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Melissa M. Polo
Circuit JudgepublishedTHIRTEENTH Judicial Circuit · Hillsborough County · Circuit Civil — Div. C
Division procedures — 0 requirement card(s)
No procedure cards extracted yet for this judge. The division-procedure pipeline processes the monitored official pages circuit by circuit — cards land here with provenance as they are extracted.
Practice rules & preferences (3)
ported from the BenchPath card libraryJudge-specific practice cards — page limits, proposed-order formats, hearing mechanics — with the verification metadata exactly as recorded in that system (never upgraded here).
No Cherry-Picking Trial Weeks — Circuit Civil C
Case ManagementCIV-C — Circuit Civil Division Chigh confidenceDraft trial orders to reflect the entire trial period — attorneys are NOT allowed to choose a week out of a multi-week trial period. All pretrial conferences and trials are in person, with at least one trial counsel per party at the PTC.
13th Jud. Cir., Div. C 2026 Jury Trial Weeks (Judge Polo) — PDFofficial source ↗
10-Page Cap on Everything; Litigating by E-Mail = Sanctions — Circuit Civil C
Judge PreferencesCIV-C — Circuit Civil Division Chigh confidenceKeep every motion, response, reply, and memo of law to 10 pages or less absent leave. E-file supporting documents, responses, and replies at least three (3) business days before the hearing — later or mailed/hand-delivered/e-mailed submissions will not be reviewed. Never litigate by e-mail: all relief comes by motion or stipulation, and e-mailing chambers for relief may be sanctioned without notice. Word-format orders are auto-rejected; submit PDF via the ePortal with her cover-letter protocol; competing orders in Word within 3 days. All mediations are IN PERSON.
13th Jud. Cir., Judge Polo Procedures & Preferences (Circ. Civ. C), § 15–18official source ↗
[PREEMPTED] AI Disclosure & Certification Mandate — Circuit Civil C
Judge PreferencesCIV-C — Circuit Civil Division Chigh confidencePREEMPTED: Under AOSC26-12, courts may not impose AI-disclosure or certification requirements through judicial practices and procedures — amended Rule 2.515(d)(2) is the single statewide standard. Judge Polo's page still displayed this mandate when verified July 5, 2026: parties using AI must disclose it in a clear and plain factual statement and certify every citation verified accurate, on pain of sanctions including dismissal. Follow the statewide rule; expect this page language to come down.
13th Jud. Cir., Judge Polo Procedures & Preferences (Circ. Civ. C), § 11official source ↗
Procedures, not predictions: TrialVector reports what the division requires — never what a judge will decide.