RJ Divisional Instructions

Judge Stephanie F. Tew is presiding over Division RJ effective December 28, 2022.

Updated 2/13/2023

ALL SMALL CLAIM PRETRIALS/MEDIATION WILL BE HEARD IN PERSON

Division RJ Standing Order effective November 9, 2021

Standing Order

Online Scheduling remains open and dates are available for scheduling. Hearings that are scheduled for 30 minutes or less and are scheduled online in Division RJ will be conducted remotely unless the judge requires the hearing to be in person. All evidentiary hearings and hearings over 30 minutes are to be held in person in Courtroom 6J unless the parties have obtained prior approval from the Court for zoom appearances. Please see below for details in regards to obtaining and providing ZOOM information.  Persons who are interested in listening to the court events may contact the Court's Public Information Office, Debra Oats, at 561-355-4495 or 561-644-0054 to obtain an access line.

PLEASE DO NOT SET EVICTION FINAL JUDGMENTS FOR HEARING
ON THE COURT'S CALENDAR WITHOUT FIRST CONTACTING
THE COURT'S OFFICE VIA EMAIL AT: CAD-DIVISIONRJ@PBCGOV.ORG

Zoom Information for Hearings (Not applicable for PRETRIAL/MEDIATION)

Trial Docket

Trial Docket 05/17/21 - 05/30/21

Pretrial Docket

Pretrial Docket 08/26/2021

UPDATED 2/13/2023

• For hearings (UMC and Special Set 15, 30 min) set using OLS, you will be provided ZOOM information upon setting the hearing in OLS. It is the scheduling party's responsibility to timely provide this information to appear remotely to all parties. The Zoom information should be listed in place of the Courtroom in your Notice of Hearing. The scheduling party can find or confirm ZOOM info by going back into OLS at any time and reviewing the hearing details.
• For ALL Non-Jury Trials and other hearings set by the Court, if the Court determines that the matter will proceed remotely, parties will receive an Order (approximately 1 week prior to the hearing date) that includes directions and ZOOM information.
• Evidence and Caselaw should be mailed to the Judge's chambers or put in the bin on the 1st floor of the main branch courthouse

Small Claims Pretrials and Mediations

ALL PRE TRIALS WILL BE HEARD IN PERSON.

• For cases that are NONSERVED: Plaintiff must request a new summons through the Clerk of Court in the ordinary course.

Proposed Orders

ALL PROPOSED ORDERS (in Word format) along with the motion shall be submitted to the 15th Judicial Circuit Online Services through the Online Scheduling. Any supporting documents for the Court to review should be efiled with the clerk and then submitted as attachments to the order.

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's 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. OUR OFFICE DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY COURTESY COPIES OF THE FOREGOING VIA E-MAIL.

Online Services

Hearings

New hearing dates are uploaded to Online Scheduling on the first working day of each month.

Hearings requiring less than 10 minutes are set on the Court's Uniform Motion Calendar, held Tuesdays and Thursdays (unless otherwise suspended) at 9:00 am, through On-Line Scheduling. Hearings can be set with 5 business days notice including courtesy copies of the motion and notice to the Court through On-Line Scheduling. FOR A SINGLE CASE - 1 UMC SLOT (MAX OF 2 MOTIONS/10 MINUTES TOTAL) IS PERMITTED. UMC HEARINGS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR MOTIONS THAT ARE 10 PAGES IN LENGTH OR LESS (INCLUDING EXHIBITS) ANTYTHING LONGER THAN THAT SHOULD BE SPECIAL SET! Motions to Dismiss are not appropriate for UMC and should be Specially Set.

Hearings requiring 15 to 30 minutes are specially set on the Court's calendar through On-Line Scheduling. Only after you have confirmed that there are no available 15 and/or 30 minute timeslots available through On-Line Scheduling, should you contact the Judicial Assistant by email at CAD-DivisionRJ@pbcgov.org for alternative hearing times.

Hearings requiring more than 30 minutes and ALL Motions for Attorney Fees should be set by contacting the Judicial Assistant by email at CAD-DivisionRJ@pbcgov.org

ANY POST JUDGMENT MOTIONS NEED TO BE EMAILED TO THE COURT AFTER FILING. THE COURT WILL DECIDE IF A HEARING IS NECESSARY.

The motion(s) must be filed and docketed with the Clerk of Court prior to requesting a hearing date and time. In keeping with professional courtesy, any party scheduling a hearing shall make a good faith attempt to resolve the matter, undertake reasonable efforts to contact the opposing party/counsel for availability or scheduling conflicts. Send a courtesy copy of the notice and motion to the Court through On-Line Scheduling at least 5 business days before any scheduled hearing.

FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING SCHEDULING A HEARING PLEASE REFER TO LOCAL RULE 4. View Local Rule 4

WHEN EMAILING THE JUDICIAL ASSISTANT TO SCHEDULE A HEARING, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE PROVIDING HOW LONG YOU NEED THE HEARING FOR AND A TIME FRAME AS TO WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A HEARING.

Motions for Attorney Fees

Since the Court utilizes a preliminary order with instructions to be followed in advance of the hearing, all Motions for Attorney's Fees and/or Costs shall attach a document detailing the time records and requested rate(s). The moving party shall request hearing dates by contacting the Judicial Assistant by email at CAD-DivisionRJ@pbcgov.org.

Cancellations

To cancel UMC hearings please do so through the Online Scheduling system, you do not need to notify the Judicial Assistant.

To cancel any Special Set hearings please email CAD-DivisionRJ@pbcgov.org the reason for cancellation. Your hearing is not cancelled until you receive confirmation back from the Judicial Assistant. Opposing counsel should be contacted prior to the Judicial Assistant.

FOR ANY CANCELLATION DUE TO SETTLEMENT OR DISMISSAL: Please email an E-FILED copy of either a Notice of Settlement or Dismissal to the divisional email at CAD-DivisionRJ@pbcgov.org.

Interpreters for County Civil Cases

The Court does not provide interpreters for County Civil cases. It is the responsibility of the party needing an interpreter to bring to court an interpreter who is certified, language skilled, provisionally approved or who is registered with the Office of State Court Administrator as required by Rule 2.560 and Rule 2.565 of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. For further information or for assistance locating an interpreter, please visit Court Interpreters. Persons unable to obtain an interpreter must bring someone to assist. The Court will determine if they are qualified to interpret the proceedings.

PIP Pre-trial Procedures

View important changes to PIP pretrial procedures.

Small Claims

Pre-trial hearings are set on Thursdays at 1:00 pm. All small claims cases must go to mediation. Mediation is provided free of charge. If not resolved, the case will be set for trial. If the parties intend to waive Pre-Trial Conference, the parties should file the signed Stipulation with the Clerk of Courts and then send a copy of the signed stipulation as a "PDF" along with a Proposed Order in "WORD" format thru our On-Line Scheduling for Judge's signature. Once the Order has been e-signed and e-served to you then the hearing is cancelled. If the Order is not signed, parties have to appear at the hearing unless told otherwise. All Pre-trials are held IN-PERSON ONLY.

Landlord/Tenant

Landlord/Tenant hearings are set and noticed by the Court for Thursdays afternoons after review of motions sent to the Court or when the Court decides mediation is appropriate. Mediation is provided at no charge for Residential Mediation and only $60 per side for Commercial Mediation.

Dismissals

Small Claims and Landlord/Tenant cases - If your case has resolved and is no longer at issue please file a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal and advise the Judicial Assistant via telephone or email. A filed Dismissal will remove any future hearings for that case on the Judge's calendar.

Notice of Voluntary Dismissal

Trials

All non-jury trials are set by the court with a pre-trial procedure order. Jury trials will be set for Calendar Call and Case Management conferences.

Neither the Judge nor the Judicial Assistant can give you legal advice regarding how to proceed with your case. For assistance, you can contact the Self-Help Center at 561-355-6781 located on the first floor of the Main West Palm Beach Courthouse. Additionally, the Palm Beach County Bar Association has a lawyer referral and information service at 561-687-3266.

Agreed Waiver of Appearance at Pretrial Conference:

1. Prior to submitting an Agreed Waiver of Appearance at Pretrial Conference through the dedicated portal, counsel for the defendant must file their Notice of Appearance with the Clerk of Court.

• Effective March 19, 2018 in the Main Judicial Complex and April 6, 2018 in the South County Annex, any stipulation or waiver must be approved and made an order of the Court. No PIP case shall proceed under the Rules of Civil Procedure without signed judicial consent. It is no longer sufficient alone to file with the Clerk of Court any joint stipulation to invoke the Rules of Civil Procedure and to waive appearance at the pretrial conference.
• Submittals: View/download instructions for preparing and submitting the Agreed Waiver of Appearance at Pretrial Conference and Stipulation to Invoke the Rules of Civil Procedure. Do not file the Agreed Waiver with the Clerk of Court. Caution: Submissions other than a proposed Agreed Waiver will not be accepted. Any submissions for the Court to review in Chambers and arising from the normal course of litigation or as directed by the Judge should be submitted pursuant to division instructions.