UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA 

Case No. 22-81780-CV-MIDDLEBROOKS/MATTHEWMAN 

DONALD J. TRUMP, 

Plaintiff(s) 

vs. 

LETITIA JAMES, 

Defendant(s). 

___________________________________________/ 

 

ORDER REFERRING CASE AND SETTING TRIAL DATE

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the above-entitled cause is hereby set for Trial before the 

Honorable Donald M. Middlebrooks, United States District Judge, at United States District Court 

at 701 Clematis Street, Second Floor, Courtroom 7, West Palm Beach, Florida, during the twoweek trial period commencing July 17, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the case may 

be called. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a Calendar Call will be held on 

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 1:15 p.m. ALL COUNSEL MUST BE PRESENT. 

JURY TRIALS. By the dates set forth in the pretrial scheduling order, counsel shall 

submit proposed jury instructions with the substantive charges and defenses, verdict forms, and 

motions in limine, if any. Jury instructions shall be filed on the docket and a copy shall be 

submitted in Word format directly to middlebrooks@flsd.uscourts.gov. To the extent these 

instructions are based upon the Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions, counsel shall indicate 

the appropriate Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instruction upon which their instruction is modeled. 

All other instructions shall include citations to relevant supporting case law. The Eleventh Circuit 

Pattern Jury Instructions Builder is available at https://pji.ca11.uscourts.gov. 

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At jury selection, the Court will conduct voir dire. The Parties may, but are not required 

to, submit voir dire questions to the Court. After the Court questions the jury venire, the Parties 

will each have a limited amount of time, to be determined at Calendar Call, to question the jury 

venire. After the Court determines which members of the jury venire should be dismissed for 

cause, each side will be allowed three peremptory challenges, with no backstriking. As soon as 

the jury is selected, the jury will be sworn, preliminary instructions will be given, and the case will 

begin with opening statements. 

Side bars are not generally permitted. The Parties shall raise any anticipated issues prior 

to trial or during a break, outside the presence of the jury. Should the Court need to address an 

issue, the jury likely will be excused for a break. 

BENCH TRIALS. In cases tried before the Court, each party shall file by the deadline 

set forth in the pretrial scheduling order, the proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law. 

An additional copy shall be sent in Word format to the chambers e-mail account listed above. 

EXHIBITS. Prior to any trial, counsel shall submit to the Court a typed list of proposed 

witnesses and/or exhibits. All exhibits must be pre-labeled in accordance with the proposed 

exhibit list. Exhibit labels must include the case number. At least two-weeks before trial, the 

parties shall file their deposition designations along with objections in the event there are any. 

The Parties exhibit list should be prepared using the Administrative Office’s form 187 

(AO-187). The Parties are responsible for complying with the Southern District of Florida’s 

Administrative Order 2016-70, which was entered on November 22, 2016, concerning the 

electronic submission of admitted exhibits.1 It is further 

1 Note that any exhibits admitted during a hearing are also required to be filed electronically on 

the docket after the hearing. See Administrative Order 2016-70. 

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ORDERED AND ADJUDGED, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 636 (b)(1)(A) and the Magistrate 

Judge Rules of the Local Rules of the Southern District of Florida, the above-captioned cause is 

hereby referred to United States Magistrate Judge William Matthewman to conduct a 

Scheduling Conference, pursuant to Local Rule 16.1.B, for the purpose of setting pre-trial deadline 

dates, for determining possible consent to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Judge for trial, and for 

the purpose of setting any settlement conferences in lieu of or in addition to mediation if the parties 

so request. Judge Matthewman shall retain jurisdiction to resolve any disputes arising from the 

aforementioned proceeding(s). All counsel of record will be required to attend this conference 

which will be noticed by Magistrate Judge Matthewman. Copies of any and all filings related to 

such scheduling conference, including proposed orders, must be sent directly to Judge 

Matthewman at matthewman@flsd.uscourts.gov. 

Further, any request to modify the above-set trial date must be made prior to the 

Scheduling Conference. The foregoing does not preclude consideration of a prompt motion 

to modify the trial date for good cause shown by a party joined in the litigation after the 

Scheduling Conference has occurred. 

 The parties are directed, in accordance with CM/ECF procedures, as follows:

COURTESY COPIES: Notwithstanding the implementation of CM/ECF, all parties 

shall deliver a courtesy copy to the Intake Section of the Clerk=s Office all motions exceeding 

twenty-five pages. This copy shall be bound and any attachments and/or appendices must be 

indexed with tabs. 

PROPOSED ORDERS: Pursuant to the CM/ECF Administrative Procedures, counsel 

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shall send proposed orders in Word format for ALL motions directly to 

middlebrooks@flsd.uscourts.gov.

2

 

DONE AND ORDERED, in Chambers, at West Palm Beach, Florida, this 18th day of 

January, 2023. 

Donald M. Middlebrooks

United States District Judge 

cc: Honorable William Matthewman 

All Counsel of Record 

2 This does not apply to orders relating to Judge Matthewman’s scheduling conference 

discussed above. 

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