Non-essential court proceedings canceled, postponed

Only essential proceedings will be held in Florida’s state courts through March 27 under an administrative order issued by Chief Justice Charles T. Canady.

All non-essential proceedings are to be canceled, postponed, or conducted remotely in an ongoing response to the public health emergency posed by COVID-19.  

Chief Justice Canady’s order defines essential and critical court proceedings and requires those that are held be conducted in a way to minimize transmission of the coronavirus. 

The administrative order directs “All circuit and county courts shall continue to perform essential court proceedings, including but not limited to:”

• First appearance;
• Criminal arraignments as necessary;
• Hearings on motions to set or modify monetary bail for individuals who are in custody;
• Juvenile dependency shelter hearings;
• Juvenile delinquency detention hearings;
• Hearings on petitions for temporary injunctions relating to safety of an individual;
• Hearings on petitions for risk protection orders;
• Hearings on petitions for the appointment of an emergency temporary guardian;
• Hearings to determine whether an individual should be involuntarily committed under the Baker Act or the Marchman Act, and;
• Hearings on petitions for extraordinary writs as necessary to protect constitutional rights.

Further, the administrative order directs circuit and county courts to perform critical proceedings related to the state of emergency or the public health emergency.

See the full administrative order here.

Chief judges in judicial circuits and district courts of appeal have wide discretion to take appropriate actions in their own jurisdictions. More information is available from each court.

Links to all judicial circuits are found here.

Links to district courts of appeal are here.

Links to the websites of clerks of court in every county are available here.