Administrative Order Viewer

In the Circuit Court of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in and for
Manatee and Sarasota counties, Florida

Administrative Order No: 2018–5.12

Whereas, in Family Courts III, 646 So. 2d 178 (Fla. 1994), the Supreme Court expressly approved the adoption of local rules and administrative orders establishing family law divisions in each of the circuits, specifically authorizing the incorporation of domestic violence actions in the family division; and

Whereas, it is the current practice of the north Sarasota County family division judges to rotate weeks for reviewing petitions for injunctions^[1]. The rotation schedule to review injunction cases is prepared months in advance and is provided to the Sarasota County Clerk of Court; and

Whereas, the Manatee County family division judges plan to rotate weeks for reviewing petitions for injunctions beginning in May 2018. Once established, the rotation schedule to review injunction cases will be provided to the Manatee County Clerk of Court by the family division judges; and

Whereas, pursuant to SRS standards it is the current practice of the clerks of court to randomly assign all injunction cases to the family division judges. The unintended result is that the family division judges review, issue and deny petitions for injunctions that are not assigned to their own division; and

Whereas, the family division judges prefer that all injunction cases they review be assigned to their own divisions during their assigned weeks; and

Whereas, pursuant to the power vested in the chief judge under article V, section 2(d), Florida Constitution, section 43.26, Florida Statutes, and Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.215, and to improve the administration of justice within the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, it is Ordered as follows:

1. Effective March 12, 2018, the Sarasota County Clerk of Court is directed to assign all new north county injunction cases on a weekly basis to the family division judge scheduled to review them. The Sarasota County family division judges shall provide the Sarasota County Clerk of Court their rotation schedule for reviewing injunctions on a yearly basis and whenever modified.
2. Upon receiving the weekly rotation schedule from the Manatee family division judges, the Manatee County Clerk of Court is directed to assign all new injunction cases on a weekly basis to the family division judge scheduled to review them. The Manatee County family division judges shall provide the Manatee County Clerk of Court their rotation schedule for reviewing injunctions on a yearly basis and whenever modified.
3. The assignment of new injunction cases in both counties is subject to the following exceptions:
   1. If the same parties in the injunction case have a related case ( as defined by Rule 2.545(d), Fla. R. Jud. Ad.min.), currently pending in the family division, the injunction case shall be assigned to the same family division as the related case, as this administrative order does not override or amend Administrative Order 2013-9.12, which sets forth the Unified Family Court Procedures for Manatee and Sarasota Counties. If the injunction case is identified by the clerk’s office as a UFC case, the clerk shall follow the procedures set forth in that administrative order for assigning the case.
   2. This administrative order does not apply to the initial assignment of cases in Sarasota South County Divisions H1 and H2 and does not override or amend Administrative Order 2016-16A.2.

Done and ordered in Sarasota County, Florida, this 26^th day of February, 2018.

Charles E. Williams
Chief Judge

1. Throughout this order ‘petitions for injunctions’ and ‘injunction cases’ refer to petitions for injunctions against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence and stalking. Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.