Requirements & Information

Zoom vs. In-person

Zoom is a platform by which people can appear by telephone or by video. More information about the platform is available on the Zoom website. Visit Judge Doyle’s Zoom page for meeting information.

Please note that those individuals appearing live with be heard prior to those appearing by Zoom.

If you wish to appear by Zoom, you may do so without prior authorization from the court. However, attorneys, defendants and witnesses are required to appear in person for jury trials, arraignments or if ordered to appear in person. While docket sounding is a mandatory court appearance, parties are permitted to attend virtually as explained below.

Prior to scheduling any evidentiary hearing or hearing more than the Rule’s requisite time frame, the moving party shall ensure the opposing party is agreeable to the Zoom appearance and that the request is otherwise in compliance with Rule 2.530 of the Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration. A filed stipulation is not required on this issue.

If using Zoom, please adhere to the following rules in place for all Manatee County Court Judges. Failure to follow these rules may result in individuals not being let in from the Zoom wait room:

1. All participants must have their audio and video (if applicable) working and know how to mute/unmute and turn their camera on and off before the appearance begins.
2. If Zooming in with audio and video capability, the participant should name themselves using their true legal first and last name.
3. When in the Zoom courtroom, the participant should remain muted with their video camera off until their case is called.
4. When a case is called, the participant should be in a quiet place with minimal background noise. The participant should not be in a moving vehicle, or in motion in any other way.
5. When a case is called, the participant shall then enable their microphone and unmute themselves in a timely fashion.
6. Any documents that would normally be filed with the clerk shall be filed with the clerk in advance of the hearing. This includes, but is not limited to, plea in absentia forms, acknowledgment and waiver of rights forms, exhibits, etc. Please do not send any documents to the judicial assistant by email or hardcopy that you would normally file with the clerk had your appearance been in person. Please contact the clerk’s office for further instruction on the number of days in advance documents must be filed with the clerk for them to be “seen” by the judge electronically.
7. Appearing remotely on Zoom carries with it the same requirements for professionalism, decorum, and civility to all participants and the court as if physically present. All participants shall be wearing appropriate attire. Business casual is acceptable. As in any courtroom, there is to be no eating, drinking, gum chewing, smoking, or engaging in any activity other than participation in the court appearance.

Pleas by Zoom

Pleading by Zoom

Please file the plea form with the clerk. Please do not email or send the plea form to the judicial assistant.

Pleas in Absentia

If pleading in absentia, please file the appropriate forms with the clerk. Please do not email or send the Plea in Absentia documents to the judicial assistant.

Fingerprints

If the charge to which the defendant is entering a plea is one that requires fingerprints, 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.

Scheduling/Canceling Pleas, Motions and Hearings

Filed Motion Required

All motions must be filed prior to reserving hearing time. Failure to file a motion but noticing an issue for hearing may result in the cancellation of hearing time.

Length of Hearing and How to Schedule

Criminal hearings thirty minutes or less in length can be scheduled in Court or through the Judicial Automated Calendaring System (JACS). Hearings should not be scheduled last minute and JACS will not permit it online. All parties should be given at least two days’ notice before a hearing is set absent exceptional circumstances.

Caselaw and other Legal Authority

For any hearing, the party wishing the Court to consider legal authority shall submit their authority in hard copy format to Chambers at least three days prior to the hearing. A copy of the same shall be given to the opposing counsel within the same time frame. Parties may also submit hard copies of legal authority in person at the hearing.

Interpreters

If an interpreter is needed, you must arrange for the interpreter. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit provides interpreters for all court events, if requested properly in advance. Please see the Court Interpreter page for further guidance.

Incarcerated Defendants

Any Motion relative to a defendant who is incarcerated should be scheduled for an Inmate Hearing if the Attorney wishes to have the defendant appear in Court. There are several Inmate Hearing dates each month. If a case is on a regular docket, as opposed to an inmate docket, and the defendant is in custody, the case will be called on the regular docket, but the defendant will not appear.

Pretrial Conference Continuance Form

Criminal pretrial conferences can be continued twice without the need for defense counsel to appear, provided the defense attorney has filed the pretrial conference continuance request form prior to the scheduled pretrial conference. Forms are available under the Manatee County tab on the Criminal Division webpage.

If you have continued the case twice before, you cannot continue it a third time without filing a Stipulation to Continue which sets forth the reason for the continuance. The Court will review the stipulation and indicate whether it is granted or denied, in which case the parties may schedule a Motion to Continue for hearing.

Should you file a continuance form, and the case has been continued numerous times, at the discretion of the Court, the case may be set for trial.

The Court will accept pleas at pretrial conference.

Defendants must appear at docket sounding. The appearance can be by Zoom unless otherwise ordered.

No motions of any kind, including motions to continue, will be heard at docket sounding. The purpose of docket sounding is to enter a plea or announce ready for trial. If the case is ready for trial the attorneys shall be prepared to advise the Court as to how many days the trial will last, the number of witnesses to be called and any witness scheduling conflicts.

The plea cut-off date for all cases set on a trial docket will be on the Thursday before the trial period. Thereafter all pleas will be open pleas to the court unless there has been a significant change with the case.

The Defense attorney is to schedule the plea time and do a Notice of Hearing indicating the format the plea will be done (i.e., plea in absentia). Paperwork will need to be prepared as normal, notarized and fingerprints (if required) will need to be submitted and filed with the clerk prior to the plea date.