The Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.34 - Bradford County Transition to Phase 2, entered by Chief Judge James P. Nilon, July 9, 2020.  

Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady Issued Two New Administrative Orders on July 2, 2020, to Provide More Detailed Guidance on the Four-phase System the State Courts Will Use to Govern Pandemic Operations

Updated Administrative Order AOSC20-32. The first amended order revises AOSC20-32 originally issued on May 21, 2020. The July 2 amendments establish a certification process for moving to Phase 3 – the time when in-person contact is more broadly authorized and protective measures are relaxed. That process requires local chief judges to monitor public health reports, consult health experts, and be...

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.33 - Procedures for Phase 2 Transition and Additional Modified Phase 1 Safety Precautions, entered by Chief Judge Nilon, July 1, 2020.  

Florida’s Chief Justice Extends Suspension of State Jury Trials to July 17 and Amends Guidelines for Remote Jury Trial Pilot Program in the Coronavirus Pandemic

Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady on June 8, 2020, issued a memorandum providing new guidelines for the state courts on a resumption of in-person court proceedings during the pandemic. He also amended two earlier orders about jury proceedings. The first new amended order extends the current suspension of the statewide grand jury investigating school violence through July 26, 2020....

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Chief Judge James P. Nilon has entered Administrative Order 11.32 - Second Revised Corona Virus Pandemic Emergency Procedures. The Order provides for the circuit’s transition to a Modified Phase 1 operation beginning June 1, 2020.

Effective June 1, 2020, the Following Changes Will Take Place Regarding First Appearance

Alachua County First Appearances will be conducted by the Alachua County Court Judges as set forth in the Eighth Circuit Master Calendar. There will no longer be an Essential Court Proceeding/Emergency docket to handle Circuit Court matters following First Appearance. Alachua County Detention and Shelter Hearings will continue to heard on a rotating basis by the Circuit and...

Florida Chief Justice Charles Canady Issues Administrative Order Creating a Work-group to Recommend Ways for a Staged Return to Full Court Operations

With Florida’s state courts now operating mostly through remote technology, Chief Justice Charles Canady issued a new administrative order April 21 creating a 17-member work-group to recommend ways for a staged return to full court operations as the course of the coronavirus pandemic changes in the months ahead. The work-group is charged with finding ways for courts to operate...

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.27 (version 2)- Emergency Procedures Relating to the Post Arrest Detention of Juvenile, clarifying the procedures set forth in AO 11.27 for juvenile who are taken into custody, entered by Chief Judge Nilon, April 13, 2020. To view go to Courts & Judges above and then go to Administrative Orders.

A Message From Eighth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Nilon Regarding Family Law Time Sharing Matters

As the Chief Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, I have elected at this time NOT to enter an Administrative Order in Family Law cases regarding primarily time-sharing matters.  I have considered doing one as other circuits have, but, at this point in time, I have consciously chosen not to do so.  It is my thought that in our...

All courthouses continue to remain open.

At this time, all courthouses in the Eighth Judicial Circuit will continue to remain open.