Case Title: In Re: Amendments To Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.320

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC10-2140

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2010-12-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC10-2140 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO FLORIDA RULE OF JUDICIAL 
ADMINISTRATION 2.320. 
 
[December 9, 2010] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
On its own motion, the Court amends Florida Rule of Judicial 
Administration 2.320, Continuing Judicial Education.  We have jurisdiction.  See 
art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.; Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(g).  
 
The amendments to rule 2.320 are in response to policy changes concerning 
continuing judicial education requirements recommended by the Florida Court 
Education Council.1  Subdivision (b)(2), Minimum Requirements, of the rule is 
amended to increase the number of continuing judicial education credit hours 
required in ethics in each three-year reporting period from two to four hours.  
Beginning January 1, 2012, four hours in the area of judicial ethics will be 
required; prior to that date, the current two hours in this area are required.  
                                          
 
 
1.  Minor editorial changes also are made throughout the rule.  
 
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Delaying the increase in ethics hours required ensures that judges will have 
adequate notice of the change and that no judge will be adversely affected by it.  
Language is also added to clarify that approved courses in fairness and diversity 
can be used to fulfill the ethics requirement.  The subdivision is further amended to 
require a new appellate judge who has never been a trial judge or who has never 
attended Phase I of the Florida Judicial College as a magistrate to attend that 
program during the judge’s first year of judicial service following appointment.   
Accordingly, we amend Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.320 as 
reflected in the appendix to this opinion.  New language is indicated by 
underscoring; deletions are indicated by struck-through type.  The amendments are 
effective immediately upon the release of this opinion.  However, because the 
Court did not publish the amendments for comment prior to their adoption, 
interested persons shall have sixty days from the date of this opinion in which to 
file comments with the Court.2  
It is so ordered.  
                                          
 
 
2.  An original and nine paper copies of all comments must be filed with 
the Court on or before February 7, 2011, as well as separate request for oral 
argument if the person filing the comment wishes to participate in oral argument, 
which may be scheduled in this case.  Electronic copies of all comments and 
responses also must be filed in accordance with the Court's administrative order in 
In re Mandatory Submission of Electronic Copies of Documents, Fla. Admin. 
Order No. AOSC04-84 (Sept. 13, 2004). 
 
 
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CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, LABARGA, and PERRY, 
JJ., concur. 
POLSTON, J., dissents. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceedings – Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee 
 
Katherine Eastmoore Giddings, Chair, Rules of Judicial Administration 
Committee, Akerman  Senterfitt, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
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APPENDIX 
RULE 2.320.  Continuing Judicial Education 
 
   (a)  Purpose.  This rule sets forth the continuing education requirements for all 
judges in the state judicial system. 
 
   (b)  Education Requirements. 
 
      (1)  Applicability.  All Florida county, circuit, and appellate judges and Florida 
supreme court justices shall comply with these judicial education requirements.  
Retired judges who have been approved by the supreme court to be assigned to 
temporary active duty as authorized by section 25.073, Florida Statutes (1991), 
shall also comply with the judicial education requirements. 
 
      (2)  Minimum Requirements.   Each judge and justice shall complete a 
minimum of 30 credit hours of approved judicial education programs every 3 
years.  TwoBeginning January 1, 2012, 4 hours must be in the area of judicial 
ethics; prior to that date, 2 hours in the area of judicial ethics are required.  
Approved courses in fairness and diversity also can be used to fulfill the judicial 
ethics requirement.  In addition to the 30-hour requirement, every judge new to a 
level of trial court must complete the Florida Judicial College program in that 
judge’s first year of judicial service following selection to that level of court; every 
new appellate court judge or justice must, within 2 years following selection to that 
level of court, complete an approved appellate-judge program.  Every new 
appellate judge who has never been a trial judge or who has never attended Phase I 
of the Florida Judicial College as a magistrate must also attend Phase I of the 
Florida Judicial College in that judge’s first year of judicial service following the 
judge’s appointment.  Credit for teaching a course for which mandatory judicial 
education credit is available will be allowed on the basis of 2 ½ hours’ credit for 
each instructional hour taught, up to a maximum of 5 hours per year. 
 
      (3)  Mediation Training.  Prior to conducting any mediation, a senior judge 
shall have completed a minimum of one judicial education course offered by the 
Florida Court Education Council.  The course shall specifically focus on the areas 
where the Code of Judicial Conduct or the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-
Appointed Mediators could be violated. 
 
   (c) Course Approval.  The Florida Court Education Council, in consultation 
with the judicial conferences, shall develop approved courses for each state court 
 
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jurisdiction.  Courses offered by other judicial and legal education entities must be 
approved by the council before they may be submitted for credit. 
 
   (d) Waiver.  The Florida Court Education Council is responsible for establishing 
a procedure for considering and acting upon waiver and extension requests on an 
individual basis. 
 
   (e) Reporting Requirements and Sanctions.  The Florida Court Education 
Council shall establish a procedure for reporting annually to the chief justice on 
compliance with this rule.  Each judge shall submit to the Legal Affairs andCourt 
Education Division of the Office of the State Courts Administrator an annual 
report showing the judge’s attendance at approved courses.  Failure to comply with 
the requirements of this rule will be reported to the chief justice of the Florida 
supreme court for such administrative action as deemed necessary.  The chief 
justice may consider a judge’s or justice’s failure to comply as neglect of duty and 
report the matter to the Judicial Qualifications Commission.