Court Rules
Judge

Judge D. Ryan Felix

Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies

Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota)

Limits & Logistics

Courtesy Copies

Courtesy copies

  • Hand Delivery

Exhibits

  • At Least Three Days Before The Hearing
  • Upon Filing

Motion, Supporting Document

  • Email • Upon Filing

Adjournments

1Business Daysnotice
  • An agreed Case Management Conference continuance requires a stipulation submitted through the statewide portal or by email at least one business day before the hearing.

Communication

Email

Chambers

circrimdiv1@jud12.flcourts.org
SchedulingEmergencies
Filters:

Document Format Requirements3 rules

Formatting

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

The Clerk requires documentary evidence exhibits to be in paper format.

Required Format

Paper

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecG. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
Formatting

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

All motions and supporting documents must be sent to Judge Felix’s judicial assistant in PDF format via email.

Required Format

PDF

Formatting

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.Important?

Proposed orders are required to be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org in Word format.

Required Format

Word Perfect

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecD. Submission of Orders

Document Filing Requirements12 rules

Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

A motion to appear remotely must be filed with the Clerk, and along with a proposed order, must be submitted to Judge Felix’s chambers by email or hand-delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

DocumentMotion

Content & Formatting
Proposed Order
Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecA. Remote Appearance
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

Judge Felix will not consider an email communication as a motion. All motions must be filed with the Clerk.

DocumentMotion

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecC. Communications with the Court
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

The parties must inform the Court of the specific instructions upon which the parties disagree.

DocumentJury Instructions

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecK. Other Division Procedures
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

Motions to continue trial must be in writing unless good cause can be shown.

DocumentMotion

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecH. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

All proposed orders must be sent under separate cover letter.

DocumentProposed Order

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecD. Submission of Orders
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

Trials may be set on a trial docket via Trial Stipulation signed by the defendant, counsel for defendant, and the prosecutor, or in open court at a Case Management Conference.

DocumentTrial Stipulation

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecI. Setting Case for Trial
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

Stipulations to continue will not be considered unless an accompanying motion to continue has been filed as well.

DocumentStipulation To Continue

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecH. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Mandatory

Any motion requesting emergency hearing time must explain the emergency, the anticipated time needed, and, where appropriate, good faith efforts to resolve the matter without judicial intervention.

DocumentMotion

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecF. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Important

However, if the parties are unable to agree on the jury instructions, each party may instead submit competing proposed jury instructions.

DocumentJury Instructions

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecK. Other Division Procedures
Filing Requirements

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026Important

If the order is agreed upon or stipulated to by the parties, it must state so in the cover letter.

DocumentProposed Order

Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecD. Submission of Orders
Filing Requirements

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.Mandatory?

At least one business day before jury selection is to commence, the parties shall submit joint proposed jury instructions to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant in Word via email at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

DocumentJury Instructions

Content & Formatting
Legal Argument
Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecK. Other Division Procedures
Filing Requirements

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.Mandatory?

A motion for continuance shall be accompanied by a certificate of the movant’s counsel that the motion is filed in good faith.

DocumentMotion

Content & Formatting
Local Rule Certificate
Fl Twelfth:8b6ab10f698ad0aba3564b6b
|SecH. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

Filing & Service rules

Electronic Filing Rules

The Case Management Conference continuance stipulation must be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or by email to the Judicial Assistant.

If the parties agree to continue a Case Management Conference, a Stipulation to Continue must be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org at least one business day before the hearing.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

Proposed orders must be submitted through the statewide portal or emailed to the Judicial Assistant in Word format.

Proposed orders are required to be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org in Word format.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders

Completed trial stipulations must be submitted through the statewide portal or by email to the Judicial Assistant.

Completed stipulations must be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | I. Setting Case for Trial

Do not submit the same proposed order through both the portal and the Judicial Assistant.

Please do not send proposed orders to both the portal and Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders

If a proposed order relates to a recently filed motion, the motion must also be uploaded to the portal or sent to the Judicial Assistant for review.

Because motions filed often do not reach the court file for upwards of a week, if the proposed order relates to a motion recently filed, the motion must be uploaded to the portal or sent to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant for review.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | D. Submission of Orders

Filing Timing and Cure Windows

Proposed jury instructions must be submitted at least one business day before jury selection.

At least one business day before jury selection is to commence, the parties shall submit joint proposed jury instructions to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant in Word via email at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | K. Other Division Procedures

Service and Proof of Service Rules

Communications to the Judge must also be sent to all opposing parties before the Judge will review them.

All communication sent to Judge Felix must also be sent to all opposing parties before it will be reviewed.

Checked and corrected to match the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court

All materials provided to the Judge must also be submitted to opposing counsel.

All materials provided to Judge Felix must be submitted to opposing counsel as well.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies

Courtesy Copy Requirements

For a hearing permitted to be remote, hard-copy exhibits must be sent to the Judge’s office at least three days before the hearing.

If the hearing is permitted to be remote, hard copies of the exhibits shall be sent to Judge Felix’s office no fewer than three days prior to the hearing.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings

Courtesy copies of motions and supporting documents must be submitted electronically to the Judicial Assistant.

Judge Felix requires that all courtesy copies of motions and supporting documents be submitted electronically to his Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies

Digital materials too large to email should be placed on a flash-memory device and delivered to chambers by delivery service or hand delivery.

If submitting digital materials that are too large to attach to an email such as photographs, videos, or audio recordings, those materials should be placed on a flash-memory data storage device and delivered via delivery service or hand-delivery directly to chambers.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies

If feasible, provide the Judge with an identical copy of the exhibits submitted to the Clerk and an exhibit list.

If feasible, an identical copy of the exhibits provided to the Clerk, along with an exhibit list, should be provided to Judge Felix as well.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings

Filing Bundling Requirements

Courtesy materials should be combined into as few attachments as reasonably possible.

The materials should be combined into as few attachments as reasonably possible.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | E. Courtesy Copies

Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

The prosecutor and defense counsel must confer before trial to resolve disputes over proposed jury instructions.

The prosecutor and counsel for the defendant shall confer before the trial date to settle all disputes relating to proposed jury instructions.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | K. Other Division Procedures

Adjournment & Extension Requirements

An agreed Case Management Conference continuance requires a stipulation submitted through the statewide portal or by email at least one business day before the hearing.

If the parties agree to continue a Case Management Conference, a Stipulation to Continue must be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org at least one business day before the hearing.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

Failure to request a continuance promptly may be grounds to deny the motion.

Failure to promptly request a continuance may be a basis for denying a motion to continue.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

The movant may support good cause with affidavits, and an adverse party may file counter-affidavits.

In seeking to establish good cause, the movant may file affidavits in support of the motion, and any adverse party may file counter-affidavits in opposition to the motion.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

Chambers Communication Rules

A pro se defendant seeking motion hearing time must email a copy of the motion to the Judicial Assistant and request available timeslots.

When seeking hearing time for a motion, defendants appearing pro se must email a copy of the motion to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org and request available timeslots.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | Pro Se Defendants

The Judge will not consider or review ex parte or one-sided communications.

Judge Felix will not consider or review any ex-parte or one-sided communication.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court

Once the parties agree on a motion hearing timeslot, the pro se party must notify the Judicial Assistant to secure it.

After the parties have agreed on a timeslot for the motion, the pro se party must notify Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to secure the hearing time.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | Pro Se Defendants

Motions for rehearing, reconsideration, new trial, or similar relief must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant immediately after filing.

All motions for rehearing, reconsideration, or new trial, or any similar motion, must be immediately emailed to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org after filing.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures

Hearings expected to last longer than one hour must be scheduled by contacting the Judicial Assistant, not through JACS.

Hearings expected to last longer than one hour are unable to be scheduled through JACS. These hearings must be scheduled by contacting Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures

Attorneys may not combine adjacent JACS timeslots to obtain a longer hearing.

Attorneys are prohibited from using JACS to combine adjacent timeslots to secure longer hearings – i.e., no piggybacking.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures

Attorneys must not copy the Judicial Assistant on party communications that are not directed to the Judge’s office.

Attorneys shall not include or copy Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant on emails or discussions between the parties which are not directed at Judge Felix’s office.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | C. Communications with the Court

After receiving available timeslots, a pro se defendant must contact opposing counsel to coordinate a time.

Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant will then provide available timeslots with which the pro se defendant must contact opposing counsel(s) to coordinate.

Checked against the court's document on Oct 9, 2026

Page 1 | Pro Se Defendants

A remote-appearance motion and proposed order must be delivered to chambers by email or hand delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

A motion to appear remotely must be filed with the Clerk, and along with a proposed order, must be submitted to Judge Felix’s chambers by email or hand-delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | A. Remote Appearance

The movant must notify the Judge of an emergency-hearing motion by calling the Judicial Assistant and emailing her a copy.

The movant must notify Judge Felix of the motion by calling Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant and emailing her a copy of the motion at CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters

Hearings lasting one hour or less on assigned prosecutor days must be scheduled through JACS; if no JACS timeslots are available, contact the Judicial Assistant to schedule a special-set day.

These hearings must be scheduled through JACS. If the JACS system has no available timeslots, please contact Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to schedule the hearing on a special set hearing day.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | B. Hearing Procedures

If the parties substantially disagree about jury instructions, they should contact the Judicial Assistant to schedule a Charge Conference before trial.

If there is substantial disagreement, the parties should contact Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to set a Charge Conference before the trial date.

Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below.

Page 1 | K. Other Division Procedures

Court-wide rules

Applies court-wide

These 113 rules apply across Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota). Where this judge's own standing orders above address the same topic, the judge's requirement controls.

Filing Requirements

All 31
  • Applies to
    County civil complaint

    County civil complaints must be filed with the Standing Order and Case Management Report, except eviction complaints and other section 51.011 summary proceedings.

  • Applies to
    County civil complaint or petition

    The clerks must require the Standing Order and Case Management Report to be attached to county civil complaints or petitions, except eviction complaints and other section 51.011 summary proceedings.

  • Applies to
    County civil complaint or petition

    The clerk must reject a new county civil complaint or petition that omits the Standing Order or Case Management Report, except an eviction or other summary proceeding.

Adjournments

All 18
  • Attorneys should cooperate on reasonable rescheduling, cancellation, extension, and postponement requests when they will not prejudice the client or unduly delay a proceeding.

  • Attorneys should ordinarily grant a first reasonable extension to respond to a litigation deadline when it will not prejudice the client, unduly delay a proceeding, or when time is not of the essence.

  • Additional extension requests should be evaluated by balancing expediency, deference to the adversary, and the likelihood that the court would grant the extension.

Service

All 15
  • Plaintiffs must serve the Standing Order and Case Management Report on all defendants with the initial process.

  • Service
    Email to all parties

    When the Case Management Report is filed, the parties must email a copy to the assigned judge’s designated email and copy all parties.

  • Applies to
    Complaint

    For all small claims PIP cases, serve a copy of the Civil Cover Sheet and the Addendum with the Complaint.

E-Filing

All 12
  • Applies to
    Proposed order

    Judges and magistrates may accept proposed orders through the Portal for review and signature without filing them in the court file.

  • Applies to
    Proposed order

    Judges and magistrates are encouraged to set Portal procedures, and proposed orders must be submitted through the Portal if their requirements do not address them.

  • Applies to
    Proposed order

    The court allowed a three-month transition period before requiring attorneys to submit proposed orders through the Portal whenever feasible.

About Judge D. Ryan Felix

- **Judicial Service:** Circuit Court Bench, October 2023 - **Judicial Service:** County Court Bench, May 2023 - **Education:** JD, University of Cincinnati College of Law - **Education:** BA, University of Florida

- **Division Assignment(s):** Circuit Criminal Felony Division I - Manatee County - **Judicial Assistant:** Elenor - **Email:** CirCrimDiv1@jud12.flcourts.org - **Phone:** (941) 749‐3603 - **Physical Address:** 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34205 - **Mailing Address:** P.O. Box 3000, Bradenton, FL 34206 - **Office Hours:** 8 am to 4:30 pm; closed for lunch Noon-1 pm - **Courtroom:** Proceedings are held in Courtroom 6A

Common questions about Judge D. Ryan Felix's rules

Are courtesy copies required for Judge D. Ryan Felix?

Courtesy-copy rule applies for motions and supporting documents. Details: delivery upon filing, by email. Courtesy copies of motions and supporting documents must be submitted electronically to the Judicial Assistant.

View ruleSource: page 1, section E. Courtesy Copies

Does Judge D. Ryan Felix require a pre-motion conference or letter before filing a motion?

Judge D. Ryan Felix's rules set a pre-motion procedure for jury instructions. The prosecutor and defense counsel must confer before trial to resolve disputes over proposed jury instructions.

View ruleSource: page 1, section K. Other Division Procedures

What formatting rules apply to filings before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

Judge D. Ryan Felix's formatting rule includes file format PDF. Motions and supporting documents sent to the Judicial Assistant must be emailed in PDF format.

View ruleSource: page 1, section E. Courtesy Copies

What must be included with motion filings before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

The rule requires proposed order. A remote-appearance motion must be filed with the Clerk and submitted with a proposed order to chambers by email or hand delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section A. Remote Appearance

What must be included with proposed order filings before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Each proposed order must be sent with a separate cover letter.

View ruleSource: page 1, section D. Submission of Orders

How may parties contact Judge D. Ryan Felix's chambers?

A remote-appearance motion and proposed order must be delivered to chambers by email or hand delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section A. Remote Appearance

How do I request an adjournment or extension before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

Requests should be made at least 1 business days in advance when this rule applies before Judge D. Ryan Felix. An agreed Case Management Conference continuance requires a stipulation submitted through the statewide portal or by email at least one business day before the hearing.

View ruleSource: page 1, section H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences

Does Judge D. Ryan Felix require motion papers to be bundled?

Bundling is encouraged for covered papers before Judge D. Ryan Felix. Courtesy materials should be combined into as few attachments as reasonably possible.

View ruleSource: page 1, section E. Courtesy Copies

Is electronic filing required before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

Yes. Electronic filing is required for the covered filings. Proposed orders must be submitted through the statewide portal or emailed to the Judicial Assistant in Word format.

View ruleSource: page 1, section D. Submission of Orders

What filing deadlines does Judge D. Ryan Felix set?

Proposed jury instructions must be submitted at least one business day before jury selection.

View ruleSource: page 1, section K. Other Division Procedures

What rule applies to serving the opposing party before Judge D. Ryan Felix?

The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: the opposing party. Communications to the Judge must also be sent to all opposing parties before the Judge will review them.

View ruleSource: page 1, section C. Communications with the Court
Complete rules summary for Judge D. Ryan Felix

A remote-appearance motion must be filed with the Clerk and submitted with a proposed order to chambers by email or hand delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

A remote-appearance motion and proposed order must be delivered to chambers by email or hand delivery at least one business day before the hearing.

Hearings lasting one hour or less on assigned prosecutor days must be scheduled through JACS; if no JACS timeslots are available, contact the Judicial Assistant to schedule a special-set day.

Hearings expected to last longer than one hour must be scheduled by contacting the Judicial Assistant, not through JACS.

Attorneys may not combine adjacent JACS timeslots to obtain a longer hearing.

A pro se defendant seeking motion hearing time must email a copy of the motion to the Judicial Assistant and request available timeslots.

After receiving available timeslots, a pro se defendant must contact opposing counsel to coordinate a time.

Once the parties agree on a motion hearing timeslot, the pro se party must notify the Judicial Assistant to secure it.

Motions for rehearing, reconsideration, new trial, or similar relief must be emailed to the Judicial Assistant immediately after filing.

Attorneys must not copy the Judicial Assistant on party communications that are not directed to the Judge’s office.

The Judge will not consider or review ex parte or one-sided communications.

Communications to the Judge must also be sent to all opposing parties before the Judge will review them.

An email is not a motion; all motions must be filed with the Clerk.

Proposed orders must be submitted through the statewide portal or emailed to the Judicial Assistant in Word format.

Proposed orders submitted through either permitted channel must be in Word format.

Do not submit the same proposed order through both the portal and the Judicial Assistant.

Each proposed order must be sent with a separate cover letter.

The cover letter must identify an order that is agreed upon or stipulated to by the parties.

If a proposed order relates to a recently filed motion, the motion must also be uploaded to the portal or sent to the Judicial Assistant for review.

Courtesy copies of motions and supporting documents must be submitted electronically to the Judicial Assistant.

Motions and supporting documents sent to the Judicial Assistant must be emailed in PDF format.

Courtesy materials should be combined into as few attachments as reasonably possible.

Digital materials too large to email should be placed on a flash-memory device and delivered to chambers by delivery service or hand delivery.

All materials provided to the Judge must also be submitted to opposing counsel.

An emergency-hearing motion must explain the emergency, the anticipated hearing time, and, where appropriate, good-faith efforts to resolve the matter without court intervention.

The movant must notify the Judge of an emergency-hearing motion by calling the Judicial Assistant and emailing her a copy.

Documentary evidence exhibits filed with the Clerk must be in paper format.

If feasible, provide the Judge with an identical copy of the exhibits submitted to the Clerk and an exhibit list.

For a hearing permitted to be remote, hard-copy exhibits must be sent to the Judge’s office at least three days before the hearing.

An agreed Case Management Conference continuance requires a stipulation submitted through the statewide portal or by email at least one business day before the hearing.

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