Requirements & Information

Requirements & Information

Standards of Professionalism

Judge Johnson expects all attorneys who appear to know and adhere to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism, also available on the websites of the Manatee County Bar Association and the Sarasota County Bar Association.

Case Management

Under Rule 2.545, Florida Rules of General Practice & Judicial Administration, judges and attorneys share a professional obligation to conclude litigation as promptly as is reasonable and just, while affording parties a fair opportunity to prepare and present their case. A trial judge is required to take charge of each case early and control its progress until the case is determined.

Mandatory use of DIN

The Clerk’s Office on the progress docket identifies a unique, sequential Document Identification Number [DIN] to each entry on the progress docket. Once assigned by the Clerk, the DIN does not change. Please include the DIN when referencing any filing, especially on hearing notices and proposed orders.

Judge Johnson maintains a hybrid courtroom, meaning that Judge Johnson can conduct court appearances with parties or counsel appearing in the courtroom or remotely by Zoom simultaneously.

The following proceedings are always “in-person” only (no Zoom appearance): Jury Trials, Non-Jury Trials, Foreclosure Trials and Evidentiary Hearings longer than 60 minutes. In all other proceedings the parties and their attorneys have the discretion to choose whether to appear in the courtroom or remotely by Zoom regardless of how the other parties and attorneys choose to appear.

Conduct

Even if you appear remotely by Zoom, you are in Court. Your camera must be on, and you must dress and conduct yourself as if you are in the courtroom.

Remote Witness

If a witness appears remotely by Zoom, the party calling the witness must ensure the witness has a camera and has tested the connection before the hearing. The witness must have government-issued identification. Any witness outside of the State of Florida must:

1. Have a person authorized in that jurisdiction to administer the oath; or
2. Consent to Judge Johnson administering the oath.

Judge Johnson’s Zoom Credentials

• Launch Zoom
• Click “Join a Meeting”
• Meeting ID: 353 234 4884
  Password: 756433

For Zoom hearings, physical copies of all exhibits must be delivered to all parties and the court in advance of the hearing; the court must have physical copies of all Exhibits so they may be marked and delivered to the clerk.

Scheduling and Cancelling Hearings

Reserve enough time for both sides to be heard. You must schedule and cancel hearings 60 minutes in duration or less through the JACS. Please do not combine timeslots. Please contact Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant to schedule or cancel hearings requiring more than one hour. When Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant has finalized the docket — approximately five days in advance of the hearing — JACS will not permit you to cancel the hearing. In that situation, please call the Judicial Assistant to cancel the hearing. You must immediately send notice of cancellation to all parties, and provide a copy of the Notice of Cancellation to the Judicial Assistant.

Notice of Hearing

The Notice of Hearing you must include Judge Johnson’s Zoom credentials and explain that the parties may appear in the courtroom or remotely by Zoom. Judge Johnson will host all Zoom hearings. For mandatory in-person hearings, the Notice of Hearing must reflect that the proceeding is in person. The Notice of Hearing must include the DIN when referencing any filing. Please refer to Mandatory Use of Document Identification Number (DIN) section.

Mandatory Use of Camera on Zoom

As set forth in Section A, when you are appearing remotely by Zoom, you must appear with a working camera and your camera must be on. You may not appear by telephone. This includes Court Reporters.

Use of Magistrate

The following matters must be scheduled before Magistrate Turner, unless a written objection is filed: all motions directed to the pleadings, discovery, service of process, jurisdiction, and arbitration.. In addition to the traditional matters heard by Magistrate Turner, the parties may utilize Magistrate Turner for any other matter to which the parties consent, including injunction hearings and summary judgment motions. Injunctions and summary judgment motions must be specially set by stipulation by contacting Magistrate Turner’s assistant. If a scheduling party has any question regarding whether a certain motion should be scheduled before the Magistrate, the scheduling party should call or email Magistrate Turner’s assistant.

Motion for Substitution as Attorney

If you are substituting as an attorney, no hearing is needed on a substitution if a client consent is filed with the Motion. You may submit the proposed order for approval. Please download the Order Granting Substitution of Attorney from the Forms section.

Motion for Withdrawal of Attorney

If you are withdrawing as an attorney (and there is no co-counsel remaining in the case), Rule 2.505(f)(1), Florida Rules of General Practice & Judicial Administration mandates that a hearing occur before withdrawal may be granted. If you file a client consent in which the client consents to the withdrawal and waives the hearing requirement under Rule 2.505(f)(1), you may submit a proposed order for approval without a hearing if there is no objection from opposing counsel. Please download the Order Granting Substitution of Attorney from the Forms section. Otherwise, the motion to withdraw must be set for hearing.

Motion for Summary Judgment

Administrative Order 2021-19.1 contains specific requirements that must be included for both the moving and nonmoving parties. Compliance with this Administrative Order is required, in addition to Rule 1.510, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

Motion for Reconsideration, Rehearing, and New Trial motions

Do not set these motions for hearing. Please send a copy of the filed motions to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant with a cover letter. Judge Johnson will rule on the motion or decide if a hearing is warranted.

Motions for Attorney Fees and Costs

A motion for attorney’s fees and costs proceeds first on entitlement only. If entitlement is found, Judge Johnson may require mediation on amount. If mediation does not resolve the amount and the parties cannot submit an agreed order, the movant may set an evidentiary hearing on the reasonable amount of fees and costs.

Residential Foreclosures

All residential foreclosure cases must be set on the foreclosure docket and not the civil motion docket. If it is incorrectly set on a civil motion docket, the hearing will be cancelled.

Self-represented Litigants (pro se)

Judge Johnson is required to apply the same rules and procedures to all parties, whether they are represented by an attorney. Your opportunity to communicate with Judge Johnson about your case is at a hearing. The Judge cannot discuss your case outside of the courtroom, so please do not call or attempt to speak with the Judge directly. Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant can help you with scheduling matters such as setting hearings. To request hearing time, you must send an email to the Judicial Assistant with all parties or their attorneys copied, the case number within the subject line, and attach a copy of the motion that needs hearing time. However, the Judicial Assistant cannot provide legal advice, cannot help prepare filings, and cannot communicate on your behalf. Please do not ask the Judicial Assistant for the outcome of a hearing or whether an order has been signed. The Judicial Assistant cannot tell you what the Judge may do in your case. You may review the Sarasota County Clerk’s website for details about your case. Please remember that whenever you file something with the Clerk or provide the Judge a copy, you must send a copy to all other parties or their attorneys. If you seek to have Judge Johnson take action in your case, you must file a motion. Judge Johnson does not consider an email as a motion.

Mandatory Use of the E-Filing Portal

The Florida Courts E-Filing Authority maintains a single, statewide access point to file court documents known as the E-Filing Portal. Most self-represented litigants (pro se) as well as attorneys must register with the E-Filing Portal to send file and receive service of court documents as required by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.516. If you need assistance, the E-Filing Portal maintains many “how-to” videos.

Proposed Orders

For several matters, the Court uses standard form orders. You can access standard form orders on the Civil Division page. Please check this link often as the Court frequently adds new or modifies existing form orders.

Requirements for Proposed Orders

• All proposed orders must be submitted through the E-Filing Portal;
• All proposed orders are to be submitted in Word Format only;
• For ease of readability, Judge Johnson strongly encourages Bookman Old Style, 12-point font with one-inch margins when drafting submitting proposed orders. If the document is to be recorded (e.g., judgment), there must be a blank space measuring 3 inches by 3 inches at the top right for Clerk’s recording stamp;
• All proposed orders must be accompanied by a cover letter in PDF/A Format;
• The submitting attorney must ensure that all attorneys and pro se parties receive a courtesy copy of both the proposed order and cover letter; and
• Any attachment to a proposed order must simultaneously be submitted through the E-Filing Portal in PDF/A format.

The Portal maintains a number of “how-to” videos, including how to submit a proposed order. Access the E-Filing Portal’s “how-to” videos.

Judge Johnson expects that you will only submit a proposed order when all attorneys or parties agree on its form. If there is a disagreement on the form, or an attorney does not respond within a reasonable time, you may then send the proposed order with a concise statement identifying the disagreement. The opposing attorney may submit at the same time an alternate proposed order through the Portal. Please do not include a directive such as “hold this proposed order for x days for an objection to be lodged.” The Court will reject proposed orders seeking to put this burden on the Court

The Court requests the scheduling party to submit electronically, one bookmarked PDF document of courtesy copies no later than 3 business days prior to the hearing, emailed to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant. The Court encourages text searchable courtesy copies. Due to security reasons, the Court is prohibited from accessing Dropbox or links to retrieve hearing materials.

Please do not send paper copies of anything to the Court. The only exception is for paper copies of evidence at evidentiary hearings and non-jury trials. Please see Section G for details.

True emergencies are rare. Any motion requesting emergency attention or emergency hearing time must detail in the motion the emergency, the anticipated time needed and, where applicable, good faith efforts to resolve the matter without Court intervention. The attorney or party filing the motion must (1) telephone Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant regarding the motion, and (2) email a copy of the motion to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant. Judge Johnson will determine if any action will be taken on the motion, and Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant will respond to you.

You must bring to Court a paper set of all exhibits for the following:

1. Clerk of Court, which will become the official exhibits;
2. The witness stand; and
3. Judge Johnson.

The Court prefers exhibits in a tabbed, 3-ring binder. The Court expects the attorneys to have already provided each other copies of all exhibits before the hearing or trial.

For remote proceedings, parties must submit their marked exhibits three business days in advance and confirm receipt with the Court. Parties should provide Zoom witnesses with copies of the exhibits prior to the hearing and have electronic copies available for screen sharing during remote proceedings. Due to security reasons, the Court is prohibited from accessing Dropbox or links to retrieve exhibits.

Exhibits should be marked as follows:

• Plaintiff Exhibits, please use numbers.
• Defendant Exhibits, please use letters.

If an exhibit contains multiple pages, please ensure there is a unique page number or Bates label on each page.

Case Management Conferences

May be set by any party or the Court. Judge Johnson typically addresses scheduling matters and any perceived problems in a case, such as a situation where a party or attorney refuses to clear dates.

Compelling Discovery

The Circuit’s Standards of Professionalism discuss motions to compel discovery. The Court draws particular attention to Administrative Order 2010-22.2 § E(1)(d), which provides: “Motions to compel discovery shall quote in full each interrogatory, question on deposition, request for admission, or request for production to which the motion is addressed and the objection and grounds given by the opposing parties.” Please comply with this requirement for any motion to compel discovery.

Failure to Respond to Discovery

If after good faith efforts a party has in no way failed to responded to a pending and overdue discovery request, the requesting party may submit a proposed Order through the E-Filing Portal that provides within 10 days that the specific discovery occur and a response be filed, The proposed order should also warns that the failure to abide by the Order may result in further sanctions, including, without limitation, striking pleadings, dismissing the case, or other appropriate sanctions.

Pretrial Conference

The Court will set a Pretrial Conference date for jury trials. Prior to the Pretrial Conference, the parties may complete a proposed Pretrial Conference Order found on the Civil Division page and submit to Judge Johnson via the E-filing Portal at least three business days prior to the Pretrial Conference to be excused from the hearing. The parties must attend the Pretrial Conference unless excused by the Court. The Court typically does not conduct Pretrial Conferences in for nonjury trials.

Daubert, Summary Judgment, and In Limine Motions

All motions, including Daubert, Summary Judgment, and In Limine motions, must be resolved in accordance with the deadline set forth in the Case Management Order. Please plan accordingly and schedule for hearing before any applicable deadline.

Docket Sounding

Lead trial counsel and unrepresented parties must attend Docket Sounding. You may appear in person or remotely by Zoom. No motions will be heard at Docket Sounding. After Docket Sounding, the Court will publish a trial lineup.

Differentiated Case Management

Judge Johnson follows the differentiated case management protocol as set forth in Administrative Order AO 2025-1.1.

Continuances

Pursuant to Rule 1.460, Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, motions to continue trial are disfavored and should rarely be granted and then only upon good cause shown. Successive continuances are highly disfavored. Lack of due diligence in preparing for trial is not grounds to continue a case. If filing for a continuance, state with specificity the requirements of Rule 1.460(d), Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

Generally, for non-emergencies, the motion should be set for hearing. For emergencies, see Section F

Visit the Civil Division page to find preferred division forms. Please frequently check this page for updated forms and orders.

Backup Judges

Civil Division A and C judges backup each other to increase availability for trials. Please notify the Court no later than Docket Sounding if a recusal issue would exist with the Division A judge.

Electronic Evidence

There are two basic considerations you should keep in mind when planning on using electronic evidence. First, whether the Court has the electronic capability to review the electronic evidence in the Courtroom. Second, how the Clerk will “receive” the electronic evidence. The Clerk prefers paper at this time (in the future, this may change). Wherever possible, please convert your electronic evidence into paper format and introduce the paper copy. For instance, electronic pictures, text messages, and the like can be printed out and introduced into evidence. If you have electronic evidence that cannot be converted into paper format — e.g., video files — please place all such files onto a single thumb drive when possible. You are still responsible to broadcasting the electronic evidence within the courtroom. All electronic evidence such as a thumbdrive, must be sent to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant allowing enough time prior to the hearing or trial scheduled so it can be screened by the Court’s IT Department.

Technology Services

Technology service requests must be timely made prior to any hearing or trial. If presentation equipment or assistance is needed, please review the Technology Services page for more information. It is the attorney or the case party’s responsibility to obtain and learn how to use all equipment needed for the hearing or trial. See section regarding Electronic Evidence. All electronic evidence such as a thumbdrive, must be sent to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant allowing enough time prior to the hearing or trial scheduled so it can be screened by the Court’s IT Department.

Settlement Occurring After Docket Sounding

If the parties settle after Docket Sounding, not only must the parties immediately notify Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant, the parties must also immediately contact the attorneys next in order on the trial lineup (even over the weekend). Please be considerate so that court time is not lost due to settlements.

Orders Under Advisement

Judge Johnson attempts to rule from the bench where appropriate. If Judge Johnson takes a matter under advisement, Judge Johnson will rule as quickly as possible under the then current circumstances. Please do not call to ask about the status of an order. If 30 days have elapsed without a ruling, the Movant may call the Judicial Assistant to advise that the matter has been under advisement for 30 days.

Required Service on the Court

Petitions and motions that by law must be served upon the Judge (e.g., writs, appeals, disqualification motions), must be either emailed to Judge Johnson’s Judicial Assistant or hand delivered to the Court Deputy on the 8th floor security office in the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center. Additionally, please call the Judicial Assistant to advise her of the service.

Interpreters

The Twelfth Judicial Circuit provides language interpreters in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 90.606, Florida Statutes, and Rule 2.560, Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration. If you require language assistance, please submit a request as soon as possible by using the Interpreter Request Form or call (941) 749‐3659. The Court may not be able to accommodate requests made less than 5 business days prior to the scheduled event. Informacion de Interpretes