Requirements & Information

Contact Information

Judicial Service

• Circuit Court Bench, November 2022
• County Court Bench, August 2018

Education

• JD, Florida Coastal School of Law, 2005
• BS, Penn State University, 2002

Judicial Assistant

Karina

Phone

(941) 861–7950

Chamber

Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center

Physical Address

2002 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34237

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 48927, Sarasota, FL 34230

Office Hours

8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed for lunch Noon-1 p.m.

Courtroom

Proceedings are held in Courtroom 5C

Division Email

Email proposed orders to Felony6@jud12.flcourts.org

Quick Links

•  Calendars
•  Division Documents & Preferred Forms
•  Judicial Requirements
•  Trial Periods
•  Zoom Requirements

Division Assignment(s)

• Circuit Criminal Felony Division VI - Sarasota County

Requirements & Information

Standards of Professionalism

All attorneys must adhere to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism, also available on the websites of the Manatee County Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association.

Case Management Conferences, Docket Sounding, Trials, evidentiary hearings, and motions to recall bench warrants will be held in-person in Courtroom 5C or at the jail courtroom as scheduled. Parties may motion the Court for permission to appear remotely.

Zoom users must activate the audio and video camera. Notices of Hearing for Zoom events must include the Zoom credentials. Division VI’s perpetual Zoom Credentials are:

• Meeting ID: 992 9762 3629
• Password: 419147

Motions filed with the Clerk are not forwarded to the Court.  It is imperative that the filing party bring the motion to the Court’s attention and request the appropriate amount of hearing time by contacting the Judicial Assistant at (941) 861–7950. Motions must be filed prior to requesting hearing time.

The scheduling party shall file a Notice of Hearing that includes the date, time, duration, matter to be heard (include DIN), location of hearing, and Zoom credentials if applicable.

Written communications and pleadings must include all parties. Ex parte communications with the Court are prohibited. Communications may be hand delivered to the attention of Judge Dana Moss at 2002 Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34237; emailed to Felony6@jud12.flcourts.org; or mailed to P.O. Box 48927, Sarasota, FL 34230.

Parties may submit proposed orders to the Court through the Clerk’s e-portal or via email to Felony6@jud12.flcourts.org.

Please submit courtesy copies of motions, notices of hearing, and case law to the Court no less than 2 business days before the scheduled hearing.

Speedy Trial

Parties are required to immediately notify the Judicial Assistant upon filing a Demand for Speedy Trial with the Clerk, so that a Calendar Call may be held within 5 days.

Uncharged Defendants

Defendants must notify the Court upon filing a Motion for Release of Uncharged Defendant. The Court will allow the State an opportunity to respond before ruling on the Motion, unless immediate release is required under rule 3.134 (2), Fla. R. Crim. P.

Parties should bring their exhibits to the courtroom on the day of the event and have the Clerk pre-label the exhibits. Not all courtrooms are outfitted with the same technology to display exhibits. Parties’ should contact Technology Services department within 48 hours of a proceeding for equipment and training needs.

Case Management

1. Case Management Conferences are generally held on Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. as posted on Division VI’s calendars. Parties must appear in person, unless excused by the Court. Case Management Conferences for PD/ORC/Pro se inmates housed at the Sarasota County Jail will be heard in the jail courtroom at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the scheduled conference.
2. The parties will be permitted to have up to three (3) Case Management Conferences, absent good cause. At the third conference, the parties shall be prepared to select their trial date.
3. Trial stipulations and requests for continuances must be submitted 2 days prior to Case Management to cancel the current conference. Parties should not assume that they are excused from attending Case Management if they submitted a stipulation after the deadline.
4. Parties should notify the Court and Clerk of all requests to add a case to Case Management for purposes of a plea prior to Case Management commencing.

Docket Sounding

1. Defendants and attorneys must appear in person, unless excused by the Court.
2. Defendants in custody at the Sarasota County Jail are subject to having their cases heard in person at the jail on the Thursday following Docket Sounding.
3. All pretrial motions should be heard prior to docket sounding. Failure to do so, may constitute a waiver or cause the motion to be heard during the trial.
4. Oral motions to continue trial are not permitted. Instead, the motions must be written and heard preferably before Docket Sounding.

1. Division VI trial periods are posted at Division 6’s Calendars and Forms.
2. General and Major Trial Order forms are available at the Criminal Division page or in the courtroom. Stipulations for trial must be signed by the Defendant.
3. Major Trial periods are reserved for Capital, Life, and First-Degree felonies, as well as complex and violent crimes with an expected duration of 5 days or longer. General Trial periods are reserved for all other matters.
4. The Court will decide the trial date if the parties are unable to agree.
5. Unless otherwise instructed, parties should appear at 8:30 a.m. on the first Monday of the two-week trial period ready to select a jury and commence trial.
6. Attorneys are responsible for timely delivering properly labeled clothing for inmates to the front security area of the courthouse no less than 2 business days before trial.

Visit the Criminal Division page for preferred Division VI forms

Language Interpreter

Please submit the Interpreter Request Form 5 days in advance of a hearing.