Know Your Judge: How to Find What Your Judge Actually Requires

Florida judges publish their own procedures, and almost nobody reads them. Not the public, and not every lawyer either. They set out how hearings get scheduled, how motions have to be submitted, what the deadlines are before trial, when the plea cutoff falls, how violations of probation are handled, and, the part that matters most to people with a job and a commute, whether that judge will let you appear remotely.

All of it is public and free. This page tells you where it lives and what to do with it.

Why I am not going to list the judges here

Because it would be wrong within a year. Judges rotate between divisions, they move between counties, and they retire. A page listing who sits where is a page that quietly becomes misinformation, and there are plenty of law firm pages out there doing exactly that.

The circuits keep this current themselves. So the useful thing is not another stale list, it is knowing which directory to open and what you are looking at when you get there.

Where to look, by circuit

Sixth Circuit: Pinellas and Pasco

The Sixth Circuit judges directory is searchable by name, division and location, and it is the most practically useful of the three. For each judge it gives the division, the courthouse they sit in, and, unusually, the name and phone number of the judicial assistant. The judicial assistant is the person who actually answers the phone and knows whether a hearing is going forward, and most people never learn they exist.

Individual judges also post their own practice preferences, collected on the circuit’s practice requirements page.

Twelfth Circuit: Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto

The Twelfth Circuit judges and magistrates directory covers all three counties, with a profile page for each judge. Manatee judges in particular publish an unusual amount of detail, and it is worth reading before any setting: how hearings are scheduled, how motions must be submitted, case management and trial preparation deadlines, plea cutoff dates, violation of probation procedure, how exhibits are handled, and exactly what that judge does and does not permit by Zoom.

The circuit also runs a public court hearings page carrying the actual Zoom meeting information per judge. There is no fee to attend, and if you have no camera you can generally attend by telephone.

Thirteenth Circuit: Hillsborough

The Thirteenth Circuit judicial directory lists judges alphabetically and can be filtered by court type. It also offers a printable directory by division and a judicial assignment chart, which is the fastest way to work out who currently has your division.

Each judge’s own profile page carries their Zoom link, meeting ID and password at the top. There is no single circuit-wide Zoom room, which catches people out. The circuit’s remote hearings page explains the system and gives the telephone dial in option.

The remote appearance question, and why the answer differs by county

This is the single thing most people want to know, and the answer is genuinely different depending on which side of the bay you are on.

Florida’s criminal rules now require a judge to permit remote appearance for non-evidentiary pretrial matters set for thirty minutes or less unless there is good cause to refuse. That is the floor. What sits on top of it varies a great deal.

In the Twelfth Circuit, county court judges widely allow Zoom, and in some counties a misdemeanor case can be continued by submitting documents rather than anyone appearing at all. A person with a misdemeanor in Sarasota or Manatee can often get through the early stages of a case without missing a day of work.

In the Thirteenth Circuit, expect the opposite. Criminal divisions there say plainly that because of the pace and volume of the docket, good cause has to be established before anyone appears remotely, and at least one county criminal division states that all cases are in person and wants a written motion at least ten business days ahead. Plan on being there.

The Sixth Circuit sits between the two, and it comes down to the individual judge, which is exactly why their published preferences are worth reading.

All of that is about misdemeanors. Felony cases are a different world, and almost none of it carries over. Plan on appearing in person for effectively every setting. The convenience a county division extends to a misdemeanor defendant is generally not extended in a felony division, and the stages where your presence matters most, the plea, the trial and the sentencing, are exactly the ones a court is least willing to handle without you standing there.

There is a narrow exception, and it is worth asking about rather than assuming. Judges keep discretion over routine settings, and living a long way from the courthouse is one of the few circumstances in which some of them will use it. People who were visiting Florida when they were arrested, and people who have since moved out of state, are the likeliest to be accommodated. I have had that request granted and I have had it refused. Which one you get turns on the judge, the charge, and what the setting is actually for. Ask early, in writing, and never book a flight on the assumption that the answer will be yes.

What to actually do with this

If you have a lawyer, this is their job. I read the assigned judge’s procedures before every setting, and any lawyer who regularly appears in a courthouse should be doing the same. You should not have to manage your own case.

But two things are worth checking yourself. First, whether your hearing is in person or remote, because that decides whether you need the day off. Second, the courthouse and courtroom on your notice, because the judge directory will confirm which building that judge sits in and these are not always where people assume. Each of my courthouse guides covers the building itself.

If you are a lawyer reading this: the judicial assistant is the most underused resource in the system, and the Sixth Circuit hands you their name and direct number.

Common Questions

How do I find out who my judge is?

Your notice of hearing or your case paperwork gives the division. Then open the judicial directory for that circuit and match the division to the judge. The Thirteenth Circuit also publishes a judicial assignment chart, which is the quickest route. Your case number and division are also visible in the clerk’s online records for your county.

Can I appear by Zoom for my criminal case in Florida?

It depends heavily on the circuit and the individual judge. Florida’s rules require a judge to allow remote appearance for non-evidentiary pretrial matters set for thirty minutes or less absent good cause, but criminal divisions in Hillsborough generally require good cause to be shown, while county judges in Sarasota and Manatee widely permit it. Check the judge’s own published procedures, and ask your lawyer before assuming.

What is a judicial assistant, and can I call them?

A judicial assistant runs a judge’s calendar and is usually the person who actually knows whether a hearing is going forward. The Sixth Circuit publishes each one’s name and phone number. A represented person should go through their lawyer rather than calling chambers, but it is worth knowing the role exists.

Why does this page not list the judges by name?

Because judges rotate divisions, move counties and retire, so any list here would be wrong within a year and would quietly mislead people. The circuits maintain accurate directories themselves, and this page points at those instead.

Do judges really publish their own rules?

Yes, and they can be quite detailed: how motions must be submitted, deadlines before trial, plea cutoff dates, how violations of probation are handled, exhibit procedures, and their remote appearance requirements. Manatee judges publish some of the fullest in this region.

Related reading

The courthouse guides cover the buildings themselves, including parking, security and which floor you need: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, and Pasco at New Port Richey and Dade City.