Behind-the-Scenes look at the Florida Supreme Court's virtual ceremony

The challenges posed by the pandemic have been great, but the Florida Supreme Court and its partners continue to meet them in creative ways. One example is a ceremonial session this coming Wednesday, December 16, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET, honoring the 2020 centennial of women's right to vote.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how this ceremony is being held virtually because of the pandemic.

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Here is a behind-the-scenes: Chief Justice Canady and Lt. Governor Nunez.

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19th Amendment Centennial Exhibit. Florida Supreme Court rotunda.

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Justice Jamie Grosshans.

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Jennifer Houghton Canady.

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Votes for Women Billboard.

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Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales.

This ceremonial session has been in the works since 2019. But it was nearly derailed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit with full force in early 2020. Plans for an in-person courtroom event had to be scuttled because of health concerns. And there was serious doubt whether the event itself could proceed at all.

But The Florida Bar worked with Florida Supreme Court staff to approach the ceremony in a new and creative way. Instead of holding a courtroom gathering, they laid plans for a ceremonial session that would be pre-produced. It then would be broadcast on social media, on the World-Wide Web, and on the cable and Web systems of  The Florida Channel.

Florida Chief Justices Charles Canady, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Bar President Dori Foster-Morales, and other speakers recorded their presentations in advance. A large number of historical photographs were assembled to be used in a style reminiscent of television documentaries. And an actual display in the Florida Supreme Court rotunda was used as a backdrop for filming to give viewers a sense of being inside the building of Florida's highest court in Tallahassee.

All of these pieces then were assembled into a final production that will have its broadcast premiere later this week. An event that could have faltered because of the pandemic now will proceed in a way that fulfills the spirit of original plans and celebrates one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history -- the right to vote conferred on women a hundred years ago this year.

Here are some out-takes of this 35-minute video production. Viewers can watch its broadcast debut this Wednesday, December 16, 2020, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. It will be streamed here on our Facebook Live channel, on the Florida Channel, and on our Gavel to Gavel video portal at: https://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel/