Case Name: In re EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENT OF STATE ATTORNEY
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1974-07-31
Citations: 298 So. 2d 382
Docket Number: No. 45928
Parties: In re EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENT OF STATE ATTORNEY.
Judges: ADKINS, C. J., and ROBERTS, Mc-CAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 298
Pages: 382–389

Head Matter:
In re EXECUTIVE ASSIGNMENT OF STATE ATTORNEY.
No. 45928.
Supreme Court of Florida.
July 31, 1974.
Order Aug. 6, 1974.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
On March 4, 1974, the Governor of Florida by Executive Order assigned Honorable T. Edward Austin, State Attorney of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (Jacksonville) to the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida (Tallahassee) for a period of 60 days which is the maximum period allowed for such executive assignment by the Governor exclusively under the authority of Section 27.14, Florida Statutes. Thereafter, on April 25, 1974, the assignment, on request of the Governor and with the concurrence of the Supreme Court of Florida, was extended for an additional period of 90 days (for a total of 150 days) including July 31, 1974. On July 23, 1974, the Governor, at the request of Circuit Judge John A. Rudd, Sr., has petitioned this Court to approve an assignment for an additional period of 120 days which, if granted, would have kept State Attorney Austin under continuous assignment to the Second Judicial Circuit for a period of 270 days.
Upon this extraordinary request, the Chief Justice hesitated because, inter alia, of the language of this Court in Finch v. Fitzpatrick, 254 So.2d 203 (Fla.1971), wherein this Court stated:
"The purpose of the time limitation in the statute is to prevent the Chief Executive from frustrating the will of the voters of a judicial circuit by replacing any elected state attorney with one chosen by the Governor from another circuit."
Section 2(b), Article V, Constitution of Florida, relating to the powers and duties of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, provides, inter alia:
"(b) . . . He shall be the chief administrative officer of the judicial system. ."
Under the color of the authority just above mentioned (which the Attorney General concedes grants this power to the Chief Justice upon a proper showing), the Chief Justice entered his adminstrative order dated July 25, 1974, setting forth his various reasons and then holding in that capacity that T. Edward Austin, the visiting State Attorney in the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida and whose authority expires at midnight July 31, 1974, should desist from proceeding with any further investigation of any state, county or municipal officer who has qualified for re-election or any citizen who has qualified for election until the day following the General Election to be held on November 5, 1974. The order was for the same reasons extended to the grand jury of Leon County. The Chief Justice then provided in his administrative order that State Attorney Austin could proceed as a visiting State Attorney in any criminal trials which have already been set and which would authorize his participation in the trial of State of Florida v. Honorable Floyd T. Christian now set for trial on September 30, 1974. He also provided that if the State Attorney could make a showing that the effect of this order would prevent the prosecution of any target of the present grand jury because of the statute of limitation, consideration would be given to the lifting of the effect of the order.
Adverse reaction and criticism resulted from an apparent misunderstanding of the order bringing forth hostile denunciation of the Court from persons apparently not familiar with its contents, followed by motion by Attorney General of Florida on behalf of the Governor of Florida asking a review of the foregoing administrative order by the entire Court. Interestingly, we learn from the Judicial Administrative Commission that of the 150 days thus far allowed for grand jury investigations, it, the grand jury, has been in session for a total of only 35 days and by the application of common arithmetic we know that for the past 150 days the grand jury has been in recess for a total of 115 days, although no prior recess was made by this Court. Jt must, therefore, follow that the 115 days of recess were ordered by either (1) the trial judge, (2) the state attorney, or (3) the foreman of the grand jury, all without explanation or adverse comment.
Furthermore, it is significant that prior to the entry of the administrative order, the Chief Justice of this Court discussed the matter with State Attorney T. Edward Austin advising him that the Chief Justice did not desire to make any administrative order that would endanger the prosecution of any target of the investigation for any crime and the Chief Justice was informed by State Attorney Austin that the delay until November 6, 1974, would not endanger in any manner or wise the ultimate result of any matter under investigation. It was only after that assurance was made by Austin that the Chief Justice made his administrative order.
We cannot overlook that during the 150 days State Attorney Austin, the duly elected State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit including metropolitan Jacksonville, has been on assignment to Leon County, there has been a sharp and alarming increase in crimes of violence in Jacksonville, Florida, resulting already, we are told, in the dismissal of two Assistant State Attorneys apparently for derelictions occurring during the absence of Austin.
The Court takes note that the Chief Justice has now revised and clarified his administrative order by providing that:
1. The assignment of Austin for the purpose of participating in the trial of the case of State of Florida v. Christian, supra, is approved to be in effect until such trial is concluded.
2. The administrative order does not preclude the grand jury from investigating any crimes of violence.
3. The administrative order does not prevent investigations and actions of the grand jury of any matter now under investigation where delay would result in the bar of prosecution by the statute of limitations.
4. The administrative order states a general declaration of policy believed by him and many others to be in the public interest for the reasons stated in his order.
5. That any grand jury investigation of a candidate may be conducted if a showing can be made to the Chief Justice or this Court that the public welfare requires such investigation or that law enforcement would be hampered by the brief recess provided for in this administrative order. The Chief Justice will give full consideration to the showing made and carefully consider the application for approval of the investigation.
6. The power of the state attorney to initiate prosecution by information is unimpaired.
As stated in a unanimous opinion by the revered late Chief Justice Thornal for the court in State v. Clemmons, 150 So.2d 231 (Fla.1963):
"To this end,, we do not agree that a grand jury is an autonomous agency with unlimited power. It is subject to reasonable corrective measures when it transcends bounds of law and reason. Conceivably, a grand jury report could be so salicious or scurrilous or defamatory or so lacking in truth as to indicate a malicious exploitation of authority. When this is apparent, punishment for contempt might be justified."
The question now recurs on the apppro-val of the administrative order of the Chief Justice by the entire Court, a copy being appended to this order for information. It is our opinion that the revised and clarified order of administration made by him is within the orbit of the authority granted the Chief Justice of Florida in Section 2(b), Article V, Constitution of Florida, and that the public interest and general welfare of Florida and law enforcement generally has suffered no injury in his so doing.
Accordingly, the administrative order as amended and clarified is approved. Because of the nature of the proceeding, we dispense with rehearing.
It is so ordered.
ADKINS, C. J., and ROBERTS, Mc-CAIN and DEKLE, JJ., concur.
ERVIN, J., dissents with opinion.