Circuit recognizes Problem-Solving Court Month In recognition of Problem-Solving Court Month and Opioid and Stimulant Awareness and Recovery Month this May, the efforts of Problem-Solving Court staff are being highlighted through state and local proclamations, including presentations before the Manatee County Board of Commissioners on May 5th, and the Sarasota County Commission on May 19th. May 26, 2026 Read Full Article
Twelfth Circuit JNC seeks nominees for judicial vacancies The Twelfth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission has been asked to provide Gov. Ron DeSantis with nominees for vacancies for judgeships in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit including (i) the Circuit Court, (ii) the DeSoto County Court, and (iii) the Sarasota County Court. May 07, 2026 Read Full Article
Four paws, one cause When greyhound Ray walked into an Early Childhood Court hearing for the first time, he did what therapy dogs do best — he made everyone in the room feel a little more at ease. His handler, Leann, said Ray soaked up all the pets and love from the participants. Ray and Leann are part of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Pet Therapy Program, which provides certified therapy dog teams for sessions of Early Childhood Court and Veterans Court to provide comfort and emotional support to participants, particularly children. The program is now seeking additional dog owners with certified pet therapy animals to join the volunteer teams. May 05, 2026 Read Full Article
Law Day 2026 May 1-7 is Law Week, with May 1st considered as “Law Day”. This year, the Law Day theme is “The American Dream.” As Court Administration marks its 50th year of providing professional staff support, programs, and essential court resources to the Court and citizens of DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties, we encourage everyone to celebrate and advance the Rule of Law and to protect the rights, freedoms, and opportunitues that ensure everyone can pursue and fulfill their American Dream. May 01, 2026 Read Full Article
Court Administration's core functions Court Administration continues marking 50 years of service to the court and public. Throughout 2026 we celebrate our golden year by spotlighting Court Administration, its departments, its services, and most importantly, its staff. April 24, 2026 Read Full Article
Spotlight on Pretrial Over the past six months, Pretrial Services in Sarasota and Probation and Pretrial Services in DeSoto have been through several changes including leadership, staffing, and processes. Throughout these program updates, the teams have remained strong, dedicated, and most importantly, patient. April 24, 2026 Read Full Article
Ignoring Florida jury duty can land you in court A jury duty summons is not junk mail you can throw away. It is a court order. From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, learn more about what happens if you ignore a jury summons. April 16, 2026 Read Full Article
First appearance hearings take place 365 days a year Once a day, every day. In Florida it is guaranteed that if you are arrested and unable to make bail you will appear before a judge the next day. Weekends, holidays, even during times of emergency, the judges of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit take turns handling first appearances 365 days each year. April 09, 2026 Read Full Article
Symphony of Justice Court Administration continues to mark its 50 years of service to the court and public. Throughout 2026 we will celebrate our golden year by spotlighting the agency, its departments, its services and most importantly, its staff. Continue reading about the senior managers that conduct Court Administration's daily operations. March 02, 2026 Read Full Article
Requirements are a 'one-stop-shop' for judge and division procedures Judicial requirements list all applicable policies, procedures, and administrative orders of a general and continuous nature to inform and educate attorneys and self-represented litigants of common topics. We designed our requirements to simplify processes and procedures for busy lawyers and legal assistants and have structured the pages with simple navigation using uniform categories. March 02, 2026 Read Full Article