Quick Tips for Journalists
General Information
Press inquiries regarding the Supreme Court of Florida should be directed to the Public Information Office at publicinformation@flcourts.org or at 850-414-7641.
The PIO sends out routine updates of breaking news and filings in high-profile cases on the Court's Twitter feed. Anyone wanting notifications can sign up @flcourts. Most reporters also monitor the Court's Facebook page @floridasupremecourt, where soft news and other less urgent news developments are posted. Photographs issued by the PIO for public use are available on its Instagram feed @flcourts, in the photo gallery below, and on the Justices' Page.
Court Opinions are issued by the Clerk's Office every Thursday at 11 a.m., except for expedited or emergency cases. They are immediately posted online on our Opinions & Rules Page. Please note that the Court does not comment on its opinions after their release. Most journalists instead seek comment from the attorneys involved in the cases.
Requests to the Florida Supreme Court for official public records should be made in writing pursuant to Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 to publicinformation@flcourts.org. Rule 2.420 is the judicial counterpart to Florida's public records statutes, Chapter 119. Records in cases that have been finalized are transferred to the Florida State Archives or returned to the clerk of court in the county where the case originated, so requests must be made to these entities. Most public records, however, already are available on this website.
Photos of the Court
News organizations that need photos of the Florida Supreme Court building and the Justices are free to use the images on these webpages. A composite photo of the full Court is available on the Justices' Page, and individual photos of the Justices are available on their separate biographical webpages linked on the Justices' Page. Click on smaller photos to go to the higher resolution photos.
Photos of the Florida Supreme Court building and related images also are available. Follow the links in the small photo gallery linked here to retrieve the higher resolution photographs and images.
Attending Arguments
Oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court are open to the public and the media.
The Court maintains its own cameras in the courtroom, and the resulting video and audio feeds are available live from start to finish, without editing, on a variety of online and cable feeds. They include the Court's Facebook Live page, its YouTube channel, the Court's Gavel to Gavel video portal, and The Florida Channel livestream and cable network. Neither judges nor attorneys are in the courtroom for these remote sessions. Documents in all High-Profile Cases also are posted online soon after filing so that journalists and the public do not need to come to the courthouse to get complete information.
In the courtroom, press credentials are not required. Still photographers should make arrangements in advance by emailing the Public Information Office, and pooling arrangements may be required if there are numerous requests from photographers.
Mobile phones are not permitted in the courtroom and will need to be checked at the main entrance security checkpoint. Laptops and tablets are permitted in the courtroom so long as they are set to silent mode. Anyone attending oral arguments with a device that makes noise will be asked to leave.
Special procedures and restrictions may be imposed in very high-profile cases that result in a demand for courtroom seating or other access beyond normal capacity.
Read detailed information about what to expect when attending oral arguments in person .
ADA Accommodations Policy
If you need an ADA accommodation to attend arguments due to a disability, please review our ADA Information Page so you can make your ADA accommodation request in advance.
Videotaping On-Site
Except when remote pandemic procedures are being used, the Court and WFSU/The Florida Channel provide a direct clean feed of video and audio from oral arguments via a splitter box located in the Press Room just inside the front entrance of the building. Because this feed is available, freestanding video cameras are not permitted in the courtroom except during events designated as ceremonial. Post-argument interviews should be conducted outside the front entrance on the steps of the building or at another place designated by the Press Office if the weather is inclement. Contact the Press Office for more details or if you have questions. When remote pandemic procedures are in place, news organizations should contact WFSU/The Florida Channel directly for information on using video of arguments.
Clean Remote Video Feed
The Court's broadcast contractor WFSU/The Florida Channel records a clean feed without logos and makes it available to news organizations provided arrangements are made in advance. News organizations should contact WFSU/The Florida Channel directly for information on how to obtain a recording of this clean feed.
Satellite Downlink
The Florida Supreme Court through its broadcast partners, WFSU/The Florida Channel, distribute live and tape-delayed broadcasts of oral arguments via satellite. The satellite may be preempted during legislative sessions and emergencies. Check with WFSU Television for information 850-645-7200.
Since October 1997, the Court in cooperation with Florida State University has broadcast live audio and video of Court arguments on the web via a Gavel to Gavel website. Arguments are available as they happen. You also can access Archived Audio and Video 24 hours a day. Media organizations unable to travel to arguments in Tallahassee often watch these webcasts to report on stories.
Facebook Live
Since January 2018, the Court in cooperation with WFSU/The Florida Channel has broadcast all of its of Court arguments on its free Facebook Live feed. This feed often offers the best audio and video quality of any of our web-based livestreams.
YouTube
Also in cooperation with WFSU/The Florida Channel, the Court makes its oral arguments available on its free YouTube feed.
The Florida Channel
The Florida Channel, a subsidiary of WFSU, also offers livestreams of various state government meetings including Florida Supreme Court arguments on its website available to the public without charge. The Florida Channel also offers its live and tape-delayed broadcasts to cable television stations throughout Florida. Check your local cable listings for further details.
Media Inquiries
(850) 414-7641 | EMAIL
Court Schedule
Address:
Florida Supreme Court
500 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399