In Re: Amendments to Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

Supreme Court of Florida
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No. SC2023-1707
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IN RE: AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULES OF JUVENILE
PROCEDURE.

May 30, 2024

PER CURIAM.

Previously, in In re Amendments to Florida Rules of Juvenile

Procedure – 2023 Legislation, 375 So. 3d 219 (Fla. 2023), the Court

amended several rules, including Florida Rules of Juvenile

Procedure Forms 8.959 (Summons for Dependency Arraignment),

8.979 (Summons for Advisory Hearing), and 8.982 (Notice of Action

for Advisory Hearing). The amendments were in response to recent

legislation made by chapter 2023-302, Laws of Florida, which went

into effect on June 27, 2023. See ch. 2023-302, §§ 1-7, 10, Laws of

Fla.

At that time, because the proposed changes to the forms were

limited to only the English versions, and no proposed translated

forms were provided to the Court as part of the report, we deleted
the Spanish and Creole translations to prevent inconsistencies

within those translated forms and the updated English versions.

The Committee now requests that recently amended forms

8.959, 8.979, and 8.982 be further amended with the updated

Spanish and Creole translations. 1 The Committee explains that the

non-English forms were translated by a professional translation

service. However, because the Creole translations do not conform

with the recent amendments to the English versions of the forms,

as “personal appearance” remains throughout, as well as include

erroneous translations, we only amend the forms to include the

Spanish translations at this time. Should the Committee want the

Court to amend forms 8.959, 8.979, and 8.982 with Creole

translations, we ask that the Committee in a new case file a report

proposing accurate Creole translations.

Accordingly, the Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure are

amended as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. New

1. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.; see
also Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.140(e).

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language is indicated by underscoring. The amendments shall take

effect immediately upon the release of this opinion.

It is so ordered.

MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, LABARGA, COURIEL, GROSSHANS,
FRANCIS, and SASSO, JJ., concur.

THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS.

Original Proceeding – Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure

Cheo A. Reid, Chair, Juvenile Court Rules Committee, West Palm
Beach, Florida, Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, The Florida
Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, and Michael Hodges, Staff Liaison, The
Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida,

for Petitioner

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APPENDIX

FORM 8.959. SUMMONS FOR DEPENDENCY ARRAIGNMENT

SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF HEARING
STATE OF FLORIDA
TO: .....(name and address of person being summoned).....

.....(Petitioner’s name)..... has filed in this court a
petition, alleging under oath that the above-named child(ren) is/are
dependent under the laws of the State of Florida and requesting
that a summons issue in due course requiring that you appear
before this court to be dealt with according to law. A copy of the
petition is attached to this summons.

You are to appear before this Court at .....(location of
hearing)....., at .....(time and date of hearing)......

FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THE ARRAIGNMENT HEARING
CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE ADJUDICATION OF THIS
CHILD (OR CHILDREN) AS A DEPENDENT CHILD (OR
CHILDREN) AND MAY ULTIMATELY RESULT IN LOSS OF
CUSTODY OF THIS CHILD (OR CHILDREN).

IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR YOU MAY BE HELD IN CONTEMPT OF
COURT.

COMMENT: The following paragraph must be in bold, 14 pt. Times
New Roman or Courier font.

If you are a person with a disability who needs any
accommodation to participate in this proceeding, you are
entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain
assistance. Please contact .....(name, address, telephone
number)..... at least 7 days before your scheduled court
appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if
the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days. If
you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

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Witness my hand and seal of this court at .....(city, county,
and state)....., on .....(date)......

CLERK OF COURT

BY:
DEPUTY CLERK

CITATORIO Y AVISO DE AUDIENCIA

ESTADO DE FLORIDA

PARA: ..... (nombre y dirección de la persona citada).....

..... (Nombre del peticionario)..... ha presentado en este
tribunal una petición, alegando bajo juramento que los niños
mencionados anteriormente son dependientes según las leyes del
Estado de Florida y solicitando que se emita un citatorio a su
debido tiempo que requiera que comparezca ante este tribunal para
ser tratado de acuerdo con la ley. Se adjunta copia de la petición a
este citatorio.

Deberá comparecer ante este Tribunal en ..... (lugar de la
audiencia)....., en ..... (hora y fecha de la audiencia)......

NO COMPARECER EN LA AUDIENCIA DE TUTELA CONSTITUYE
UN CONSENTIMIENTO PARA LA ADJUDICACIÓN DE ESTE NIÑO
(O NIÑOS) COMO HIJO (O HIJOS) DEPENDIENTE(S) Y, EN
ÚLTIMA INSTANCIA, PUEDE RESULTAR EN LA PÉRDIDA DE LA
CUSTODIA DE ESTE NIÑO (O NIÑOS).

SI NO SE PRESENTA, PUEDE SER DECLARADO EN DESACATO AL
TRIBUNAL.

COMENTARIO: El siguiente párrafo debe estar en negrita, 14 pt.
fuente Times New Roman o Courier.

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Si usted es una persona con una discapacidad que necesita
alguna adaptación para participar en este procedimiento, tiene
derecho, sin costo alguno para usted, a que se le provea de
cierta asistencia. Póngase en contacto con ..... (nombre,
dirección, número de teléfono)..... al menos 7 días antes de su
comparecencia programada ante el tribunal, o inmediatamente
después de recibir esta notificación si el tiempo antes de la
comparecencia programada es inferior a 7 días. Si tiene
problemas de audición o de voz, llame al 711.

Doy fe con mi firma y sello de este tribunal en..... (ciudad, condado
y estado)....., en ..... (fecha)......

SECRETARIO DEL TRIBUNAL

POR: _________________________

SECRETARIO ADJUNTO

FORM 8.979. SUMMONS FOR ADVISORY HEARING

SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF ADVISORY
HEARING FOR TERMINATION OF
PARENTAL RIGHTS AND GUARDIANSHIP
STATE OF FLORIDA

TO: .....(name and address of person being summoned).....

A Petition for Termination of Parental Rights under oath has been
filed in this court regarding the above-referenced child(ren), a copy
of which is attached. You are to appear before .....(judge)....., at
.....(time and location of hearing)....., for a TERMINATION OF
PARENTAL RIGHTS ADVISORY HEARING. You must appear on the
date and at the time specified.

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FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THIS ADVISORY HEARING
CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL
RIGHTS TO THIS CHILD (THESE CHILDREN). IF YOU FAIL TO
APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED YOU MAY LOSE
ALL LEGAL RIGHTS TO THE CHILD (OR CHILDREN) NAMED IN
THE PETITION ATTACHED TO THIS NOTICE.

COMMENT: The following paragraph must be in bold, 14 pt. Times
New Roman or Courier font.

If you are a person with a disability who needs any
accommodation to participate in this proceeding, you are
entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain
assistance. Please contact .....(name, address, telephone
number)..... at least 7 days before your scheduled court
appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if
the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days. If
you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

Witness my hand and seal of this court at .....(city, county,
state)..... on .....(date)......

CLERK OF COURT
BY:
DEPUTY CLERK

CITATORIO Y AVISO DE

AUDIENCIA PARA LA TERMINACIÓN DE

PATRIA POTESTAD Y TUTELA

ESTADO DE FLORIDA

PARA: ..... (nombre y dirección de la persona citada).....

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Se ha presentado una Petición de Terminación de la Patria Potestad
bajo juramento en este tribunal con respecto a los niños
mencionados anteriormente, cuya copia se adjunta. Usted debe
comparecer ante ..... (juez)....., en ..... (hora y lugar de la
audiencia)....., para una AUDIENCIA CONSULTIVA DE
TERMINACIÓN DE LA PATRIA POTESTAD. Deberá presentarse en
la fecha y hora que se especifiquen.

LA FALTA DE COMPARECENCIA EN ESTA AUDIENCIA
CONSULTIVA CONSTITUYE SU CONSENTIMIENTO PARA LA
TERMINACIÓN DE LA PATRIA POTESTAD DE ESTE NIÑO
(ESTOS NIÑOS). SI NO SE PRESENTA EN LA FECHA Y HORA
ESPECIFICADAS, PUEDE PERDER TODOS LOS DERECHOS
LEGALES SOBRE EL NIÑO (O NIÑOS) NOMBRADOS EN LA
PETICIÓN ADJUNTA A ESTE CITATORIO.

COMENTARIO: El siguiente párrafo debe estar en negrita, 14 pt.
fuente Times New Roman o Courier.

Si usted es una persona con una discapacidad que necesita
alguna adaptación para participar en este procedimiento, tiene
derecho, sin costo alguno para usted, a que se le provea de
cierta asistencia. Póngase en contacto con ..... (nombre,
dirección, número de teléfono)..... al menos 7 días antes de su
comparecencia programada ante el tribunal, o inmediatamente
después de recibir esta notificación si el tiempo antes de la
comparecencia programada es inferior a 7 días. Si tiene
problemas de audición o de voz, llame al 711.

Doy fe con mi firma y sello de este tribunal en ..... (ciudad,
condado, estado)..... en..... (fecha)......

SECRETARIO DEL TRIBUNAL

POR:

SECRETARIO ADJUNTO

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FORM 8.982 NOTICE OF ACTION FOR ADVISORY HEARING

.....(Child(ren)’s initials and date(s) of birth).....

NOTICE OF ACTION AND OF ADVISORY HEARING FOR
TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS AND
GUARDIANSHIP
STATE OF FLORIDA

TO: .....(name and address of person being summoned)....

A Petition for Termination of Parental Rights under oath has
been filed in this court regarding the above-referenced child(ren).
You are to appear before .....(judge)....., at .....(time and address of
hearing)....., for a TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ADVISORY
HEARING. You must appear on the date and at the time specified.

FAILURE TO APPEAR AT THIS ADVISORY HEARING
CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL
RIGHTS TO THIS CHILD (THESE CHILDREN). IF YOU FAIL TO
APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED YOU MAY LOSE
ALL LEGAL RIGHTS TO THE CHILD (OR CHILDREN) WHOSE
INITIALS APPEAR ABOVE.

COMMENT: The following paragraph must be in bold, 14 pt.
Times New Roman or Courier font.

If you are a person with a disability who needs any
accommodation to participate in this proceeding, you are
entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain
assistance. Please contact ......(name, address, telephone
number)..... at least 7 days before your scheduled court
appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if
the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days. If
you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

Witness my hand and seal of this court at .....(city, county,
state)..... on .....(date)......

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CLERK OF COURT
BY:
DEPUTY CLERK

..... (Iniciales del niño (s) y fecha (s) de nacimiento).....

NOTIFICACIÓN DE AUDIENCIA CONSULTIVA PARA LA

TERMINACIÓN DE LA PATRIA POTESTAD Y

TUTELA

ESTADO DE FLORIDA

PARA: ..... (nombre y dirección de la persona citada)....

Se ha presentado una Petición de Terminación de la Patria
Potestad bajo juramento en este tribunal con respecto a los niños
mencionados anteriormente. Usted debe comparecer ante .....
(juez)....., en ..... (hora y dirección de la audiencia)....., para una
AUDIENCIA CONSULTIVA DE TERMINACIÓN DE LA PATRIA
POTESTAD. Deberá presentarse en la fecha y hora que se
especifiquen.

LA FALTA DE COMPARECENCIA EN ESTA AUDIENCIA
CONSULTIVA CONSTITUYE SU CONSENTIMIENTO PARA LA
TERMINACIÓN DE LA PATRIA POTESTAD DE ESTE NIÑO
(ESTOS NIÑOS). SI NO SE PRESENTA EN LA FECHA Y HORA
ESPECIFICADAS, PUEDE PERDER TODOS LOS DERECHOS
LEGALES SOBRE EL NIÑO (O NIÑOS) CUYAS INICIALES
APARECEN ARRIBA.

COMENTARIO: El siguiente párrafo debe estar en negrita, 14 pt.
fuente Times New Roman o Courier.

Si usted es una persona con una discapacidad que necesita
alguna adaptación para participar en este procedimiento, tiene

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derecho, sin costo alguno para usted, a que se le provea de
cierta asistencia. Póngase en contacto con ...... (nombre,
dirección, número de teléfono)..... al menos 7 días antes de su
comparecencia programada ante el tribunal, o inmediatamente
después de recibir esta notificación si el tiempo antes de la
comparecencia programada es inferior a 7 días. Si tiene
problemas de audición o de voz, llame al 711.

Doy fe con mi firma y sello de este tribunal en ..... (ciudad,
condado, estado)..... en..... (fecha)......

SECRETARIO DEL TRIBUNAL

POR: ________________________

SECRETARIO ADJUNTO

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