Administrative Order Viewer

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

Administrative Order No: 2020–24a.9

(Attachment One amended)

Whereas, Article V, section 5(b), Florida Constitution bestows circuit courts with “jurisdiction of appeals when provided by general law”; and

Whereas, the Florida Legislature in chapter 20-61, section 3, Laws of Florida, amended section 26.012(1), Florida Statutes, and in chapter 20-61, section 8, repealed section 924.08, Florida Statutes, to remove circuit court jurisdiction over certain appeals of county court orders or judgments; and

Whereas, the effective date of these statutory changes is January 1, 2021; and

Whereas, the orderly transfer of cases requires coordination between the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, the Clerks of Court for Desoto, Manatee and Sarasota County, and the Second District Court of Appeal;

Now therefore, it is ordered that:

1. Amended Attachment One to this order includes a list of county court appeals, by county, that are pending as of January 1, 2021, and that will be affected by the jurisdictional change.
2. On or about January 11, 2021, this amended administrative order will issue to update and amend Attachment One by omitting cases that were disposed of prior to close of business on December 31, 2020, and by including cases that were filed after November 30, 2020, and not disposed of prior to January 1, 2021.
3. The following provisions are effective January 1, 2021:
   1. The appeals pending in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in and for Desoto, Manatee and Sarasota County, Florida, on January 1, 2021, are hereby transferred to the District Court of Appeal for the Second District.
   2. This order shall be docketed in each appellate case that is to be transferred and served on the attorneys and pro se parties in the case either by electronic service or via the United States Postal Service.
   3. By no later than January 29, 2021, the Clerk shall transfer via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal all documents on the docket of each appellate case to the Clerk of the District Court of Appeal in the manner requested by the District Court.
   4. For each transferred case, the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall include (i) an Appeal Transfer Form substantially mirroring the form included with this order as Attachment Two; (ii) a progress docket report for the circuit court appeal; and (iii) the civil cover sheet from the underlying county court case if available.
   5. The Clerk shall list on the Appeal Transfer Form the underlying county court case number (Uniform Case Numbering (UCN) System court types CC, CT, MM, and SC), the circuit appeal case number (UCN court type AP), and any local case number assigned in addition to the UCN numbers.
   6. For transferred cases where the filing fee is owed, the Clerk shall promptly file a status report with the District Court of Appeal when the fee is satisfied by payment or indigency determination. In the event the fee has not been timely paid, the Clerk shall promptly notify the District Court of Appeal.
   7. Any and all pending motions in each transferred case are hereby deferred to the transferee District Court.
4. Any future filings by a party to an appellate case shall be submitted electronically to the Second District Court of Appeal via the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Pro se submissions may be filed via the portal or by hard copy mailed to the District Court of Appeal, Second District, at PO Box 327, Lakeland, Florida 33802.
5. If not already registered, attorneys in the transferred cases shall register with eDCA for the District Court of Appeal by following the procedures on the District Court of Appeal’s website. Pro se parties are permitted, but not required, to register with eDCA to receive electronic access to case filings and electronic service of District Court acknowledgement letters, orders, opinions, and mandates.

Done and ordered in Sarasota, Florida, this 11^th day of January, 2021.

Kimberly C. Bonner
Chief Judge