The Twelfth Judicial Circuit has developed numerous court programs to help facilitate the judicial process. On this page, you will find information regarding all the programs provided by the Twelfth Circuit.
The Citizen Dispute Settlement Program and Pre-Filing Family Mediation give individuals the opportunity to resolve disputes in a neutral and confidential setting before a court case is filed.
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The County Civil Mediation Program provides mediators to meet with disputing parties. Mediators are third-party facilitators who help the disputing parties reach mutual and voluntary agreements.
We are committed to providing qualified interpreters to limited-English-proficient persons in order to eliminate communication barriers that may prevent full participation in court proceedings necessary to ensure due process and equal access to the courts.
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit Digital Court Recording Office was established to provide a verbatim record of those court proceedings that are required to be reported or recorded at public expense in DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
The purpose of the Circuit Court Technology Program is to seek out opportunities that lend themselves to the effective use of technology in the court.
Actively seek collaboration with local communities and organizations comprised of diverse racial, gender, age, ethnic, national, disability and sexual orientation backgrounds in support of our mission of equity and harmony
The intention of drug court is the break that cycle between drugs and crime. The program seeks to reduce drug abuse and related criminal behavior, improve work and social functioning, and reduce the spread of substance abuse related disease.
The Sarasota DUI Court is dedicated to changing behavior by targeting offenders who are alcohol/drug dependent and currently charged with a DUI and having one or more prior DUI arrest(s).
The Family Mediation Program provides Florida Supreme Court Family Certified Mediators to help disputing parties with open court cases. Most of the disputes involve family matters, either before or after divorce.
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit has employed one full-time Court Guardianship Monitor for this purpose. The Court Monitor investigates allegations of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation of elderly wards or the misappropriation of wards’ assets.
The Internship Programs are designed to allow students to become more familiar with and actively involved in the judicial branch of government. There are two different types of internship opportunities; one for law school students and another for college students.
The specific goals of Mental Health Court are to improve public safety, improve the quality of life of the participants, pay restitution to victims and reduce recidivism all while decreasing the amount of incarceration.
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit has started using pet therapy teams for dependency hearings in Manatee County to provide comfort and emotional support for court participants, particularly children. We anticipate start up in Sarasota County dependency court in the Fall of 2017.
The Pretrial Services Program serves the criminal justice system and community and assists in preserving community safety. The Program provides the Court with information that facilitates sound judicial decisions, enforces court orders and provides supervision and treatment options.
Persons who choose to represent themselves in court are referred to as pro se litigants. The program assists persons who wish to represent themselves in family law matters such as divorce, paternity, child support, parental responsibility and time-sharing. The Self-Help program can also assist with processing requests for change of names and adoptions.
Conflict resolution and the mediation process is being taught and practiced in many Sarasota County Schools and throughout the community as a means towards a more peaceful society. Utilizing literature and thoughtful discussion, students will learn the basic skills they need to resolve conflict and respect differences in an effort to decrease bullying in our schools and communities.
The Veterans Treatment Courts provide judicial supervision while giving veterans an opportunity to receive treatment for many life’s issues that are specific to the veteran population. The programs are designed to help veterans successfully navigate the criminal justice system while connecting them to the appropriate support services.