Judicial Section Details

INSTRUCTIONS ON HEARINGS:

Courthouses are now open for in-person hearings and trials, based on public health advisories at the direction of the Florida Supreme Court. 

All Baker Act hearings will occur in person.

All Marchman Act hearings will occur in person, unless noticed otherwise.

For all other hearings (including but not limited to Petitions for Appointment of Guardian Advocate, Petitions for Emergency Temporary Guardianship, and Petitions for Restoration of Firearms Rights), please follow the following instructions:
All non-evidentiary hearing less than 30 minutes will be conducted by Zoom, unless all parties wish to have the hearing held in-person AND the Magistrate agrees.  Video appearance is required for any participant whose testimony is necessary so the Court can administer the oath.
All evidentiary matters or hearings needing more than 30 minutes will be conducted in-person.

ZOOM HEARINGS:

Please download the Zoom application, which you may use for free, at https://zoom.us/.  
Once your hearing is set, you will receive an Outlook invitation for your scheduled hearing. UNLESS YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A ZOOM INVITE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF YOUR SCHEDULED HEARING, please do not call Chambers as this information will be sent to you automatically. 

Store the link provided in the invitation on your computer calendar and log in at the appointed time.  You must also share the link with your clients, opposing counsel, or any interested parties who do not appear on the service list. If you are aware that an interested party, or someone who is required to appear does not have access to necessary technologies, please cancel the hearing so necessary arrangements can be made for that interested party.

You are expected and required to observe proper decorum and procedure as with any other court appearance.

EXHIBITS:

Prior to the hearing, you must provide a copy of each of your proposed exhibits to the opposing party. You must also contact your opposing party and attempt to stipulate to exhibits. An exhibit list must be prepared and filed in advance (7 days) of the hearing date. Failure to do any of these things may result in your exhibit getting excluded from evidence.

REQUEST FOR TRANSCRIPTS:

All hearings before a General Magistrate are recorded electronically.  All requests for copies of audio recordings of judicial proceedings by attorneys of record, parties to a case, and self-represented litigants shall be submitted electronically by following the instructions online under Court Reporting Services of the 11th Judicial Circuit website (jud11.flcourts.org).  Upon full review of the request and in accordance with Rule 2.420, a final invoice shall be sent to the requester, which must be paid prior to release of the audio recording. 

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Notice:
If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in a proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court’s ADA Coordinator, Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Ave., Suite 2400, Miami, FL 33128, Telephone (305) 349-7175; TDD (305) 349-7174, Fax (305) 349 7355, Email: ADA@jud11.flcourts.org at least seven (7) days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than seven (7) days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.