Title: Amendments To Florida Rules Of Judicial Administration 2.160
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC03-2169
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: October 7, 2004

Supreme 
Court 
of 
Florida 
____________ 
No. SC03-2169 
____________ 
 
AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL 
ADMINISTRATION 2.160 
 
[October 7, 2004] 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
The Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (Committee) has filed an 
out-of-cycle report proposing amendments to Florida Rule of Judicial 
Administration 2.160, Disqualification of Trial Judges.   The Committee 
proposes the amendments in response to the Court's request for a proposed 
amendment to rule 2.160(f) consistent with the Court's holding in Tableau Fine 
Art Group, Inc. v. Jacoboni, 853 So. 2d 299, 303 (Fla. 2003), that a motion for 
judicial disqualification "must be ruled on within thirty days following its 
presentation to the court."  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, ' 2(a), Fla. 
Const.; Fla. Rule Jud. Admin. 2.130(f). 
We adopt the Committee's proposed substantive and technical 
amendments.  The technical changes clarify the rule and improve readability.  
 
 
 
 
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The substantive changes include amendments to subdivisions (c)(3) and (e), 
and a new subdivision (j). 
The amendment to subdivision (c)(3) requires the movant to "serve" a 
copy of the motion on the subject judge rather than to "send" the judge a copy 
of the motion, as the rule currently provides.  The amendment to subdivision 
(e) clarifies that a motion for disqualification must be promptly reduced to 
writing and promptly filed.  The word "may" in the last sentence of subdivision 
(e) is changed to "shall" to provide "a motion made during hearing or trial shall 
be ruled on immediately."  According to the Committee, this proposed change 
is intended to emphasize the need for an immediate ruling. 
In response to Tableau Fine Art Group, new subdivision (j) provides that 
a trial judge "shall rule on a motion to disqualify immediately, but no later than 
30 days after the service of the motion as set forth in subdivision (c)."  The 
new subdivision also provides that if the trial judge does not rule on the motion 
to disqualify within 30 days, "the motion shall be deemed granted and the 
moving party may seek an order from the court directing the clerk to reassign 
the case."   Accordingly, we amend the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 
as reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by 
underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  The 
amendments shall become effective January 1, 2005, at 12:01 a.m. 
 
 
 
 
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It is so ordered. 
PARIENTE, C.J., and WELLS, ANSTEAD, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANTERO, and 
BELL, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS 
 
 
Original Proceeding B the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 2.160 
 
Stanford R. Solomon, Chair, Florida Rules of Judicial Administration 
Committee of the Solomon Tropp Law Group, P.A., Tampa, Florida and John 
F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Montgomery Blair Sibley, Pro se, Rockville, Maryland, 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 2.160. 
DISQUALIFICATION OF TRIAL JUDGES 
(a) 
Application. This rule applies only to county and circuit judges in all 
matters in all divisions of court. 
(b) 
Parties. Any party, including the state, may move to disqualify the 
trial judge assigned to the case on grounds provided by rule, by statute, or by the 
Code of Judicial Conduct. 
(c) 
Motion. A motion to disqualify shall: 
(1) be in writing and; 
(2) specifically allege specifically the facts and reasons relied on to show 
upon which the movant relies as the grounds for disqualification; and 
(3) shall be sworn to by the party by signing the motion under oath or by a 
separate affidavit. 
The attorney for the party shall also separately certify that the motion and the 
client's statements are made in good faith. In addition to filing with the clerk, the 
movant shall immediately send serve a copy of the motion to on the subject judge 
as set forth in Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.080. 
(d) 
Grounds. A motion to disqualify shall show: 
(1) 
that the party fears that he or she will not receive a fair trial or 
hearing because of specifically described prejudice or bias of the judge; or 
(2) 
that the judge before whom the case is pending, or some 
person related to said judge by consanguinity or affinity within the third degree, is 
a party thereto or is interested in the result thereof, or that said judge is related to 
an attorney or counselor of record in the cause by consanguinity or affinity within 
the third degree, or that said judge is a material witness for or against one of the 
parties to the cause. 
(e) 
Time. A motion to disqualify shall be filed within a reasonable time 
not to exceed 10 days after discovery of the facts constituting the grounds for the 
motion and shall be promptly presented to the court for an immediate ruling. Any 
motion for disqualification made during a hearing or trial must be based on facts 
discovered during the hearing or trial and may be stated on the record, provided 
that it is also promptly reduced to writing in compliance with subdivision (c), and 
promptly filed. A motion made during hearing or trial may shall be ruled on 
immediately. 
(f) 
Determination C Initial Motion. The judge against whom an initial 
motion to disqualify under subdivision (d)(1) is directed shall determine only the 
legal sufficiency of the motion and shall not pass on the truth of the facts alleged. 
 
 
 
 
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If the motion is legally sufficient, the judge shall immediately enter an order 
granting disqualification and proceed no further in the action. If any motion is 
legally insufficient, an order denying the motion shall immediately be entered. No 
other reason for denial shall be stated, and an order of denial shall not take issue 
with the motion. 
(g) 
Determination C Successive Motions. If a judge has been 
previously disqualified on motion for alleged prejudice or partiality under 
subdivision (d)(1), a successor judge shall not be disqualified based on a 
successive motion by the same party unless the successor judge rules that he or 
she is in fact not fair or impartial in the case. Such a successor judge may pass 
rule on the truth of the facts alleged in support of the motion. 
(h) 
Prior Rulings. Prior factual or legal rulings by a disqualified judge 
may be reconsidered and vacated or amended by a successor judge based upon 
a motion for reconsideration, which must be filed within 20 days of the order of 
disqualification, unless good cause is shown for a delay in moving for 
reconsideration or other grounds for reconsideration exist. 
(i) 
Judge's Initiative. Nothing in this rule limits the judge's authority to 
enter an order of disqualification on the judge's own initiative. 
(j) 
Time for Determination. The judge shall rule on a motion to 
disqualify immediately, but no later than 30 days after the service of the motion as 
set forth in subdivision (c). If not ruled on within 30 days of service, the motion 
shall be deemed granted and the moving party may seek an order from the court 
directing the clerk to reassign the case.