Court Hearings on Zoom

For information about meeting times and participation please contact the Judicial Assistant.
Phone:(941) 861-3050
Email: Judicial Assistant

Judge Denkin's Zoom Video Conference Access Information

Temporary COVID-19 Procedures for Sarasota County Civil and Criminal Division C – Updated 5.18.2020

Even during the Court’s emergency operations, the Governor’s Executive Order 20-91 (“Safer at Home Order”), and the Chief Justice of Florida’s Administrative Order 20-23 (the “Mission Essential Order”), along with any extensions of those orders, County Division C remains open and functional. This office is trying to have simple, uniform procedures that assist practitioners and litigants. Please keep monitoring this site, as we try to communicate updated procedures as quickly as possible.

During the COVID-19 outbreak (effective immediately through Friday, May 29, 2020 (the deadline set forth in the Mission Essential Order and any extensions thereof)), Judge Denkin is conducting all non-evidentiary hearings by telephone or by video using the Zoom platform. Evidentiary hearings will be heard at the discretion of Judge Denkin and upon request by one or both of the parties.

Pleas in criminal cases will be accepted by Zoom with certain conditions including the submission of a notarized plea form and testimony from the defense attorney attesting to the identity of the Defendant. If the charge to which the defendant is entering a plea is one that requires fingerprints (charges that are enhanceable which include, but are not limited to, DWLS, battery, violation of an injunction, and petit theft) and the defendant is unable to obtain those fingerprints prior to the plea then an additional condition of probation will be for the defendant to procure fingerprints and file them with the Clerk of Court. Should a plea via Zoom occur, the State shall, if applicable, ensure that the victim has notice of the hearing and the ability to participate in the hearing. Judge Denkin will also accept Pleas in Absentia (with fingerprints, if required) as long as it would not be a violation of Marsy’s Law. A defendant may roll his or her own fingerprints in the presence of a notary provided the Court's plea in absentia form is used. This form can be downloaded from Judge Denkin's requirement page.

For all hearings set on or before May 29, 2020 (the deadline set forth in the Mission Essential Order and any extensions thereof), all notices of hearing must include the method of communication (telephonic or Zoom) as well as any access credentials. Additionally, Court hearings remain public proceedings despite the existence of COVID-19. Therefore, until the conclusion of the COVID-19, attorneys and parties must reference this webpage and the log-in credentials for the Zoom videoconference. The failure to include this information on the Notice of Hearing will likely result in the cancellation of your hearing. If a Notice of Hearing has already been filed, it must be amended to reflect the required information. See the end of this document for the suggested language to include in your Notice of Hearing.

In the event the parties opt to utilize the Zoom platform, Judge Denkin will be the host of the Zoom videoconference. There are no fees to the parties to utilize this service and Zoom will allow individuals to appear via telephone if they do not have an available computer. All hearings in the morning or the afternoon on a designated day will use the same meeting credentials and they are available below. Please understand that each session’s sign in credentials are different and cannot be transferred. Please keep your microphone muted while you are not being addressed. Appropriate  attire is required. Participants should dress as if they were appearing in the courtroom in person .

Please also note the following:

• Questions may be directed to Judge Denkin's assistant via email or by phone at 941-861-7895.
• If there is a court reporter, the court reporter must be remote and not in the courtroom.
• If you would like to set up a telephone conference but you do not have the ability to do so, please contact Judge Denkin’s assistant.
• Should the scheduled hearing present a difficulty for any party, please file a motion to continue and explain that difficulty. A copy of the motion should be emailed to the judicial assistant with copy to all parties.
• Please also refer to Judge Denkin’s regular requirements and procedures.
• Please also refer to the Circuit's COVID19 webpage for updates:
• Suggested language for notices of hearing:

During the COVID-19 outbreak, no person will be permitted inside the courtroom for a circuit-civil hearing, including the court reporter. All individuals, including the court reporter, must attend using the Zoom platform. Please select the “Join A Meeting” link and then enter the Meeting ID to access the hearing. There are no fees for attending this court hearing via the Zoom platform. No camera? No problem! The Zoom platform allows individuals to appear via telephone if they do not have an available camera. The log-in credentials are:

Meeting ID:   [fill in]

Password:      [fill in]
Telephone:     (253) 215-8782 and use the same Meeting ID

If the credentials to access the Court hearing are not listed in this notice of hearing, please visit the Court’s central Zoom access page at http://www.jud12.flcourts.org/Public-Information/Public-Court-Hearings. The judges will attempt to place the credential information on this website a few days prior to the hearing.