Case ID: so2d_612/html/0597-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

In re ORDER ON MOTIONS TO WITHDRAW FILED BY TENTH CIRCUIT PUBLIC DEFENDER.
    District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
    Dec. 16, 1992.
   EN BANC.

The Public Defender of the Tenth Judicial Circuit has filed motions entitled “Certification of Conflict and Motion to Withdraw Due to Excessive Caseload and Motion for Writ of Mandamus”. The motions allege a backlog of 286 unassigned cases which have not been briefed within the time periods set forth in the Florida Appellate Rules. It is further alleged that the backlog has been caused by an increasing caseload and insufficient funding. The motions seek immediate withdrawal from 143 of these cases (proportionately distributed from 12 counties within this district) and states that the remainder will be assigned to and handled by movant’s staff.

Pursuant to In re Order on Prosecution of Criminal Appeals by the Tenth Judicial Circuit Public Defender, 561 So.2d 1130 (Fla.1990) we have examined the motions and, based upon the representations of the public defender, found a prima facie showing that there is a conflict of interest because of excessive caseload. We, therefore, grant the request of the Tenth Circuit Public Defender’s office and remove that office from representing the appellant’s in the 143 cases attached to this order. The Public Defender of the Tenth Judicial Circuit shall continue to monitor these cases but have no responsibility in helping to prepare the appellants’ briefs. Jurisdiction is relinquished in these cases for the appointment of substitute counsel by the respective circuit courts on or before the thirty days from the date of this order. In the orders of appointment, it shall be provided that counsel shall file the briefs within thirty days.

The Public Defender’s motions also state that “the current rate of incoming records may require additional motions to withdraw in the future”. This court’s consideration of the prosecution of appeals by the public defender has a long history. See In Re Order, supra, at p. 1133. In deciding these motions, we have generally taken the representations and the conclusions of the movant at face value. However, we are increasingly concerned about our role as a factfinder in deciding these motions and especially in such matters as public defenders staffing standards, adequacy of funding, etc. In Re Order, supra, allows this court to order circuit courts to handle these motions and this court will likely exercise that option on any future motions filed here.

RYDER, A.C.J., and DANAHY, CAMPBELL, FRANK, HALL, THREADGILL, PATTERSON, ALTENBERND and BLUE, JJ., concur.

SCHOONOVER and PARKER, JJ., dissent without opinion.

Attachment

In The District Court of Appeal of Florida Second District

Darren Jones, Case No. 92-2649

Patrick Michael Kelly, 92-1369

Clarence Tillis, 92-2208

James John Huff, Case No. 92-2183

James Joseph Huff, 92-2452

Joe Tennie, 92-2441

Calvin Leon Webster, 92-2287

Lioneville Timar, Case No. 92-2056

Eulyn R. Wiggins, 92-2036

Jose Gonzalez, Case No. 92-0862

Nathaniel A. Dudley, Case No. 92-2369

Joseph Henry, 92-2259

Roy Screws, 92-2161

John C. Wesley, 92-2181

Artis Lee Benton, Case No. 92-1617

Phyllis Comer, 92-1966

Glenn Dell, 92-1863

Tony Lathan, 92-2716

Samuel Maybin, 92-2711

Reginald Demond Mayes, 92-2706

John É. Oliver, 92-2409

Patrick W. Taylor, 92-1855

Maurice Blue, Case No. 92-1868

Gabriel Bradley, 92-2350

Robert L. Long, 92-1931

Bernard Newsome, 92-1792

Eddie Turner, 92-1861

Jerome Gavin, 92-2194

Ralph Peyton, Case No. 92-1564

Carl Stiles, 92-0339

Tyrone Marcus Williams, 92-1696

Donny Woods, 92-2297

Matthew Howell, 92-2464

Donald Schofield, 92-2443

John Henry Barry, Case No. 92-0343

Jack Bruce, 92-1360

Alvin Clark, 92-1475

Todd Denooyer, 92-2210

Thomas Dixon, 91-4209

Willie Ledbetter, 91-3369

Enrique Marrero, 92-2014

Darrell Ridley, 92-1958

James Toivonen, 91-3689

Paris Varner, 92-2084

Robert Wiggin, 92-1986

Toney Abies, 92-2102

Timothy Brian Bova, 92-1914

George Cherryhomes, 92-2588

Alex Ruiz, 92-0747

Andre Scruggs, 92-2913

Dexter Surrency, 92-1934

Jimmy Lee Swain, 92-1976

Wayne Thompson, 92-2366

Joshua Walther, 92-1930

Anthony D. Williams, 91-3832

Oscar Beasley, Case No. 92-0110

Allen Billups, 92-1021

Mario Coll, 92-0725

Johnny Foster, 92-1896

Greg Goode, 91-4204

Anthony Harris, 92-2093

Steve Kelly Harris, 92-0267

Tammy Henderson, 92-1001

Vinston Larrimore, 92-0564

Norman Lindo, 92-1066

Darrell Livingston, 92-1518

Bernard Malphus, 91-1442

Ronald Martin, 92-0826

Joseph Mario Mize, 92-1414

Ronald L. Morris, 91-4057

Michael Pierce, 92-2238

Joseph B. Rodriguez, 92-1145

Danny Harold Rolling, 91-3694

Terry Saffold, 91-0947

Richard F. Saliga, 92-1460

Christopher Deshon Sesler, 92-1477

Michael Smith, 92-0478

Brian Karl Tichy, 92-0118

Tony Wallace, 92-0846

Jerome Yates, 92-1148

Lawrence Adams, 92-2673

George David Albach, 92-1957

Attachment

Gerald Alexander, 92-1165

Anthony Alloe, 92-1431

Nathaniel Anderson, 92-2218

Henry Bogan, 92-1164

Marcus Brown, 92-1059

Michael James Ciccarelli, 92-0458

Joel Edwards, 92-0156

Ronald Gilmore, 92-1205

David Gore, 91-3439

Felipe Grifaldo, 92-1974

Dvonn Hardick, 91-2717

James William Karsten, 92-1115

Harry Francis Kennedy, 91-4086

Eddie Lee McCullough, 92-1582

Sedrick McKinney, 92-0829

Joseph McMahon, 92-1742

Freddie Nesmith, 92-0717

Jared E. Pauley, 92-1160

Edward Prendes, 92-1011

Michael Anthony Ricks, 91-3345

Anthony Siders, 92-1848

Gregory A. Tomengo, 92-2647

David Eugene Tucker, 91-3278

Donny Lamar Viverette, 91-3494

Ronnie Walker, 92-2260

Andre Williams, 91-3919

John Henry Williams, 92-1427

Ronald Dale Williams, 91-1327

Taft Ellis Woodard, 92-0121

Derrick Young, 91-4246

Jeffrey Young, 92-1860

Nemencio Alvarez-Navarro, Case No. 92-2211

Randy Crosby, 92-1926

Daniel Forestner, 92-2671

Kelly Jordan, 92-2305

Errol Dwight Brooks, Case No. 91-4090

Jerry L. Barr, 92-0680

Jimmy Lee Crews, 91-3415

Earnest Foster, 92-1981

Gregory Green, 92-1245

Larry James, 92-1221

James Lamar Johnson, 92-1287

Walter G. Meadows, 92-2460

Marvin Mitchell, 92-0128

Douglas Mosely, 92-2120

Robert L. Owens, 91-3944

Tommy 0. Potts, 92-0355

Scott Rolfe, 92-2059

Lonnell Corris Stephens, 92-1216

Rick Lee Brandenburg, 92-2469

Steven Glenn, 92-2052

Michael Edward Howarth, 92-1619

Tommy Lee Powell, 92-2491

Derek Edward Seymour, 92-2352

Richard Leroy Shanks, 92-1853

Stephen Wayne Sharpe, 92-2662

Johnny Simon, 92-2329

Michael Smith, 92-2275

Paul Matthew Stevens, 92-2823

James W. Strickland, 92-2322

Gary Raymond Suit, 92-2451