Supreme Court of Florida

In Re: Amendments to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.116

May 9, 2024385 So. 3d 1018

Summary

The court declined to adopt the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee’s proposed amendment to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.116 because it would have eliminated broader judicial authority to use communication technology in criminal pretrial proceedings. Instead, the court amended the rule to preserve that authority while requiring judges to grant requests for communication technology in non-evidentiary pretrial conferences scheduled for 30 minutes or less unless good cause supports denial. The amendment becomes effective July 1, 2024, at 12:01 a.m.