Judge Vaughan Hearing Procedures

EFFECTIVE Tuesday, January 2, 2024, ALL hearings before Judge Vaughan will be held in accordance with the following procedures (see below).  These new requirements only apply to hearings before Judge Vaughan in the Orlando Division and are available on Judge Vaughan's webpage.

Click HERE for a printable PDF of these procedures.

1. ALL HEARINGS ARE IN PERSON.


1. All attorneys and pro se parties must attend all hearings in person, unless:
   
   
   1. an Order or Notice of Hearing states otherwise;
   
   
   2. they are only observing the hearing;
   
   
   3. before the hearing, all interested parties reached a clear agreement resolving all objections to the matters set for hearing. Note: Lack of any filed objections to a motion or application does not necessarily mean there is a clear agreement between all interested parties; and all matters on the calendar must be resolved; or
   
   
   4. the Court has granted leave to attend remotely for good cause shown by motion filed not later than (i) two business days before the hearing, or (ii) in emergency or unforeseen circumstances, as soon as reasonably practicable in advance of the hearing.


2. Due to current staffing issues for the Office of the United States Trustee, any counsel for the United States Trustee, or Subchapter V Trustee residing outside of the Orlando Division of the Middle District of Florida may attend any non-evidentiary hearing remotely and make substantive argument without filing a motion requesting leave to do so.


3. No remote access is permitted for any evidentiary hearings or trials.


4. In accordance with the broadcast policy of the Judicial Conference of the United States, effective September 22, 2023, no member of the press or the public may observe any hearing by video on Zoom. Any member of the press or public may attend any hearing in person.


5. Use of Court Solutions is no longer allowed. Parties or counsel who want to observe hearings remotely (listen-only appearances) may do so by audio only on Zoom.


2. REMOTE ACCESS PROCEDURES.


1. Advance Registration Required. To participate in a hearing remotely via Zoom, advance registration is required. For non-emergency hearings, you must register by 3:00 p.m., one business day before the date of the hearing. For emergency hearings, you must register at least one hour before the hearing. Upon registration, Zoom will provide a password-protected link for the Zoom conference. Failure to timely register in accordance with this procedure may result in your being denied access to the hearing via Zoom.


2. Registration Process.
   
   
   1. To register for a remote appearance via Zoom, click here, or manually enter the following web address into a browser: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscu6upjotGDvCh6qWK13tiPesbE8QHBQ#/registration
   
   
   2. Fill out all required information on the registration page. If you have more than one matter set for hearing on the same date and time, you only need to register once for that date, but you must provide all relevant case numbers, case names, and client names in the registration process.
   
   
3. Recording Prohibited, Official Record. No person may record the proceedings from any location by any means. The audio recording created and maintained by the Court will be the sole basis for creation of a transcript that constitutes the official record of the hearing.


4. Conduct During Hearing. All participants must mute electronic devices and disable all audible alerts while on Zoom. Although conducted using remote conferencing technology, the hearing is a court proceeding and the formalities of the courtroom must be observed at all times. Counsel and parties must dress appropriately, exercise civility, and otherwise conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the dignity of the Court. For hearings with multiple matters set at the same time, participants attending by video conference should keep their cameras off until their matter is called, at which time they should turn on their cameras for their particular hearing, and then turn them off again after their matter has concluded.
   
   Persons participating remotely must:
   
   
   1. test their equipment and internet connection prior to the hearing to ensure it is operating properly;
   
   
   2. ensure that the display name shown on Zoom is their full name;
   
   
   3. state their name each time they speak;
   
   
   4. speak audibly, clearly, and slowly; and
   
   
   5. mute their microphone when not talking.
   
   
   Failure to comply with these guidelines, including equipment or internet connection failures, may result in the Court disconnecting your line and continuing the hearing without you.
   
   Please note that when appearing remotely, you are connected directly with the sound system in the courtroom and will be able to hear all activity before the Court just as if you were in the courtroom. As with appearances in person, you must wait for the courtroom deputy to call the case, at which point appearances will be permitted. For hybrid hearings, the Court always takes appearances in the courtroom first and then by Zoom. It is your responsibility to listen for your case to be called. At the conclusion of your matter, you may disconnect from the Zoom meeting without requesting to be excused.