L/T2 Divisional Instructions

Updated June 22, 2023

Parties may appear over ZOOM for case dispositions and status checks regardless of the day scheduled. HOWEVER, any defense counsel appearing via Zoom must confer with the State ahead of time regarding the status of case. All other hearings require advance permission of the Court for requested remote appearance. Any request for a ZOOM hearing must be made by written motion filed with the Clerk and served on all opposing parties no later than three (3) days before the scheduled hearing. Please email CAD-DivisionL@pbcgov.org to request a hearing or with any questions or concerns.

Meeting Information

Judge Bristow is now presiding over Division L. All Division L matters will be heard in Courtroom 9F.

1. Attorneys may set hearings on the Court's docket without the Court's permission on every available Monday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m. (absent hearings which require more than five (5) minutes). Please provide a copy of the notice of hearing to the divisional email, as well as all appropriate parties.
2. All other motions or matters may be noticed through the Judicial Assistant by sending a scheduling request to CAD-DivisionL@pbcgov.org. Please remember to include the case number, type of motion and quantity of time being requested in your email.
3. Calendar calls are held every other Friday at 8:30 a.m for a two week trial period. Parties must be prepared to discuss witness availability, projected length of trial, and any pre-trial matters that need to be addressed. Defendants must be present at calendar call absent prior approval by the Court. The Court will not accept a negotiated plea after calendar call absent a showing of very good cause.  the Court WILL NOT accept a negotiated plea on the day of trial absent a showing of extraordinary circumstances.
4. Trials will generally be called up Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
5. Cases without a waiver of speedy trial have first priority on the trial calendar.  Second priority goes to in-custody defendants.  Any remaining cases will be prioritized by age, however, the Court will consider any agreement of the parties regarding trial priority for speedy waived/out-of-custody defendants.
6. Generally, Motions Hearings over 30 minutes will be set in the afternoons on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays.
7. Motions in Limine (MIL) may be set through the Judicial Assistant. The parties shall make the Court aware of any pretrial motions on or before calendar call.
8. Parties shall use the divisional email (CAD-DivisionL@pbcgov.org) when sending correspondence to this division and cc all appropriate parties.
9. All motions and special set hearings require a copy of the motion and notice of hearing to be sent to the divisional email once efiled. A confirmation email will then be sent by the Judicial Assistant.
10. Pursuant to Rule 3.191(b)(1), upon the filing of a Demand for Speedy Trial, a courtesy copy shall be sent to the divisional email.
11. The presence of in-custody defendants is not required at case dispositions or status checks. It is defense counsel's responsibility to notify PBSO not to transport their client unless the matter is resolving or set for a substantive hearing, ie. motion, plea, or calendar call and trial.
12. Proposed orders that are not provided in open court should be uploaded to via the Online Services system ("OLS") as opposed to submitted via email. Please note: Use of OLS requires a user ID and password. This can be obtained by going to Online Service and clicking on "Register a New User" to create an account.  Please preview the proposed order to make sure it is formatted correctly. 
    • The Court prefers Times New Roman font, 12pt, double spaced. 
    • Remove all special formatting, such as paragraph tabs, macros, and columns. 
    • No need to leave blank space for the date in the "DONE and ORDERED" line, you can simply say "DONE and ORDERED in Palm Beach County, Florida."
    • No need to include signature line, just leave space for the judge to impose the electronic signature. 
13. Any supporting documents for the Court to review along with a proposed order should be submitted as attachments to the proposed order.  The Court does not have instantaneous access to documents filed through the e-portal, it takes about 3 days for them to be processed and appear on the docket.  Therefore, if the order you are sending is based on a newly filed motion, please file the motion as an attachment. If you fail to attach the supporting documents, the Court may reject your order. 
14. If the proposed order is agreed, please indicate as such in the title and body of the order.
15. DO NOT upload a proposed order unless 1) it is agreed, 2) the hearing has already occurred, or 3) it is proper to be considered without a hearing. 
16. Proposed Orders of Substitution and Withdrawal of Counsel will be rejected if they do not comply with Administrative Order 2.311, available here Administrative Order 2.311
17. Petitioners seeking expunction may upload a proposed if the state has indicated it has no objection to the Petition in writing.  A copy of the State's written confirmation should be uploaded as an attachment to the proposed order.  Any contested Petitions for Expunction require a hearing.  Counsel for Petitioners must contact the State to determine if it has a legal objection prior to contacting the division for a hearing on a petition to expunge or seal.
18. These guidelines are intended to provide a reliable framework for handling cases in Division L and may be subject to change. Parties shall use their best judgment and are required to remain professional and civil at all times, both in court and correspondence.

Standing Order Regarding Transporting Inmates