Requirements & Information
Standards of Professionalism
Magistrate Bradley Ellis 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.
The Clerk’s Office on the progress docket identifies a unique, sequential Document Identification Number (DIN) for each docket entry. Once assigned by the Clerk, the DIN does not change. Please include the DIN when referencing any filing, especially on Notice of Hearings. Use of the DIN will reduce confusion as to what motion is being heard.
The Magistrate must apply the same rules to all parties, regardless of whether you have an attorney. The Magistrate may not talk to you about your case outside of the courtroom, so please do not call to speak with the Magistrate. The Magistrate Assistant may not “give the Magistrate a message.”
ADA Notice: 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
Sarasota County Jury Office, P.O. Box 3079, Sarasota, Florida 34230-3079,
(941) 861–8000, 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 (7) days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.
A. Remote Appearance
Magistrate Ellis’ Zoom Credentials
Launch the Zoom app or log on to zoom.us. Click “Join” and enter the credentials below.
- Meeting ID
- 983 4480 9812
- Password
- 904981
- Audio Only
- 253-215-8782
B. Hearing Procedures
You must schedule hearings of one hour or less in duration using the JACS. Morning hearing time slots are 15 minutes in length. Afternoon hearing time slots are 30 minutes in length. Please contact the Magistrate Assistant before:
- scheduling in consecutive time slots; or
- for assistance scheduling hearings requiring more than one hour.
Pro se parties may request hearing times for motions by calling or emailing the Magistrate’s Assistant.
C. Communications with the Court
Self-Represented Litigants (pro se): Magistrate Ellis must apply the same rules to all parties, regardless of whether you have an attorney. Your opportunity to speak with Magistrate Ellis about your case is when you are in the courtroom as well as in written motions and responses. The Magistrate may not talk to you about your case outside of the courtroom, so please do not call to speak with the Magistrate. Magistrate Ellis’ Judicial Assistant can help you schedule a hearing. The Magistrate Assistant may not help you with your case or send information to the other party or attorney for you. Please do not ask the Magistrate Assistant for the outcome of a hearing or verify that an order has been signed; you may review the Sarasota County Clerk’s website for details about your case. Please remember that whenever you file something with the Clerk or provide the Magistrate a copy, you must send a copy to all the attorneys or parties at the same time.
Mandatory use of the Portal: The Florida Courts E-Filing Authority maintains a single, statewide access point to file court documents known as the E-Filing Portal. Most self-represented litigants (pro se litigants) as well as attorneys must register with the Portal to send and receive court documents as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516. The Portal maintains many “how-to” videos.
D. Submission of Orders
This method is only used for Proposed Recommended Orders requested by the Magistrate following a hearing – please do not submit proposed agreed orders or any orders not requested by the Magistrate. See the respective Judge’s requirements for same.
Downloadable proposed orders: The Court uses several standard order forms, which you may download and use. If a downloadable form is available, the Court prefers you use it because it generally contains specific directions that helps the Clerk of Court maintain data quality in the Clerk’s Case Maintenance System. Please check this site often as the Court frequently adds new or modifies existing proposed orders. You can access these standard order forms here on the Civil Division page.
All proposed orders must be submitted through the Portal and submitted in Word format only.
All proposed orders must be accompanied by a cover letter in PDF/A format. The submitting attorney must ensure all parties/attorneys receive a courtesy copy of both the proposed Order and cover letter. Further, any proposed attachment to a proposed order must simultaneously be submitted through the Portal in PDF/A format. To recap:
- Proposed orders: Word format only
- Cover letters: PDF/A format only
- Attachments to orders: PDF/A format only
The Portal maintains a number of “
how-to” videos, including how to submit a proposed order.
E. Courtesy Copies
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the Magistrate cancelling your hearing. Please do not send links, Dropbox links, or zip files. They are not accepted.
Regular Hearing Paperwork
Please provide all hearing paperwork to the MagCivSar@jud12.flcourts.org dedicated email account at least seven days prior to your scheduled hearing. For voluminous submissions, the Magistrate appreciates you providing the materials in a bookmarked or searchable file. The hearing paperwork includes:
- Notice of Hearing,
- motion(s) being heard,
- relevant pleadings (if a pleading motion),
- discovery requests and answers (if a discovery motion),
- memoranda of law (if applicable), and
- any case law you intend to rely on at the hearing.
Cross Noticing
Once a motion is scheduled, subsequent motions may not be added or cross noticed without prior approval of the original scheduling attorney and the magistrate's office. If your motion is permitted to be heard, you must comply with all requirements.
F. Emergency & Other Urgent Matters
True emergencies are rare. The Magistrate has no set criteria for emergency hearings. Any motion requesting emergency hearing time must explain the emergency, the anticipated time needed, and where appropriate, whether good faith efforts were made to resolve the matter without Court intervention. The attorney or party filing the motion must email a copy to the Magistrate Assistant, and the Magistrate will determine how to handle the request.
G. Exhibits for Evidentiary Proceedings
Please provide electronic copies of your exhibits, properly marked and with an index, at least seven days in advance of the hearing to MagCivSar@jud12.flcourts.org. The Magistrate may also require the submission of hard copies, but the Magistrate Assistant will advise of when and where to send the hard copies.
H. Pretrial Procedures & Conferences
Not applicable for the Civil Magistrate.
I. Setting Case for Trial
Not applicable for the Civil Magistrate
J. Preferred Division Forms
Find downloadable forms on the Civil Division page.
K. Other Division Procedures
Recommended Orders
The Magistrate typically prepares his own Recommended Orders; however, at the conclusion of a hearing, he may request one of the attorneys to prepare a Recommended Order. If the Magistrate requests the attorney prepare a Recommended Order, same should be submitted through the portal for review and consideration by the Magistrate. The Recommended Order should list if parties waive exceptions or not.
Exceptions to Recommended Orders
Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.490(i) provides, “The parties may file exceptions to the report within 10 days after it is served. Any party may file cross-exceptions within 5 days of the service of the exceptions.” If a party files exceptions or cross-exceptions, the party shall file the original with the Clerk and provide copies to the Magistrate and assigned Judge. The Judge then issues an Order directing that, within a designated time, the excepting party shall file a transcript of the hearing before the Magistrate and set a hearing on the exceptions. Failure to adhere to the Judge’s Order may result in the Judge striking the party’s exceptions and adopting the Recommended Order without further hearing.
If no exceptions are filed, the Magistrate Assistant will prepare and forward an Order to the assigned Judge adopting the Recommended Order that was filed and previously served on the parties.