Requirements & Information
Standards of Professionalism
Judge D. Ryan Felix expects all attorneys who appear to know and 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.
A. Remote Appearance
Judge Felix maintains a hybrid courtroom. Attorneys may appear either in person in the courtroom or remotely via audio-video communication technology (Zoom) – with the following exception:
- All hearings lasting longer than one hour, and all evidentiary hearings, are in person in the courtroom. On a case-by-case basis, Judge Felix may permit remote appearance for these hearings pursuant to Rule 2.530 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Administration.
If appearing for a hearing remotely, attorneys must dress as if appearing in person. Additionally, the attorney’s camera must be turned on.
If voluntarily appearing for a hearing in person, the attorney must notify Judge Felix’s office ahead of time so proper arrangements can be made. The attorney must also notify opposing counsel.
Judge Felix's Standing Zoom Credentials
- Launch Zoom
- Click “Join A Meeting”
- Meeting ID: 971 0511 7699
Password: 525253
B. Hearing Procedures
Pro Se Parties
When seeking hearing time for a motion, parties appearing pro se must email a copy of the motion to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant and request available timeslots. Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant will then provide available timeslots with which the pro se party must contact opposing counsel(s) to coordinate. After the parties have agreed on a timeslot for the motion, the pro se party must notify Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to secure the hearing time.
Attorneys
Hearings lasting one hour or less must be scheduled through JACS. If the JACS system has no available timeslots, please contact Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to schedule the hearing. Attorneys are prohibited from using JACS to combine adjacent timeslots to secure longer hearings.
Hearings lasting longer than one hour are unable to be scheduled through JACS. These hearings must be scheduled by contacting Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant.
A motion that does not comply with Rule 1.202 of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure (“Conferral Prior to Filing Motions”) should not be scheduled for hearing. If a motion that is not compliant with Rule 1.202 is scheduled for hearing, it will be cancelled.
Please be advised that Judge Felix’s calendar fills up quickly. As a result, securing hearing time can be difficult. With that said, Judge Felix works to provide hearing time based on need and is often able to timely pull cases onto the docket if the parties are flexible.
Also, please note that General Magistrate David Caskey is a full-time hearing officer. Scheduling a hearing with Magistrate Caskey is much less complicated and can usually be accomplished within a couple weeks. Please review the webpage of Magistrate Caskey before scheduling with him on JACS.
Civil Magistrate Hearings
The following matters must be scheduled with Magistrate Caskey:
- All motions directed at the pleadings, all discovery motions, and all service of process, jurisdiction, and arbitration motions. These motions may be scheduled through JACS with Magistrate Caskey.
Please submit an Order of Referral to Civil Magistrate to Judge Felix before setting a hearing with Magistrate Caskey.
In addition to the matters set forth above, Magistrate Caskey may hear any other matter to which the parties consent, including injunction hearings and summary judgment motions. These additional hearings are unable to be set through JACS and must be set by contacting Magistrate Caskey’s office.
Utilizing the general magistrate allows parties to secure hearing time much sooner than could be done otherwise before the division judge. If a party has a good faith objection to a referral to the general magistrate, the party must file an objection before the scheduled hearing.
Please be advised that if a party schedules a hearing with Judge Felix on any motion directed at the pleadings, any motion related to discovery, or any motion related to the service of process, jurisdiction, or arbitration without filing an objection of referral to the general magistrate, the hearing will be cancelled. These hearings must be set with Magistrate Caskey.
Case Management Conference
Judge Felix conducts a Case Management Conference (CMC) docket every month (except July).
To set a CMC on the docket, file a notice of hearing and email a copy of the notice to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant. The Clerk does not notify Judge Felix if a notice of hearing is filed.
If the parties expect the CMC to be longer than five minutes in length, Judge Felix requires that the CMC be scheduled through JACS. Often the parties need a CMC to be heard quickly, so if there is no availability on JACS, the parties are instructed to call Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to secure hearing time.
Please be advised that pursuant to Rule 1.200 of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Judge Felix may address all scheduling issues, including requests to amend the case management order, and other issues that may impact trial of the case. In addition, on reasonable notice to the parties and adequate time available during the CMC, Judge Felix may elect to hear pending motions.
Uniform Motion Calendar (UMC Hearings)
Judge Felix conducts UMC hearings the first Wednesday of every month (except July and December) from 9 am-9:30 am via Zoom.
Motions noticed for the UMC docket must be unopposed, non-evidentiary, and not more than five minutes in length. UMC hearings are unable to be scheduled through JACS. To schedule a UMC hearing, simply file a notice of hearing for 9 am and email a copy of the notice to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant. The Clerk does not notify Judge Felix if a notice of hearing is filed.
Foreclosure Nonjury Trials
Judge Felix conducts a Foreclosure Nonjury Trial docket the first Wednesday of every month (except July and December). Parties seeking to set a Foreclosure Nonjury Trial must seek an order setting the case for trial. At 9:30 am the day of trial, Judge Felix will hold a calendar call. At calendar call, the start time for each nonjury trial will be scheduled for some time during the same day allowing for all trials to be completed.
Summary Judgment Motions
All summary judgment motions must comply with Rule 1.510 of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure and Administrative Order 2021-19.1 (RE: Summary Judgment Motions in Civil Cases).
Motions for Attorney’s Fees/Costs
All motions for fees and costs will initially proceed only on the issue of entitlement. If entitlement is found, Judge Felix will require mediation as to the amount of fees and costs. If mediation is unsuccessful or the parties are unable to agree to the amount, the movant may schedule an evidentiary hearing as to the amount of fees and costs.
Motions for Rehearing, Reconsideration, or New Trial
All motions for rehearing, reconsideration, or new trial must be emailed to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant after filing. Judge Felix will review the motion to determine whether a hearing is required.
C. Communications with the Court
Judge Felix may only communicate with the parties and attorneys in the courtroom. Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant will assist you in securing hearing time, complying with Judge Felix’s procedures, and sending proposed orders. However, she is unable to provide any direction or legal advice on a case.
Attorneys should not include or copy Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant on emails or discussions between the parties which are not directed at Judge Felix’s office. For example, Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant is not to be copied on emails of an attorney inquiring as to another attorney’s availability or discussing whether there is an objection to a proposed order being submitted.
Judge Felix will not consider or review any ex-parte or one-sided communication. All communication sent to Judge Felix must also be sent to all opposing parties before it will be reviewed.
Judge Felix will not consider an email communication as a motion. All motions must be filed with the Clerk.
D. Submission of Orders
Proposed orders are required to be submitted electronically through the statewide portal or via email to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant in Word format. However, the portal is strongly preferred. Please do not send proposed orders to both the portal and Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant. This can result in inadvertent duplication of orders.
All proposed orders must be sent under separate cover letter. If the order is agreed upon by the parties, the cover letter must state that the proposed order is agreed upon.
Because motions filed often do not reach the court file for upwards of a week, if the proposed order relates to a motion recently filed, the motion must be uploaded to the portal or sent to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant for review.
E. Courtesy Copies
Judge Felix requires that all courtesy copies of motions and supporting documents be submitted electronically to his Judicial Assistant. Judge Felix discourages sending paper copies. All motions and supporting documents must be sent to Judge Felix’s judicial assistant in PDF format via email. Judge Felix is unable to accept file sharing links.
The materials should be combined into as few attachments as reasonable possible. For example, Judge Felix might expect to receive the following from the movant on a summary judgment motion: (1) a cover letter, (2) the notice of hearing and motion, (3) attachments to the motion, (4) case law. Ideally, all of these documents should be combined into one PDF. Sending emails with a dozen attachments should be avoided when combining materials is not overly burdensome.
F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
True emergencies are rare. Any motion requesting emergency hearing time must explain the emergency, the anticipated time needed, and, where appropriate, good faith efforts to resolve the matter without judicial intervention. The movant must notify Judge Felix of the motion by calling Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant and emailing her a copy of the motion. Judge Felix will review the motion for determination of whether it will be set for hearing.
Motions for Temporary Injunctions
All motions for temporary injunctions must be emailed to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant upon filing. Judge Felix will likely set a short status conference to determine the length of the hearing and when it can be heard.
G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
The Clerk requires evidentiary exhibits to be in paper format. Attorneys should plan accordingly. An identical copy of the exhibits provided to the Clerk should be provided to Judge Felix as well.
If the hearing is permitted to be remote, hard copies of the exhibits shall be sent to Judge Felix’s office no fewer than three days prior to the hearing.
The above requirements include jury and nonjury trials.
H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Compelling Discovery
Pursuant to Administrative Order 2010-22.2 (In Re: Standards of Professionalism), motions to compel discovery shall quote in full each interrogatory, question on deposition, request for admission, or request for production to which the motion is addressed and the objection and grounds given by the opposing parties.
Motions relating to any subpoena duces tecum shall attach the subpoena.
Failure to Respond to Discovery
If a party has made no response visible in the court file relating to a pending and overdue discovery request, the requesting party may submit a proposed order which finds a waiver of all objections to such request as untimely, except those founded on privilege, and provides that a response shall be filed within 10 days.
Pretrial Conferences
The Order Setting Case for Trial contains a Pretrial Conference date. If the parties submit to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant an agreed Pretrial Conference Order at least three business days prior to Pretrial Conference, the parties will be excused from attending. The parties must attend Pretrial Conference unless excused. Judge Felix does not conduct a docket sounding.
Several days after Pretrial Conference, Judge Felix will release a trial schedule for the corresponding trial period.
Daubert and In Limine Motions
All motions, including Daubert, Summary Judgment, and In Limine motions, must be heard prior to the deadlines imposed in the Case Management Order unless extended or modified by separate order. If no pretrial deadlines have been imposed, all motions must be heard by Pretrial Conference.
In Limine motions, must relate to specific evidentiary issues which the movant in good faith anticipates occurring at trial. Omnibus motions seeking an order requiring the opposing party to simply follow the law will not be heard.
I. Setting Case for Trial
Judge Felix follows the differentiated case management protocol as set forth in Administrative Order 2025-1.1 (In Re: Circuit Civil Case Management and Entry of Case Management Orders).
Judge Felix has trial period every month except July. All trial periods are two weeks long – with the exception of major trial periods which are three weeks long. Major trial periods are April and October. If the trial is expected to last more than a week, the parties must set an initial case management conference to discuss whether the trial should be set during a major trial period.
If a trial order in entered without input from the parties as to when the trial will occur, the parties may address any conflicts with the imposed trial period by setting a case management conference.
J. Preferred Division Forms
To access forms, visit the Civil Division page. Please check this webpage often because new orders may be added or there may be modifications to existing orders.
K. Other Division Procedures
Case Management Reports: In most cases, Judge Felix will enter an order imposing pretrial deadlines shortly after the case is filed. However, there will be times when Judge Felix will require the parties complete a Case Management Report establishing pretrial deadlines. Please be advised that the Clerk does not notify Judge Felix when a Case Management Report is filed.
Case Management Reports, whether agreed or not agreed, must be both filed with the Clerk and sent to the civil division case management team at MANCivilCaseMgmt@jud12.flcourts.org. The team reviews the reports in order to assist Judge Felix better manage cases within the division. Generally, this process takes several weeks. If the parties file an Agreed Case Management Report, and time is of the essence, the parties may submit the report directly to Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant rather than the civil division case management team.
Backup Judges: Judges for Civil Division B and D backup each other to increase availability for trials. There are times where Judge Felix may utilize the assistance of other Twelfth Judicial Circuit Judges or Senior Judges to maintain judicial economy.
Continuances: Pursuant to Rule 1.460 of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, motions to continue trial are disfavored and will rarely be granted and then only upon good cause shown. Successive continuances are highly disfavored. Lack of due diligence in preparing for trial is not grounds to continue a case. All continuance motions must be in writing and signed by the named party requesting the continuance. Failure to promptly request a continuance may be a basis for denying a motion to continue.
Settlements: If the parties settle after Pretrial Conference, the parties must notify Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant immediately. The case will not be removed from the trial docket unless a notice of settlement is filed, and Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant is notified. Please note that the Clerk does not notify Judge Felix if a notice of settlement is filed.
If the parties settle before the case was put on a trial docket, the parties must notify Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant (unless a notice of dismissal has been filed).
Motions Taken Under Advisement: If 60 days have elapsed without a ruling, the movant should call Judge Felix’s Judicial Assistant to advise that the matter has been under advisement for 60 days.
If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Manatee County Jury Office, P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, Florida 34206,
(941) 741‐4062, at least seven (7) days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than seven days. If you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.