AN Divisional News

Circuit Civil Division AN Update:

Any hearing materials that one may deem necessary to be reviewed by the presiding Judge Scott Kerner in preparation of a Special Set hearing and/or Trial must be sent (in HARD COPY) to the Judge's Office at least (5) five business days prior to the hearing. This excludes Uniform Motion Calendar Hearings with materials less than 25 pages. Uniform Motion Calendar materials under 25 pages should reflect on the court's docket prior to the scheduled Uniform Motion Calendar date and may be sent through e-courtesy to the court.

Orders Implementing Differentiated Case Management Plan, Designating Case to a Track, Order Setting E-Calendar Call and Case Management Conference and Directing Further Procedures

Pursuant to the 15th Judicial Circuit's Administrative Order 3.107 cases filed after September 1, 2023 will receive one of the three attached Default Orders which directs them to the Divisional Instructions.

1. Order implementing Differentiated Case Management plan, designating case to the general track, order setting calendar call and case management conference and directing pretrial and mediation procedures (DCMGJT)
2. Order implementing Differentiated Case Management plan, designating case to the streamlined track, order setting calendar call and case management conference and directing pretrial and mediation procedures (DCMSNT)
3. Order implementing Differentiated Case Management plan designating case to the expedited track, order setting calendar call and case management conference and directing pretrial procedures (DCMENT)

Upon receipt of one of the three above Orders, please review Division AN's Instruction provided below pertaining to:

Scheduling, Continuances and Pretrial Deadlines:

DIVISION AN requires the submission of the E-Calendar Call form(s) on the date provided in the latest DCMGJT, DCMSNT, DCMENT Order(s). Each E-Calendar Call due date has a designated Trial Period in which the case(s) will be heard.

TRIAL CONTINUANCES: If a case cannot be ready for trial by the E-Calendar Call despite all good faith efforts, a motion to continue trial must be set for a Differentiated Case Management (DCM) Conference as described in the 15th Circuit's Administrative Order 3.107 (as amended). Any motion to continue the trial must comply with Fla. R. Civ. P. Rule 1.460, including verifications signed by the client(s). The Motion must be filed and the DCM Case Management Conference set no more than 30 DAYS from the last Defendant being served or as soon as circumstances giving rise to the need for a continuance becomes known and only for good cause. Every motion for a continuance must include a proposed Amended DCMO resetting each pretrial deadline that remains applicable and indicating the month the case can be ready for trial.

DCM CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES: DCM Case Management Conferences are scheduled through the Circuit's Online Scheduling System under DCM- Case Management Conference Scheduling. No less than ten (10) days in advance of the DCM Conference the parties must file with the Clerk a Joint Status Report that: 1. Concisely updates the court on the status of the case and 2. Identifies pending motions and other matters the court needs to address, and 3. If applicable, provides a proposed revised pretrial schedule. The parties must upload the Joint Status report at least 7 days in advance of a DCM Conference through the e-courtesy feature of the Circuit's Online Scheduling System. The parties are to be prepared at the DCM Conference to address the topics listed in Rule 1.200(a) and for the court, at its discretion, to hear or set for hearing any pending motions.

* The DCM Case Management Conference Dates become Available at the beginning of every other month, allowing for scheduling prior to the DCM Case Management Date.

E-Calendar Call Forms:

The E-Calendar Call Forms are attached by hyperlink to each due date. Please be sure to submit the completed form through email to CAD-DIVISIONAN@PBCGOV.ORG by 9:00 a.m. on the due date for the assigned trial docket.

For further information, please see the newly amended Divisional Instructions for Division AN.