John Steele

Senior District Judge

Commission Date:

July 26, 2000

Division:

Fort Myers

Chambers:

6-107

Chambers Phone:

(239) 461-2140

Courtroom:

Judge Initials:

JES

Chambers Email: chambers_flmd_steele@flmd.uscourts.gov
This email may be used only to submit proposed orders and may not be used to correspond with Judge Steele or his staff.

Chambers Fax: (239) 461-2149

Courtroom Deputy	Court Reporter	Law Clerks
Micki Janczewski (239) 461-2008 micki_janczewski@flmd.uscourts.gov Ms. Janczewski works on trial scheduling and criminal matters.	Jeff Thomas (239) 461-2033	Abigail Chin Tiffany Peyroux Radhika Rivera

Judge Tabs

Biography

Federal Judicial Service
District Judge, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Nominated by William Clinton on June 6, 2000, to a new seat authorized by 113 Stat. 1501. Confirmed by the Senate on July 21, 2000, and received commission on July 26, 2000. Assumed senior status on June 3, 2015.

Other Federal Judicial Service
United States Magistrate Judge, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1991–2000

Education
University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy), B.A., 1971
University of Detroit Law School (now University of Detroit Mercy School of Law), J.D., 1973

Professional Career
Wayne County [Michigan] Prosecutor's Office, 1972–1977; law clerk, 1972–1974; assistant prosecutor, 1974–1977
Assistant Prosecutor, Ingham County, Michigan, 1977–1980
Assistant United States Attorney, Western District of Michigan, 1980–1981
Assistant United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida, 1981–1988
Private Practice, 1988–1991
Adjunct Professor, Florida Coastal School of Law, 1999–2000

Court Calendar

This Week

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Forms

Civil Case Management

Consent to Magistrate Judge

Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge (PDF)

Exhibit Tags

Fast-Track Case Forms

Witness and Exhibit Lists

Preferences

A party may not submit a proposed order unless Judge Steele authorizes it. If Judge Steele authorizes it, the party:

may not combine into one document an electronically submitted proposed order and a motion;

must email the proposed order and refer to the document number of the motion; and

ensure the proposed order is compatible with Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or WordPerfect (.wpd).

Judge Steele will not accept a proposed order in .pdf format.

Local Rule 3.02(a) Exceptions
Cases brought under Title II or III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) are excepted from the requirements in Local Rule 3.02(a). An ADA Fast-Track Scheduling Order will be issued by the Court pursuant to Local Rule 3.02(d)(1) immediately after any defendant appears in an action originating in this court, or after the docketing of a removed or transferred action.

Cases brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are excepted from the requirements in Local Rule 3.02(a). A FLSA Fast-Track Scheduling Order will be issued by the Court pursuant to Local Rule 3.02(d)(1) immediately after any defendant appears in an action originating in this court, or after the docketing of a removed or transferred action.

Cases brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (as amended by the Junk Fax Prevention Act) (TCPA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA), and/or other state law consumer protection statutes, are excepted from the requirements in Local Rule 3.02(a). A Solicitation or Debt Collection Fast-Track Scheduling Order will be issued by the Court pursuant to Local Rule 3.02(d)(1) immediately after any defendant appears in an action originating in this court, or after the docketing of a removed or transferred action.

Cases brought under the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) and/or other related state law consumer protection statutes are excepted from the requirements in Local Rule 3.02(a). A FCRA Fast-Track Scheduling Order will be issued by the Court pursuant to Local Rule 3.02(d)(1) immediately after any defendant appears in an action originating in this court, or after the docketing of a removed or transferred action.

Standard Forms Available
Standard forms for a Notice of a Related Action and Disclosure Statement are available under each judge’s Form Tab.

For patent cases requiring claim construction, a Patent Case Management Report is available under each judge’s Forms Tab.

Additional Parameters
For all other cases not falling within an exception to Local Rule 3.02(a), the Court prefers, and sometimes requires as indicated below, the following scheduling parameters:

Action or Event	Preference/Requirement
Deadline for providing mandatory initial disclosures. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1).	14 days after the parties’ Rule 26(f) conference or for parties joined or served later, 30 days after being served or joined
Deadline for moving to join a party, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 14, 19 or 20, or to amend the pleadings, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a).	1 to 2 months after Federal Rule 26(f) conference
Deadline for disclosing plaintiff’s expert report. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2).	3 months before the discovery deadline
Deadline for disclosing defendant’s expert report. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2).	2 months before the discovery deadline
Deadline for disclosing any rebuttal expert report. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2).	1 month before the discovery deadline
Deadline for completing discovery and filing any motion to compel discovery. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 37; Middle District Discovery (2021).	5 to 6 months before the meeting to prepare the joint final pretrial statement
Deadline for moving for class certification, if applicable. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 23.	3 to 4 months before the discovery deadline
Deadline for filing any dispositive and Daubert motion. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56.	The Court REQUIRES at least 4 months before the final pretrial meeting
Deadline for participating in mediation. See Local Rules, ch. 4.	After the discovery deadline but before dispositive motions
Date of the final pretrial meeting. See Local Rule 3.06(a).	4 weeks before the Final Pretrial Conference
Motions in limine	At least 16 days before the Final Pretrial Conference
Deadline for filing the proposed jury instructions, verdict form, and joint final pretrial statement. See Local Rule 3.06(b).	At least 14 days before the Final Pretrial Conference
Date of the final pretrial conference. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(e); Local Rule 3.06(b).	The date that corresponds with the trial term as set forth in the district judge’s trial calendar (posted on the website) or, for a trial date certain, one week prior to trial
Month of the trial term or, if all parties consent to a magistrate judge, the month and day of the first day of trial.	20 to 22 months after the action is originally filed, or removed, or transferred

United States District Court

Middle District of Florida

Timothy J. Corrigan, Chief United States District Judge • Elizabeth Warren, Clerk of Court

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John Steele

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