Case Name: In re ADVISORY OPINION TO the GOVERNOR REQUEST OF JUNE 29, 1979
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1979-07-17
Citations: 374 So. 2d 959
Docket Number: No. 57208
Parties: In re ADVISORY OPINION TO the GOVERNOR REQUEST OF JUNE 29, 1979.
Judges: 
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 374
Pages: 959–972

Head Matter:
In re ADVISORY OPINION TO the GOVERNOR REQUEST OF JUNE 29, 1979.
No. 57208.
Supreme Court of Florida.
July 17, 1979.
Sharyn L. Smith and Mark Herron, Tallahassee, for Florida Legislature.
J. Kendrick Tucker, Patricia R. Gleason and Percy W. Mallison, Jr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for Attorney General.
Talbot D’Alemberte of Steel, Hector and Davis, Miami, for Volusia County Bar Association, Inc., Putnam County Bar Association, Inc., and St. Johns County Bar Association, Inc.
Thomas A. Clark and Peter J. Winders, for Carlton, Fields, Ward, Emmanuel, Smith & Cutler, Tampa.

Opinion:
The Honorable Bob Graham
Governor, State of Florida
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32304
Dear Governor Graham:
We have the honor of acknowledging your communication of June 29, 1979, requesting our advice, pursuant to article IV, section 1(c) of the Florida Constitution and rule 9.500 of the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, as to the interpretation of a portion of the constitution affecting your executive power of appointment.
Omitting the formal parts, your letter reads as follows:
By virtue of the provisions of Article IV, Section 1(c), Florida Constitution, I respectfully request your written opinion as to the interpretation of a portion of the Florida Constitution affecting my executive powers and duties.
Pursuant to Florida Appellate Rule 9.500(b)(1), the first question for the Court is whether this request is within the purview of Article IV, Section 1(c), Florida Constitution. Under Article V, Section 11, Florida Constitution, it is my duty to fill by appointment vacancies in judicial office. Article X, Section 3, Florida Constitution, defines a vacancy in office and provides that a vacancy "shall occur upon the creation of an office . ." The question presented here is whether there has been a constitutional creation of judicial vacancies. This Court has previously determined that such a question is within the purview of Article IV, Section 1(c), Florida Constitution, by responding to a similar request from my predecessor in office. In re Advisory Opinion to the Governor, 281 So.2d 328 (Fla.1973).
Creation of Vacancies
The facts can be stated in chronological order. All dates are in the year 1979.
April 2. Pursuant to Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, the Supreme Court certified a need for increasing the number of judges and for increasing and redefining appellate districts to a regular session of the Legislature. In re Certificate of Judicial Manpower for Circuit and County Courts, As Required by Section 9, Article V, Florida Constitution, 370 So.2d 363 (Fla.1979); In re Certification Under Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, To Redefine Appellate Districts And To Increase the Number of Judges On the District Courts of Appeal, 370 So.2d 365 (Fla.1979).
June 6. After considering the Court's certificate, the Legislature, by two-thirds of the membership of both houses, enacted CS for SB 268. The bill altered the court's certification by increasing the number of judges recommended for the First District from 7 to 9 and decreasing the number of judges recommended for the Third District from 9 to 8. While the statute created a Fifth District, it altered the court's recommended alignment by taking the Tenth Judicial Circuit from the new Fifth District, and placing it into the realigned Second District. The bill left undisturbed the court's recommendation for: a) additional judges for the Second, Fourth, and Fifth Districts, b) realignment of the First and Fourth Districts, c) no change for the alignment of the Third District, and d) additional judges for various circuit and county courts. The Legislature then adjourned sine die.
June 20. After CS for SB 268 was enrolled and signed by the required constitutional officers, it was presented to this office.
Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, provides the procedure for the determination of the number of judges and for increasing and redefining appellate districts. Section 9 sets forth two different procedures for accomplishing this purpose. The first assumes that the Supreme Court presents a timely certificate of need to the Legislature:
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. Upon receipt of such certificate, the legislature, at the next regular session, shall consider the findings and recommendations and may reject the recommendations or by law implement the recommendations in whole or in part; provided the legislature may create more judicial offices than are recommended by the supreme court or may decrease the number of judicial offices by a greater number than recommended by the court only upon a finding of two-thirds of the membership of both houses of the legislature, that such a need exists. A decrease in the number of judges shall be effective only after the expiration of a term.
The second procedure is in the event the Supreme Court fails to make such certification to the Legislature:
If the supreme court fails to make findings as provided above when need exists, the legislature may by concurrent resolution request the court to certify its findings and recommendations and upon the failure of the court to certify its findings for nine consecutive months, the legislature may, upon a finding of two-thirds of the membership of both houses of the legislature that a need exists, increase or decrease the number of judges or increase, decrease or redefine appellate districts and judicial circuits.
Since the Court submitted a timely certificate, I am concerned with the first procedure.
The only specific authorization for the Legislature to alter the Court's recommendations for increasing, decreasing or redefining appellate districts appears in the second procedure. On the other hand, the first procedure authorizes the Legislature to reject the Court's recommendations or by law implement the recommendations in whole or in part.
The construction to be given Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, is in question.
Judicial Nominating Commissions
Article V, Section 20, Florida Constitution, requires the Governor and The Florida Bar to appoint members of judicial nominating commissions on July 1 from "within the territorial jurisdiction of the affected court." The status of these commissions is in question.
Effective Date
The bill contains a number of provisions which are not subject to question and are essential to the judiciary and citizens of Florida. I will allow the bill to become law without my signature.
Pursuant to Article III, Section 8, Florida Constitution, the bill will not become law until July 5. The bill provides an effective date of July 1. The effective date of the law is in question.
Questions
In view of the legislative implementation of Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, and considering the other provisions of the Florida Constitution as cited, I am in doubt as to whether these judicial offices have been created so that vacancies exist. Therefore, I request your written opinion on the following questions:
1. Has there been a constitutional creation of judicial vacancies by virtue of CS for SB 268 so as to permit gubernatorial appointments to judicial office and judicial nominating commissions?
2. If so, what is the effective date of the new law?
3. If not, is the law defective in whole or in part?
Article IV, Section 1(c), Florida Constitution, permits a written opinion in less than ten days if the delay would cause public injury.
Judicial nominating commissions to conform with district court alignment should be in existence by July 1. The judiciary needs new judges as soon as the appointments can be properly made. To allow these questions to be raised by others after realignment of districts and appointment of judges, could be chaotic.
In accordance with our rules, we made a preliminary determination that your request is properly within the purview of article IV, section 1(c), in that the legislation in question directly affects your duty as governor to fill vacancies in judicial office and to appoint members of the judicial nominating commissions. Your request notes certain confusion surrounding this important enactment, which creates new judicial positions at three levels of Florida's judiciary and redefines the state's appellate districts. In light of the irreparable harm to the public that might result from an erroneous implementation of this statute, we have determined that we will exercise our discretion to answer your inquiries. To assure full and fair consideration of the issues raised, we permitted interested persons to file briefs and to present oral argument before the court.
It is essential to our response to your inquiry that we recount briefly the sequence of events in 1979 which led to the enactment of CS for SB 268. On March 22 we certified to the legislature, pursuant to article V, section 9 of the Florida Constitution, our finding that a need exists for ten additional circuit court judgeships and seven additional county court judgeships. In re Certificate of Judicial Manpower for Circuit and County Courts, 370 So.2d 363 (Fla.1979). On April 2 we certified to the legislature, under the same constitutional provision, our finding that a need exists for ten additional district court of appeal judge-ships and for a redefinition of the state's appellate districts. In re Certification Under Article V, Section 9, Florida Constitution, to Redefine Appellate Districts and to Increase the Number of Judges on the District Courts of Appeal, 370 So.2d 365 (Fla.1979). In this latter certifieátion, the court recommended one additional judgeship for the second district, two additional judge-ships for the third district, and one additional judgeship for the fourth district. No additional judgeships were recommended for the first district court. We also recommended the creation of a fifth appellate district that would encompass the fifth, seventh, ninth, tenth, and eighteenth judicial circuits, together with a concomitant realignment of the three existing appellate districts affected by the assignment of these judicial circuits to the newly recommended fifth appellate district. Additionally, we recommended that six judgeships be created for the new fifth district.
During its 1979 regular session, the legislature considered the findings and recommendations of the court, and on June 6, the final day of the extended regular session, enacted CS for SB 268 by a two-thirds vote of the membership of both houses. This bill created the seventeen trial court judge-ships recommended by the court in its first certification. It also created eleven new judgeships for the district courts of appeal and established a fifth appellate district, but not in the manner recommended by the court in its second certification. The judge-ships recommended by the court and approved by the legislature were as follows:
Recommended Implemented
First District 0 2
Second District 1 1
Third District 2 1
Fourth District 1 1
Fifth District _6 _6
TOTAL 10 11
The fifth appellate district created by the legislature included the fifth, seventh, ninth, and eighteenth judicial circuits, as recommended by the court, but omitted the tenth judicial circuit which had also been recommended.
The act specified an effective date of July 1, 1979. After being enrolled and signed by the required constitutional .officers, CS for SB 268 was presented to you on June 20. In your letter of June 29 requesting our advice on these questions, you stated that you would not sign this legislation but that you would allow it to become law without your signature. Accordingly, under article III, section 8(a) of the Florida Constitution, this bill would become law on July 6. We now note that you neither vetoed nor signed CS for SB 268.
Turning now to your request, we consider individually the questions you have posed.
Part I — Validity of the Legislation
Article V, section 9 of the Florida Constitution provides in relevant part:
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. Upon receipt of such certificate, the legislature, at the next regular session, shall consider the findings and recommendations and may reject the recommendations or by law implement the recommendations in whole or in part; provided the legislature may create more judicial offices than are recommended by the supreme court or may decrease the number of judicial offices by a greater number than recommended by the court only upon a finding of two-thirds of the membership of both houses of the legislature, that such a need exists.
This provision has not previously been the subject of any judicial interpretation. To guide our interpretation, we look to three established rules of constitutional construction.
In construing provisions of the constitution, each provision must be given effect, according to its plain and ordinary meaning. The court must give provisions a reasonable meaning, tending to fulfill, not frustrate, the intent of the framers and adopters. Constructions which are strained, lead to absurd results, or render another provision nugatory must be avoided. Gray v. Bryant, 125 So.2d 846 (Fla.1960). Unless a different intent is clearly manifested, each section of the constitution should be read in conjunction, with all other provisions to determine its proper meaning, and the entire document should receive a consistent and uniform interpretation. Askew v. Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, 336 So.2d 556 (Fla.1976). Where particular words or phrases are ambiguous, resort may be had to the history of the particular provision. Williams v. Smith, 360 So.2d 417 (Fla.1978).
(1) Applying the first set of principles, we can see that the framers of article V, section 9, did not intend the creation of new judicial positions, of new appellate districts or judicial circuits, or the realignment of existing appellate districts and judicial circuits to be solely the prerogative of either the legislature or the judiciary. The two-branches of state government are, instead, required to share that responsibility, with each performing specifically delineated functions. The supreme court determines that a need exists and makes recommendations to the legislature to meet those needs. That body may then reject the court's recommendations, or it may implement them "in whole or in part."
The plain language of this section suggests that the phrase "in whole or in part" would allow the legislature to implement in part each recommendation which the constitution authorizes the court to certify. The supreme court's recommendations would, in effect, serve as the outer limits of what the legislature may do (except when, by a two-thirds vote, the legislature increases the number of judgeships beyond the increase recommended by the court or decreases the number of judgeships beyond the decrease recommended by the court).
Those rules of construction which require adherence to the plain meaning of language in the constitution suggest, then, that the legislature is free to implement each of the court's recommendations in whole or in part.
(2) Applying the second principle of construction — that all provisions of the constitution should be read in conjunction with all others so as to provide a consistent meaning — directs our attention to other constitutional provisions which require joint legislative-judicial responsibility. Under article V, section 2(a), the supreme court has the initial responsibility to adopt rules of procedure and practice for the courts, and the legislature is given the power to reject any rule upon a two-thirds vote. No provision is made for partial acceptance by the legislature — either it must completely reject a rule or allow it to remain effective. This limitation is in striking contrast to the spe cific authorization for legislative implementation "in whole or in part" under article V, section 9. Similarly, under article III, section 16, relating to legislative reapportionment, the legislature is required to adopt an initial apportionment resolution which must be approved by the supreme court. The court's authority, however, is restricted to determining the resolution's validity or invalidity — it cannot amend the resolution to apportion in whole or in part. (Of course, upon a failure of the legislature to reapportion, the court is authorized to enter its own apportionment order, just as under article V, section 9, the legislature can create judgeships or realign appellate districts and judicial circuits upon a failure of the court to certify the need for these actions.) These provisions suggest that the phrase "in whole or in part" in article V, section 9, was intended to create a legislative power greater than a mere acceptance or rejection of the court's proposals.
(3) The third constructional tenet that is relevant here — resort to the history of a constitutional provision that is ambiguous— leads to an analysis of the development of this provision during the 1971 special session of the legislature.
Article V, section 9, became part of the Florida Constitution in 1972, as part of a general revision of article V adopted by the legislature in 1971. No previous constitution contained a similar provision. The process by which this section was drafted reflects the intent of its framers.
The first drafts, prepared by House Judiciary Committee in September and early November 1971, provided that increases or decreases in judicial positions, appellate districts, and judicial circuits, and realignment of districts and circuits, were to be accomplished "only by certificate of the supreme court." The certificate was to "take effect thirty days after adjournment of the next succeeding regular session of the legislature . unless disapproved or modified by law at that session." (Emphasis supplied.) As passed by the House, however, the proposed provision contained no reference to the supreme court's certification, and the entire responsibility for implementing changes in the number of judges, and in the alignment and number of districts and circuits, was assigned to the legislature.
The Senate substantially amended the House resolution, reinstating the supreme court's certification authority but retaining the legislature's authority to modify at will the court's recommendations. In fact, the court was expressly authorized to certify only its findings of fact; it was not authorized to certify recommendations.
A conference committee, formed to resolve differences between the House and the Senate, in due course produced section 9 in its present form. The House Committee summarized the proposed provision as follows:
a. Supreme Court certifies need to increase or decrease number of judges.
b. Legislature shall act to approve or to reject;
c. If legislature wants to create more judicial officers than recommended by the court (or to reduce beyond such recommendation), it must find a need for such action by two-thirds vote;
d. If the Supreme Court fails to make finding [that} need exists, legislature may request court to make findings starting process described above.
e. If court fails to certify within nine months, the legislature may, on a finding of two-thirds, increase or decrease judges.
As is readily apparent, the framers of section 9 were concerned with the integrity of the court's certification, allowing a deviation only to exceed the court's recommendation for an increase or decrease of judge-ships, and then only by a two-thirds majority-
Conclusion. It is apparent from the foregoing analysis that article V, section 9 permits the legislature to implement each recommendation of the court in whole or in part. This conclusion is consistent with the legislature's fiscal role of ensuring adequate annual revenues to support all expenditures.
Translating this conclusion to the questions you have posed, there is no doubt that the creation of circuit and county court judgeships in CS for SB 268 — in exactly the manner certified by the court — is valid under article V, section 9. Similarly, the creation of a fifth appellate district by CS for SB 268 — implementing "in part" the court's recommendation — is also valid under that provision. The omission of one recommended judicial circuit from the new appellate district is not a prohibited modification of the court's recommendation; however, the addition of one or more judicial circuits not included in the court's certification would be a prohibited modification.
The creation of district court judge-ships stands on a somewhat different legal footing than these, but it is also constitutionally valid. To maintain the role of the court in the creation of new judgeships as was envisioned by the framers of this provision, it is necessary to consider each recommendation for judgeships in an appellate district as an independent recommendation of the court. A "recommendation," as that term is used in article V, section 9, necessarily refers to the certification of a judicial manpower need for a judicial circuit or an appellate district or the certification of a need to realign an appellate district or a judicial circuit. This definition is best understood by considering its practical effect in a common situation. If the court were to certify the need for two additional circuit court judgeships for a particular judicial circuit, with or without recommendations for other judicial circuits, the legislature could, by simple majority vote in each chamber, authorize one, two, or no judge-ships for that circuit. (This would reject or implement in whole or in part the court's recommendation.) The legislature could also, by a two-thirds vote of the membership of each chamber, authorize three or more judgeships for that circuit. (This would exceed the court's recommended increase by the authorized two-thirds majority.) The legislature could not, however, increase to three the number of new judge-ships if less than a two-thirds vote were obtained in either house, and it could not by any vote use the court's certification of the need for additional judicial manpower in one judicial circuit as a basis to create one or more judgeships in another judicial circuit.
The legislature approved the number of judges certified for the second, fourth and fifth district courts of appeal, thus validly implementing the court's recommendations for these districts "in whole." It decreased by one the number certified for the third district, thus validly implementing our recommendation for this district "in part." ' The legislature exceeded the court's recommendations only for the first district by creating two judgeships which were not recommended. Article V, section 9 provides, however, that the legislature may increase the recommended number of judgeships upon a two-thirds vote of each house. CS for SB 268 was duly enacted by this requisite two-thirds majority, so that these judgeships are also validly created. Additionally, in chapter 79-312, section 3, the legislature amended section 35.06(1), Florida Statutes (1977), by providing that there shall be nine judges rather than seven in the first district. Chapter 79-312 was adopted by a vote of 29 to 4 in the Senate and by a vote of 107 to 0 in the House of Representatives. The legislature's finding that a need exists for these two additional judgeships is clearly evidenced by its incorporation of the creation of these additional judgeships in chapter 79-312 which transfers all appellate jurisdiction from the Industrial Relations Commission to the first district. This transfer of jurisdiction, not known to the Supreme Court at the time of certification, created a need for these additional judges in the first district.
In answer to your inquiry, we would advise you that CS for SB 268 has validly created the legislatively approved judicial offices in the county, circuit, and district courts, and that a fifth appellate district was thereby validly created to encompass the fifth, seventh, ninth, and eighteenth judicial circuits. The appointments which are available to you under CS for SB 268 include the five new judgeships created for the first, second, third, and fourth district courts, as many of the six new judgeships for the fifth district court as are not filled by judges opting under the legislation to become a part of the fifth district court, and as many of the old judgeships in the first, second, and fourth district courts as are vacated by judges opting into the fifth district court.
Our opinion on this question renders it unnecessary to answer your third inquiry.
Part II — Effeetive Date
You indicate that the effective date of CS for SB 268 is in doubt inasmuch as the bill specifies an effective date of July 1 but did not, as we earlier indicated, "become law" until July 6. The constitution provides:
Each law shall take effect on the sixtieth day after adjournment sine die of the session of the legislature in which enacted or as otherwise provided therein.
The possible effective dates created by the events surrounding this bill are July 1 (the "provided" effective date), July 6 (the date on which the bill "became law") and August 5 (the sixtieth day after the session adjourned).
The attorney general has twice opined, once under a similar provision of the 1885 Constitution, and once under the 1968 Constitution, that the appropriate date in these circumstances (and in the absence of an expressed declaration of retroactivity) is the sixtieth day after adjournment. He there reasoned that the effective date provided in the bill is inoperative unless the bill becomes law on or before that date. We see no reason to disagree with the analysis contained in his opinions since it is supported by valid policy reasons related to the administration of the judicial system. Accordingly, we advise you that CS for SB 268 will become effective on August 5, 1979.
Respectfully,
James C. Adkins
Joseph A. Boyd, Jr.
Ben F. Overton
James E. Alderman
. Art. V. § H, Fla.Const.
. Art. V, § 20(c)(5)b., Fla.Const.
.Fla.R.App.P. 9.500(b)(2). [Briefs were filed on behalf of the Volusia County, Putnam County, and St. Johns County Bar Associations; the attorney general, speaker of the house of repre sentatives, and president of the senate; and Thomas A. dark and Peter J. Winders, private Tampa attorneys.]
. Each district court of appeal is constitutionally required to "consist of at least three judges." Art. V, § 4(a), Fla.Const.
. 1979 Senate Jour. 1037 (1979 Session); 1979 H.R.Jour. 1312 (1979 Session).
. Other portions of this provision have no bearing on the issues you have posed for our conversation.
. Drafts of the provisions of article V, as revised in 1972, are maintained in the Supreme Court Library.
. Proposed section nine read:
Appellate court districts and judicial circuits may be increased, decreased or redefined and the number of judges of any court except the supreme court may be increased or reduced by law consistent with this article. The reduction of the number of judges shall be effective only at the expiration of a term of office.
1972 H.R.Jour. 33 (1971 Special Session).
.As passed by the Senate, section nine provided that changes in the alignment and number of districts and circuits and the number of judges were to be implemented:
by general law consistent with this article, but only after the supreme court certifies to the legislature its finding that there exists a need for such action based on workload and other pertinent factors.
1972 Senate Jour. 33, 39 (1971 Special Session).
. Art. VII, § 1(d), Fla.Const.
. 1979 Senate Jour. 804 (1979 Session).
. 1979 H.R.Jour. 1101 (1979 Session).
. Art. III, § 9, Fla.Const.
. Opin.Fla.Atty.Gen. 067-50 (August 10, 1967); Opin.Fla.Atty.Gen. 071-262 (August 30, 1971).