The Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida

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...

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.31 - Extension of Administrative Order 11.29, Suspension of Certain Eviction and Mortgage Foreclosure Actions, entered by Chief Judge Nilon, May 18, 2020.  

Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady Distributed “Best Practices” Guidelines for New Remote Procedures

Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady distributed “Best Practices” guidelines on May 11, 2020, that were developed by a statewide COVID-19 Workgroup to help people navigate new remote procedures used by state courts in the coronavirus pandemic. The guidelines offer help not just to judges and court staff but also to people representing themselves in court during the public health...

Florida’s Chief Justice Expands List of State Court Hearings That Will be Held by Remote Technology and Suspends In-person Jury Trials into early July. 

Acting on the recommendations of a statewide Court Continuity Workgroup, Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady issued a new emergency order  increasing the list of proceedings state courts will accomplish by remote technology during the coronavirus pandemic. It also extends the current suspension of jury trials in Florida until July 2. It makes corresponding changes to some legal deadlines by...

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 11.30 - Extending Bond Forfeiture Deadlines, entered by Chief Judge Nilon, April 15, 2020. To view go to Courts & Judges above and then go to Administrative Orders.

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.28 - Extending Emergency Procedures, extending until May 29, 2020 the emergency court procedures currently put in place by AO 11.25, entered by Chief Judge Nilon, April 13, 2020. To view go to Courts & Judges above and then go to Administrative Orders.

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.

IMPORTANT: Eighth Judicial Circuit COVID-19 Update:

Administrative Order 11.26- Suspending the Execution of all Writs of Bodily Attachment in Department of Revenue, Child Support Cases in the Eighth Circuit, entered by Chief Judge Nilon on April 7, 2020. To view go to Courts & Judges above and then go to Administrative Orders.