Hon. Lorraine Kelly — Judicial Procedures
County Civil
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
Schedule all hearings in JAWS under the Section 39 – Judge Kelly calendar.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Schedule 15- or 30-minute hearings directly online; obtain an adjacent slot from the judicial assistant by email before scheduling when additional time is needed.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Add all associated parties to JAWS when scheduling a hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Coordinate hearing dates and times among the parties before scheduling; resolve scheduling conflicts among the parties.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
To cross-notice a motion alongside or opposing a scheduled motion, first obtain opposing counsel’s agreement and then request permission from the judge’s office to use the reserved time slot.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Courtesy Copies
Do not send courtesy copies of pleadings that have already been e-filed; bring copies of intended cases or exhibits for opposing counsel and the court.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Provide cases intended for oral presentation at least 48 hours before the hearing; email three or fewer cases to the judicial assistant and submit larger hard-copy materials at least 72 hours before the hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Zoom Hearings
For a 15-minute telephonic hearing without a private conference line, include the court conference line and access code in the notice; send the notice after JAWS confirms the request.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Proposed Orders
For a nonjury trial, complete the specified draft Order Directing Nonjury Trial form pages and email it to the judicial assistant before the case management conference.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
In a commercial Landlord/Tenant case with an answer filed, submit a proposed Order to Deposit with a blank due-date line before submitting the proposed Final Judgment of Eviction.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit proposed orders through the JAWS Portal in PDF format under Section 39 and ensure all associated party emails are connected to the case.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
If a pro se litigant’s email is unavailable, mail the conformed order and attachments and file a follow-up certificate of service through the e-portal.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
For an agreed order, include “Agreed” in the title and advise the court in the cover letter that opposing counsel did not object.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
If opposing counsel objects to a proposed order, submit a hard copy with a cover letter advising the judge that opposing counsel will submit an opposing order.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
When submitting a hard copy of a proposed order to the judge’s office, include copies for each party and postage-paid envelopes with the sender’s return address.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Special Set Hearings
Notice in-person hearings for the St. Petersburg Courthouse at the specified judicial building and floor.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
When filing a notice to set cause for trial, schedule a 30-minute case management conference through JAWS.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
For electronic-device presentations at jury trials, contact the Court Technology Office for a testing/training session 1–2 weeks before trial and bring all devices to the session.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Submit a stipulation invoking the Rules of Civil Procedure and waiver of pretrial conference through JAWS 72 hours before the Small Claims date.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Ensure settlement documentation or an affidavit of non-service is on the docket before the Small Claims pretrial date to be excused from court.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
For Small Claims pretrials, log into Zoom by computer on a reliable, stable connection rather than using a phone, tablet, or other limiting device.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
File returns of service with the Clerk at least three days before a Small Claims pretrial.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Emergency Motions
Submit requests for continuances as written motions describing attempts to contact the opposing party and whether that party agrees or objects.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Discovery Disputes
Be prepared to complete PDF forms and Zoom-chat documents during Small Claims pretrials, and provide a list of case numbers by docket time.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Cancellations
Cancel hearings scheduled in JAWS up to 48 hours before the hearing; for hearings less than 48 hours away, contact the judicial assistant and provide a succinct explanation.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Other
To bring a matter to the court’s attention, file it in writing with the Clerk under the relevant case number and send a copy to the opposing party.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Contact Information
Judicial Assistant
JoAn Caffentzis
Phone
(727)582-7822Official Page
Court WebsiteLast Verified
August 9, 2026
Official Sources
Source: Official court page or published division procedure material.
Official court pageDivision procedures pageOther Pinellas County judges
- Hon. Aaron HubbardCircuit Civil
- Hon. Amy M. WilliamsCircuit Civil
- Hon. Benjamin S. ThomasCircuit Civil
- Hon. Brett SzematowiczCounty Civil
- Hon. Brian GnageCircuit Civil
- Hon. Cathy McKytonCounty Civil
