 1-inch margins in 12-point type size.

To prevent the date line and signature block from appearing on different pages, the “JJJJ” or “GGGG” should not appear below line 35 or more than 6 ¾ inches from the top margin of a document formatted with 1-inch margins in 12-point type size.