DIVISION “AF” UPDATE
Judge Carolyn Bell is now presiding over Division AF in Courtroom 9D.
Beginning January 3, 2023- EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
REMOTE AND IN PERSON APPEARANCES:
All UMC’s (T-Th at 8:30 a.m.), Calendar Calls (9:00 a.m.), and Case Management Conferences will be conducted via Zoom on the Divisional AF Zoom link:
Zoom Link: Join Zoom
Meeting ID: 930 3054 1310
Toll Free: (877) 853-5257
(888) 475-4499
All other matters will be held IN PERSON unless specific permission has been obtained from the Court for remote appearance.
Counsel may seek permission for any unopposed remote appearance for any attorneys, litigants or witnesses by sending an email to the Divisional mailbox at CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org copied to all counsel of record and pro se litigants. Any email requests that do not include all counsel of record and pro se litigants will not be considered. Please include in your email the reason remote appearance is requested, and confirm there is no opposition. Any requests that are opposed may be requested via motion and scheduled on the Court’s UMC calendar.
Document Delivery
The Division requests that both hard copies and electronic copies of all documents pertinent to any matter scheduled before the Court be provided via e-courtesy and delivered to chambers, either via U.S. Mail or courier and/or hand-delivery, at least five (5) days prior to any hearing or trial. If the hard copy documents are not received on time, your hearing will be canceled. Electronic copies can be provided to Chambers via e-courtesy.
Contacting Chambers:
For any case related matters, please contact chambers by sending an email to the Divisional mailbox at CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org copied to all counsel of record and pro se litigants. Any emails that do not include all counsel of record and pro se litigants will not be considered. Emails should be limited to scheduling and other administrative matters. Please do not include any substantive matters when communicating with chambers outside of Court – substantive matters may be addressed via motion.
UMC Hearings:
UMC Hearings are scheduled via the Court's Online Scheduling System (OLS). If there are no dates and times available in Online Scheduling System (OLS) or if the dates and times reflected in OLS do not work for the parties, the parties may contact JA Breanne Perry via email at CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org with all parties copied to obtain additional dates and times- please ensure the subject line of your email includes the case name and case number. Please ensure your request includes a copy of the Motion(s), the amount of time needed for the hearing, and any pending calendar call/trial dates. Parties may not utilize more than one UMC timeslot per case, per day- if the parties utilize more than one UMC timeslot per case, per day, the second timeslot will be deleted. Any requests to add on to an already scheduled UMC Hearing should be sent to JA Breanne Perry via email at CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org with all parties copied.
Special Set Hearings:
Special Set Hearings are scheduled through JA Breanne Perry. To obtain special set dates and times the parties may contact JA Breanne Perry via email at CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org with all parties copied to obtain additional dates and times- please ensure the subject line of your email includes the case name and case number. Please ensure your request includes a copy of the Motion(s), the amount of time needed for the hearing, and any pending calendar call/trial dates.
All Other Divisional Instructions Remain in Effect Until Further Notice.
Delivery of Documents
The Division requests that both hard copies and electronic copies of all documents pertinent to any matter scheduled before the Court be emailed and delivered to chambers, either via U.S. Mail or courier and/or hand-delivery, at least five (5) days prior to any hearing or trial. If the hard copy documents are not received on time, your hearing will be canceled. Electronic copies can be provided to Chambers via e-courtesy.
Divisional Instructions
Please note that this is not our divisional instructions. You will find our instructions on the Divisional Instructions page.
Clerk's Office Hours
The Clerk's office operating hours for the public are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
Formatting of Documents
Please note: very important information - for all documents that need to be recorded in the public records, i.e.: orders of dismissal, voluntary dismissals, final judgments (Consent FJ, Default FJ, Summary FJ, Amended FJ), orders vacating FJ, orders cancelling sales, order setting aside, vacating, amending certificates of title, writs of garnishment, etc.. must comply with Supreme Court Rule of Judicial Administration 2.520. These documents must have a 3" by 3" space at the top right hand corner on the first page and a 1" by 3" space at the top right hand corner on each subsequent page. Also, all documents filed with the Court must have a 1" margin on all sides for the Clerk's date and time stamps. If your proposed document does not comply with the Supreme Court requirement, the Clerk of Court will not record your pleading and our office will be forced to return same to you in order to be corrected.
Judicial E-service
Circuit Civil Division "AF" DOES participate in Judicial E-service (from court to counsel ONLY), IF all parties are represented by counsel and have a valid e-mail address. When submitting a proposed Order and Judgment to our office (please submit electronically) for the Judge's signature (IF all parties are represented by counsel and have a valid e-mail address), you DO NOT have to submit conforming copies, as the Judicial Assistant will e-mail the signed Order/Judgment back to counsels.
Important e-service information: In accordance with the 15th Judicial Circuit's Administrative Order 2.310, please ensure that primary and secondary email addresses are registered with Court Administration at via online services.
Please be reminded that the filing of an e-mail designation with the Clerk's Office is NOT a registration with Court Administration for JUDICIAL e-service.
JUDICIAL e-service is also NOT e-filing. E-filing is done through the Clerk's Office E-portal.
To see which divisions are participating in JUDICIAL e-service, please go to our Online Services FAQ page and click on "View the list of participating divisions."
If you wish to e-mail the Judge's chambers, you must ensure all parties are copied on the email. Emails should be send to CAD-DivisionAF@pbcgov.org.
All Memorandum of Law, Briefs, Responses, copies of case law, courtesy copies of Notices of Hearings/Motions, etc.. for the Judge's review should be either mailed to the Judge office or hand-delivered to the 1st floor drop box of the Main Courthouse, at least 5 business days in advance of the scheduled hearing date/trial date. Electronic copies can be provided to Chambers via e-courtesy.
Please make note of the new Administrative Order 2.311 which relates to Notice of Change of Address/Substitutions of Counsel and Designation of Attorney of Record. This Administrative Order contains specific language which must be included in the proposed Order submitted to the Court for signature.
Faxes
Our office DOES NOT accept faxes.
Ex-parte Personal Correspondence
Our office CANNOT and WILL NOT accept any ex-parte personal correspondence on a case. If you have a matter to bring to the Court's attention, please file the proper Motion with the Clerk of Court, and copy all parties and/or counsel in the case with said Motion.