Title: In re: Certification of Need for Additional Judges

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
______________ 
 
No. SC19-1907 
______________ 
 
 
IN RE:  CERTIFICATION OF NEED 
FOR ADDITIONAL JUDGES. 
 
November 27, 2019 
PER CURIAM. 
This opinion fulfills our constitutional obligation to determine the State’s 
need for additional judges in fiscal year 2020/2021 and to certify our “findings and 
recommendations concerning such need” to the Florida Legislature.1  Certification 
is “the sole mechanism established by our constitution for a systematic and 
                                          
 
1.  Article V, section 9 of the Florida Constitution provides in pertinent part: 
 
Determination of number of judges.—The supreme court 
shall establish by rule uniform criteria for the determination of the 
need for additional judges except supreme court justices, the necessity 
for decreasing the number of judges and for increasing, decreasing or 
redefining appellate districts and judicial circuits.  If the supreme 
court finds that a need exists for increasing or decreasing the number 
of judges or increasing, decreasing or redefining appellate districts 
and judicial circuits, it shall, prior to the next regular session of the 
legislature, certify to the legislature its findings and recommendations 
concerning such need. 
 
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uniform assessment of this need.”  In re Certification of Need for Additional 
Judges, 889 So. 2d 734, 735 (Fla. 2004). 
In this opinion, we certify the need for two additional circuit court 
judgeships in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, one additional circuit court judgeship in 
the First Judicial Circuit, one additional circuit court judgeship in the Fourteenth 
Judicial Circuit, four additional county court judgeships in Hillsborough County, 
one additional county court judgeship in Orange County, one additional county 
court judgeship in Lee County, and no additional judgeships in the district courts 
of appeal.  We decertify the need for two county court judgeships in Brevard 
County, one county court judgeship in Monroe County, and one county court 
judgeship in Collier County. 
To make this decision, the Florida Supreme Court continues to use a verified 
objective weighted caseload methodology as a primary basis for assessing judicial 
need.2  The objective data are supplemented by judgeship requests submitted by 
the lower courts, including descriptions of the impact of various secondary factors.  
These secondary factors identified by each chief judge reflect local differences in 
support of their requests for more judgeships or in support of their requests for this 
Court not to decertify judgeships in situations where the objective case weights 
                                          
 
2.  Our certification methodology relies primarily on case weights and 
calculations of available judge time to determine the need for additional trial court 
judges.  See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.240. 
 
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alone would indicate excess judicial capacity.  Applying the criteria in this two-
step methodology, we conclude that the First, Ninth, and Fourteenth circuits have a 
demonstrable need for additional circuit judges.  Using the same criteria, this Court 
determines that the secondary factor analysis, coupled with recent statutory 
amendments and other relevant circumstances further explained below, warrants a 
more restrained approach to the decertification of trial court judgeships than the 
raw numbers alone would indicate. 
Our evaluation of these matters takes into account developments in the way 
our courts perform their duties that are not currently captured by the weighted case 
load methodology.  We also consider not only recently adopted legislation but also 
potential legislation and rule changes that could have a significant impact. 
Chapter 2019-58, Laws of Florida, increased the maximum dollar amount in 
controversy of cases under the jurisdiction of county courts.3  The Legislature took 
a phased approach to the implementation of this amendment.  Effective January 1, 
                                          
 
3.  Section 34.01(1)(c), Florida Statutes (2019), states that county courts 
shall have original jurisdiction: 
 
Of all actions at law, except those within the exclusive jurisdiction of 
the circuit courts, in which the matter in controversy does not exceed, 
exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees: 
1. If filed on or before December 31, 2019, the sum of 
$15,000. 
2. If filed on or after January 1, 2020, the sum of $30,000. 
3. If filed on or after January 1, 2023, the sum of $50,000. 
 
 
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2020, county court jurisdiction increases from a current upper limit of $15,000 to 
$30,000 and is scheduled for a second upward adjustment to $50,000 on January 1, 
2023.  Although these changes necessarily will alter workload in the county and 
circuit courts, precise estimates of the impact of these statutory revisions are not 
possible at this time. 
At the beginning of 2019, this Court established the Judicial Management 
Council Workgroup on Appellate Review of County Court Decisions.4  We 
directed the workgroup to study whether the circuit courts should be uniformly 
required to hear appeals in panels, to review a previous recommendation with 
regard to allowing intra- and inter-circuit conflicts in circuit court appellate 
decisions to be certified to the district courts of appeal, and to consider whether 
other changes to the process for appellate review of county court decisions would 
improve the administration of justice.  The Court has considered the report of that 
workgroup, submitted in October of this year, and accepted its recommendations, 
with some slight modifications.  The Supreme Court supports the Legislature’s 
consideration of legislation during the 2020 Regular Session to transfer to the 
district courts of appeal the circuit courts’ appellate and related extraordinary writ 
authority in county civil cases including non-criminal violations, county criminal 
                                          
 
4.  See In re Workgroup on Appellate Review of County Court Decisions, 
Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC19-3 (Jan. 4, 2019). 
 
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cases, and administrative cases.  Further, we have expressed our support for an 
effective date for the legislation that is no earlier than January 1, 2021, to allow 
adequate time for judicial branch implementation.  If the various statutes are 
amended by the Legislature to implement these changes, the judicial workload in 
the circuit courts and district courts will necessarily be affected. 
Trial court judges have expressed concerns about a need to review and 
possibly refine the method for reporting on the increased number and types of 
problem-solving courts throughout the state and the increased number of cases 
handled by those problem-solving courts.  It is important for this Court, in its 
assessment of judicial need, to evaluate the impact on judicial workload the 
problem-solving courts create and, if necessary, update the associated case 
weights.  While problem-solving courts show positive results in reduced recidivism 
and better outcomes in many cases, they also require significantly more judicial 
time. 
Finally, this Court is awaiting the results of an important review it has 
ordered, which may lead to revision of the rules we employ to determine judicial 
need.  Specifically, this Court has directed the Commission on Trial Court 
Performance and Accountability to review secondary factors impacting judicial 
certification to determine if there are areas of inconsistency between the case 
weights and current judicial assignments.  The Commission is reviewing rules 
 
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2.240(b)(1)(B) and 2.240(c), Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, to determine 
if there is a need to recommend any suggested modifications. 
 
Having conducted a quantitative assessment of trial and appellate court 
judicial workload and, as noted above, having also considered the various 
qualitative factors, workload trends, legislatively enacted jurisdictional changes 
and other relevant circumstances, we certify the need for ten additional trial court 
judgeships in Florida, consisting of four circuit court judgeships and six county 
court judgeships, as set forth in the appendix to this opinion.  We also recommend 
the decertification of four county court judgeships, also identified in the appendix, 
and we certify no need for additional judgeships in the district courts of appeal. 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, LAGOA, and MUÑIZ, 
JJ., concur. 
 
Original Proceeding – Certification of Need for Additional Judges 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
Trial Court Need 
 
Circuit 
Circuit Court 
Certified 
Judges 
County 
County Court 
Certified 
Judges 
County Court 
Decertified 
Judges 
1 
1 
N/A 
0 
0 
2 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
3 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
4 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
5 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
6 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
7 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
8 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
9 
2 
Orange 
1 
0 
10 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
11 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
12 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
13 
0 
Hillsborough 
4 
0 
14 
1 
N/A 
0 
0 
15 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
16 
0 
Monroe 
0 
1 
17 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
18 
0 
Brevard 
0 
2 
19 
0 
N/A 
0 
0 
20 
0 
Collier 
0 
1 
Lee 
1 
0 
Total 
4 
Total 
6 
4