Communications with the Judicial Office
Method of Communication:
All communications to the judicial office must be submitted by e-mail to SimoneauxA@circuit8.org. The subject line must contain the case number INCLUDING the county code, case name, and relevant matter (e.g., 01-2023-CA-001234 – Doe v. Doe – 2-Hour Hearing Requested on X Motion.).
Ex Parte Communications:
All communications with the judicial office must comply with Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits a judge from initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte communications and from considering other communications outside the presence of the parties concerning a pending or impending proceeding, unless authorized by law. All parties must be copied on any e-mail directed to the judicial office, unless an ex parte communication is authorized by law.
Unsolicited Communications:
Unsolicited communications from non-parties will not be considered by the court. Parties may only contact the judicial office in accordance with these practices and procedures.
E-Filing Portal Contact Information:
All attorneys and self-represented litigants must provide an e-mail address to receive signed orders electronically, unless excused. Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.516. It is the responsibility of attorneys and self-represented litigants to update their contact information using Form 2.603 any time there is a change in the e-mail account registered for electronic service.
Response to Inquiries:
If an out-of-office response is received upon attempt to contact the judicial assistant, please note the instructions contained therein and proceed accordingly.
Scheduling Procedures
Court Schedule:
Alachua Circuit Civil and Family Master Calendar
Bradford Circuit Court Master Calendar
Scheduling Hearings:
Please fill out the form on our hearing request page to email all hearing requests to SimoneauxA@circuit8.org.
Please confirm that your motion has been filed, served on all parties, and docketed prior to requesting hearing time. No hearing time will be given for motions that are not filed and docketed. If you have questions about whether your motion is filed and docketed, please contact either the Alachua County Clerk of Court or the Bradford County Clerk of Court.
Our office does not hold suggested dates for hearings, and a hearing is not scheduled on the Court’s calendar unless you receive confirmation from the judicial assistant that it has been added.
Once a motion or petition is scheduled, any other motions or matters may NOT be noticed at the same time reserved for the first motion unless prior approval has been obtained from the judicial assistant.
No requests for cancellation/continuance submitted the day of hearing will be considered except in cases of emergency.
Please note that emergency hearings may be set by the Court without being coordinated with counsel and/or parties.
Notice of Hearing:
A notice of hearing should be filed, served, and a courtesy copy emailed to the judicial assistant immediately after the judicial assistant confirms calendaring of the hearing. A hearing is not set on the Court’s calendar unless the parties receive confirmation from the judicial assistant that it has been added. The location of the hearing (Zoom or in person) will be provided by the judicial assistant upon confirmation of calendaring.
Submission Deadlines:
The court must receive all materials for the hearing no later than seven business days before the hearing. For Motions to Approve Settlement all relevant documents should be provided for the Court’s review no less than 7 days prior to the hearing.
Continuance Procedure:
Continuances are disfavored and will be granted only upon good cause shown. The moving party must contact opposing counsel to determine if they have an objection prior to filing a Motion for Continuance. The Motion must be filed with the Clerk of Court and must indicate if opposing counsel objects to the continuance. Any request for continuance must be efiled at least seven days prior to the scheduled court date. Except for good cause shown, the motion must be signed by the party requesting the continuance, as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.545(e).
Cancelling Hearings:
If the parties were responsible for filing the Notice of Hearing it may be cancelled via filing a Notice of Cancellation of Hearing which should be emailed to the judicial assistant upon filing. If the hearing was set by the Court, please email the judicial assistant to request cancellation/rescheduling.
Remote Appearance
Remote Appearance Procedure:
Hearings set for 30 minutes or less will be held via Zoom. Hearings set for more than 30 minutes will be held in person at the courthouse in the county of the case in question.
Platform Used:
The Court uses Zoom for remote appearances.
Requirements:
If a party wishes to request remote appearance for a hearing that is longer than 30 minutes due to extenuating circumstances, they may do so by filing a Motion to Appear Remotely and submitting a proposed order granting same via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal no less than 7 days prior to the hearing.
Technology Needs:
Throughout the Eighth Circuit there are two types of AV equipment available for courtroom presentation, depending on the courthouse and courtroom of your event. Please see: https://circuit8.org/departments-services/reserving-a-v-equipment/ for additional information.
ALL PRETRIAL CONFERENCES FOR JURY TRIALS REQUIRE IN PERSON ATTENDANCE BY AN ATTORNEY OF RECORD WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COURT HAS REGARDING READINESS FOR TRIAL.
Submission of Orders and Judgments
Format for Proposed Orders:
All proposed orders must be submitted in Microsoft Word format. All proposed orders must be accompanied by a cover letter which identifies the corresponding motion(s) and date the motion(s) was heard and either (1) certifies that all parties agree to the order or (2) contains a statement identifying any disagreement of the parties as to the proposed order. See our example of a proposed order. If you have filed a motion that you believe does not need a hearing, please e-file a corresponding proposed order once the motion is docketed.
DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida on DDDD.
JJJJ
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that copies have been furnished by U.S. Mail or via filing with the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal on MMMM.
CCCC
AAAA
- Should an additional party or address be required for service of the order that is not contained in the court file, please type the name of the party who is to receive the order, as well as that party’s e-mail/e-service address OR mailing address at the end of the AAAA block in the Certificate of Service.
Submission Method:
All proposed orders must be submitted via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/) using the “Submit Proposed Order(s) to Judiciary (Court)” option on the efiling map page. Do not send proposed orders by United States Mail. You may provide via e-mail only proposed orders which must be submitted in PDF format. Please ensure the corresponding motion/petition is docketed into the case prior to providing a proposed order on same otherwise the proposed order may be rejected without review. Please do not provide proposed orders prior to the day of hearing for any motion/petition.
If there are parties who have not consented to use of e-mail service, stamped envelopes should be mailed or hand delivered to the Judicial Assistant, Anita Simoneaux. Please clip the envelopes together, along with a sticky note that indicates the case name and case number. PLEASE DO NOT ADDRESS THE ENVELOPES; LEAVE THE ENVELOPES BLANK BUT BE SURE TO ADD THE PROPER POSTAGE.
Deadline for Submissions:
Proposed orders must be submitted within 10 days after any hearing, unless ordered otherwise by the judge.
Notice of Settlement and Voluntary Dismissal:
In the event parties settle the case, please file a notice of settlement within 10 days of acceptance of proposal of settlement. Notices of Voluntary Dismissal should be filed within 30 days of settlement. If extenuating circumstances exist which prevent dismissal in that time frame parties are to notify the judicial assistant via email.
Process Server Procedures
All motions to appoint special process servers:
- Should name at least one individual, but not more than two
- Should not name a business or company as a process server
- Must contain a certification that the named individuals have been certified by the Florida Association of Professional Process Servers, or some similar association, or provide proof that the individuals are certified in another circuit.
Orders will not be entered appointing special process servers outside the jurisdiction of the Court.
Once the motion is filed and docketed, a corresponding proposed order may be provided via the e-filing portal.
Courtesy Copies of Case Law and Other Documents
When Required:
Courtesy copies of case law must be emailed as a PDF attachment to the judicial assistant.
Format:
Submission Method:
Deadline for Submissions:
Courtesy copies must be emailed to SimoneauxA@circuit8.org no less than seven days before the hearing in which they are to be relied upon.
Emergency and Other Urgent Matters
Requirements:
If a party believes there is a factual basis for setting an emergency hearing, a detailed motion setting forth the following must be filed including: (1) the issues to be resolved, (2) reasons why an emergency hearing is necessary, and (3) the amount of time needed for each party’s presentation, and a courtesy copy of the motion along with a hearing request including all pertinent information must be e-mailed to the judicial assistant.
Scheduling:
If the Court determines that an emergency exists, a hearing will be scheduled unilaterally by the Court. All parties shall make themselves available for the emergency hearing, barring exigent circumstances.
Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
Submission Method:
A physical copy of all pre-marked exhibits, along with an Index of Exhibits from each side, shall be received by the Court via mail or by hand delivery at the county courthouse of the respective case no less than 7 days prior to the hearing date. This copy will be used by the Court to stamp the official evidence as it is entered at the hearing/trial. Please confer with all parties prior to the hearing to determine whether there are any stipulations as to the admissibility of evidence. Any pre-marked evidence which is stipulated should be so noted. All other pre-marked evidence will be considered opposed. Evidence should not be filed with the Clerk.
Format:
If you intend to present any evidence or documents to the court at your hearing, you must pre-mark all items with a letter for identification (ex. Plaintiff’s A,B,C, etc.) and serve a copy to all parties no less than three (3) business days prior to the hearing. If there are any pro se parties involved in your case, a copy of the pre-marked evidence shall be served on them, via US Mail, no later than ten (10) days prior to the hearing.
Deadline for Submissions:
All exhibits must be received in chambers 7 days before the evidentiary proceeding.
Pretrial Procedures and Conferences
Case Management Conference:
Any party may request a case management conference (CMC) when a case requires. The court strongly encourages the early use of CMC in more complex cases, multiple-party litigation, or any case that might benefit from court intervention. Unless excused by the court in advance, all CMCs are mandatory for attorneys and self-represented litigants. Parties represented by counsel are not required to appear at a CMC.
Status Conference:
Any party may request a status conference (SC) when a case requires. Unless excused by the court in advance, all SCs are mandatory for attorneys and self-represented litigants. Parties represented by counsel are not required to appear at a SC.
Requirements:
Requests for CMC or SC must articulate the reason(s) for the necessity of the conference.
Scheduling:
If the Court agrees that a CMC or SC is required, the moving party may request hearing times from the judicial assistant and coordinate with the opposing party following the courts scheduling procedures outlined above.
ALL PRETRIAL CONFERENCES FOR JURY TRIALS REQUIRE IN PERSON ATTENDANCE BY AN ATTORNEY OF RECORD WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COURT HAS REGARDING READINESS FOR TRIAL.
Setting Case for Trial
Procedure:
If a case is ready to be set for trial any party may file a Motion to Set Matter for Trial and provide a copy of same to the judicial assistant via email. A Case Management Conference will be scheduled at which the case will be set for trial. Alternatively, the parties may elect to file a Joint Case Management Statement as laid out in the Order Setting Case Management Conference and, if the Court agrees to the trial term requested therein, the CMC may be canceled and the case set for trial without appearance of the parties.
Other Division Procedures
ADA Accommodations:
If you need an ADA accommodation, please contact the ADA Coordinator, Alachua County Family and Civil Justice Center, 201 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601, phone# 352 337 6237 at least 7 days prior to your scheduled Court appearance or immediately upon receiving the notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days. If you are hearing of voice-impaired, please call 1 800 955 8770 via Florida Relay Service.
