Opinion ID: 1702660
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Authority for the Use of Senior Judges

Text: Article V, section 2(b) of the Florida Constitution establishes the power of the chief justice to assign former justices or judges to temporary duty, a status commonly referred to as that of senior judge. It also authorizes the chief justice to delegate the authority to assign judges within a circuit to the chief judge of a circuit court: The chief justice of the supreme court shall ... have the power to assign justices or judges, including consenting retired justices or judges, to temporary duty in any court for which the judge is qualified and to delegate to a chief judge of a judicial circuit the power to assign judges for duty in that circuit. It is important to note that not all former justices and judges are retired justices or judges, and not all retired justices and judges are senior justices or judges. The terminology can get confusing: a term such as retired judge may be appropriate in one context (retirement benefits, for example), but not another (such as recall to judicial service). Further, aside from temporary judicial service or retirement benefits implications, the terms retired judge and senior judge are also considered honorary designations that are not available to all former judges. For the purposes of assignment to temporary service, the following definitions apply: former justice Any person who has been a judicial officer of this state, former judge retired justice Any former justice or judge who: retired judge a. has not been defeated in seeking reelection to, or has not failed to be retained in seeking retention in, his or her last judicial office; and b. is not engaged in the practice of law. [7] For the purpose of judicial administration, a retired judge is defined as a judge not engaged in the practice of law who has been a judicial officer of this state. [8] senior judge A retired judge serving on assignment to temporary judicial duty may be referred to as a senior judge. This designation is honorary and has no effect on the responsibilities or conduct of the retired judge. [9]