Hon. Derek A. Lewis — Judicial Procedures
County Court
Quick operational summary based on publicly available court procedure materials. Always verify with the official court source before relying on this information.
Quick Rules
UMC / Motion Calendar
File the appropriate motion with the Clerk of Courts before requesting court action.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Request hearings by email and include the listed hearing and case information.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Coordinate hearing dates among the parties; unilateral scheduling is permitted after three attempts to obtain dates, including one phone call.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
File and serve the notice of hearing immediately after reserving hearing time.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit all hearing materials no later than five business days before the hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Courtesy Copies
After a Clerk’s Default in a Small Claims case, submit a Default Final Judgment packet through the Clerk and email a Word-format courtesy copy to the court.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Zoom Hearings
File a Motion for Remote Appearance for each hearing and obtain a granting order unless otherwise instructed.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit remote-appearance requests five days before the hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Remote participants must join 15 minutes before the scheduled hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Remote participants must appear from a quiet private location and may not appear from a moving vehicle.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Remote participants must dress and behave professionally, keep their cameras on, and keep their microphones muted until instructed otherwise.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Proposed Orders
Submit proposed orders through the proposed-order portion of the Florida Courts E-Filing system.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit proposed orders no later than two days after a hearing unless otherwise instructed.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Special Set Hearings
File a notice for trial and contact the judicial assistant for trial dates unless a trial order has already been filed.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
A Small Claims pre-trial conference may be continued only by court order.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Emergency Motions
File a detailed emergency-hearing motion stating the issues, reasons an emergency hearing is necessary, and presentation time for each party.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Cancellations
Immediately notify the judicial assistant and file and serve a Notice of Cancellation when canceling a hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
For settled cases scheduled for hearing or trial, file a Notice of Settlement with the Clerk and email a copy to the judicial assistant; the settlement notice does not automatically cancel the hearing or close the case.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Other
Copy all communications to all counsel or parties of record.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit judicial-office communications by email to the judicial assistant and include the case number, case name, and relevant matter in the subject line.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit marked hard copies of exhibits to the Clerk of Court at least five days before the scheduled hearing; numbered exhibits are not accepted unless stipulated.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
File a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal or Stipulated Order to Dismiss within 15 days after the Notice of Settlement.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Attorneys seeking withdrawal must submit an appropriate motion and use the attached form order.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Criminal motions must be written and signed by the party or attorney making the motion.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Contact Information
Judicial Assistant
Kim Kiraly
JA Email
kim.kiraly@keyscourts.netOfficial Page
Court WebsiteLast Verified
June 30, 2026
Official Sources
Source: Official court page or published division procedure material.
Official court pageOther Monroe County judges
- Hon. Albert L. KelleyCounty Court
- Hon. Bonnie J. HelmsCounty Court
- Hon. James W. Morgan IIICounty Court
- Hon. Mark H. JonesCounty Court
- Hon. Mark WilsonCounty Court
- Hon. Sharon I. HamiltonCounty Court
