Hon. Patricia Ann Muscarella — Judicial Procedures
Circuit 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
Hearings of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or one hour may be scheduled directly through JAWS.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
The moving party must confirm that all counsel and associated parties are in the JAWS database; non-email-service pro se parties must receive pleadings and orders by mail.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Courtesy Copies
Documents for consideration at any in-person, telephonic, or Zoom hearing must arrive by mail or courier at least five business days before the hearing; email is not accepted.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
The party setting a hearing must provide the judge with courtesy copies of the motion, notice, and supporting materials by mail or courier at least five business days before the hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Documents should not be emailed to the judge’s assistant unless specifically requested.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Zoom Hearings
Do not file a hearing notice until JAWS confirms that the hearing has been scheduled, and review the confirmation’s additional notes.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Unless otherwise approved, hearings are generally telephonic, and telephonic hearings may generally be set for hearings of one hour or less using the judge’s conference line.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
A telephonic hearing notice must state the designated call-in number, access PIN, muting instruction, and document-delivery requirement.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
For Zoom hearings, request Zoom when requesting the hearing date in JAWS; the scheduler must forward the invitation and prepare the notice with all Zoom information.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Do not generate a Zoom hearing notice until the Zoom invitation has been received.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Proposed Orders
Orders containing blanks must be mailed to the judge rather than uploaded in JAWS.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
After a hearing, proposed orders must include a cover letter stating opposing counsel’s agreement or lack of objection opportunity, and the transmittal must reference the hearing date.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
If the parties cannot agree on a proposed order, each side should submit its own order by mail with a cover letter stating objections.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
When a case includes a pro se party, orders should be mailed with addressed, stamped envelopes unless the party has consented to email service and is associated in JAWS.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Special Set Hearings
A motion for rehearing, reconsideration, or new trial must be provided to the judge and should not be scheduled unless the court decides a hearing is required; the opposing party may respond within 15 days of service.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Agreed pretrial conference orders must be provided in hard copy, and hard copies must be delivered at least five days before the pretrial hearing.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Foreclosure UMC hearings are five-minute telephone hearings using the specified call-in number and access code.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Emergency Motions
Emergency motions are not set on an emergency basis unless the court determines that they are emergencies.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Discovery Disputes
Before filing a motion to compel or protective order, moving counsel must confer in good faith and file a certification that the dispute could not be resolved.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
A motion to compel discovery must quote each disputed discovery item and the opposing party’s objection and grounds in full.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Cancellations
A hearing scheduled in JAWS may be canceled there up to 24 hours before the hearing; for hearings less than 24 hours away, both parties must agree and the judge’s assistant must be contacted.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
If a case set for trial settles, the judicial assistant must be notified immediately and scheduled hearings must be canceled.
Verified Aug 10, 2026
Contact Information
Judicial Assistant
Lidia Torres
Phone
(727)464-3263Official 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
