Case Name: David R. ELLSPERMANN, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Petitioner, v. James BATSON, et al., Respondents
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1998-04-09
Citations: 708 So. 2d 277
Docket Number: No. 91910
Parties: David R. ELLSPERMANN, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Petitioner, v. James BATSON, et al., Respondents.
Judges: KOGAN, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, HARDING, ANSTEAD and PARIENTE, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 708
Pages: 277–277

Head Matter:
David R. ELLSPERMANN, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Petitioner, v. James BATSON, et al., Respondents.
No. 91910.
Supreme Court of Florida.
April 9, 1998.
Gordon B. Johnston, County Attorney, and Robert J. Fowler, Assistant County Attorney,- Ocala, for Petitioner.
No appearance for Respondents.

Opinion:
WELLS,-Justice.
We have for review a decision certifying the following question to be of great public importance:
IS THE COUNTY IN WHICH THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED OBLIGATED TO PAY THE COSTS OF APPELLATE FILING FEES FOR INDIGENT DEFENDANTS?
Batson v. State, 700 So.2d 1244, 1247 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997). We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const.
The resolution of this question is controlled by our decision in Milligan v. Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, 704 So.2d 1050 (Fla.1998), in which we held that there was no statutory requirement that counties disburse funds to pay appellate filing fees on behalf of indigent criminal defendants. Also, on the same day that we released our opinion in Milligan, we issued a separate administrative order directing the clerks of the appellate courts to stop collecting filing fees for cases filed on behalf of indigents.
Accordingly, we answer the certified question in the negative and quash the district court's decision.
It is so ordered.
KOGAN, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW, HARDING, ANSTEAD and PARIENTE, JJ., concur.