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

Heading: Recommendation One. The Committee recommends a significant increase in senior judge compensation in order to encourage and recruit the services of qualified retired judges.

Text: We endorse this recommendation. As the Committee noted in its report, senior judges perform the work of approximately thirty-five full-time judges at a small fraction of the cost of that number of full-time judges. Further, while many more remunerative work opportunities are available to retired judges, many of them elect to continue serving the citizens of Florida as senior judges out of an abiding commitment to public service. Thus, we conclude that the compensation rate for senior judges should be substantially increased. Recommendation Two. Potential senior judges should be subject to a process to determine eligibility for assignment that includes the following components: screening to ensure compliance with continuing education requirements; employment screening including inquiries to chief and administrative judges with whom the candidate has worked; inquiry with the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) regarding whether the retired judge is the subject of a pending investigation; and consideration of input about the retired judge's work from attorneys who appear before the court. The Committee determined that there was no need for a formal certification process for senior judges. We endorse the Committee's recommendation of an eligibility screening process to ensure that the retired judge is current with educational requirements, that the judicial leadership within the retired judge's resident court do not have concerns about the judge's present ability to serve, and that the judge has no pending investigations before the JQC. This screening process will also consider attorney input regarding the judge's work. Recommendation Three. A judge or justice who has been defeated in an election or retention vote in their last judicial position should not be eligible to serve as a senior judge. While qualified and competent judges may occasionally fail to win re-election or retention, we agree with the Committee that concerns of public trust and confidence and deference to the constitutional electoral process dictate that the expressed will of the voters prevail. Thus, judges or justices who fail to win reelection or retention in their last judicial position are not eligible for senior judge service. Recommendation Four. A judge who is otherwise qualified to serve as a senior judge, and who applies for assignment as a senior judge within a year of retirement, should be eligible for assignment without review of attorney input. An initial determination of eligibility would therefore be based on education, employment, and Judicial Qualifications Commission screenings, but would not require review of attorney input. We agree with the Committee's recommendation relating to the attorney feedback process for recently retired judges. Accordingly, judges who have honorably retired and are otherwise eligible to serve as senior judges need not be subjected to the attorney feedback process when they initially apply for assignment, provided that the judges apply within a year of their retirement. Recommendation Five. Senior judges who have been determined to be eligible for assignment who have not reached the constitutionally required age of retirement should be subject to review every three years. Senior judges who have been determined to be eligible for assignment who have reached the constitutionally required age of retirement should be subject to annual review. Educational requirements, however, should be reviewed only every three years in all cases, consistent with the existing court education cycle. We agree with the Committee that the quality of judicial work performed by senior judges in Florida is consistently very high. We also endorse the Committee's recommendation that the work of all senior judges be subject to periodic review. Further, in recognition of the mandatory retirement provision in the Florida Constitution [2] and the diminished ability to perform complex tasks that sometimes accompanies advancing years, we endorse the Committee's recommendation of a two-tiered review system based upon the age of the senior judge. Those senior judges who have not reached the constitutionally required age of retirement will be evaluated every three years. When a senior judge reaches the constitutionally required age of retirement, he or she will be evaluated annually. Educational requirements for all senior judges will be reviewed every three years, which coincides with the current court education cycle. See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.150(b)(2) (Each judge and justice shall complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved judicial education programs every three years.); Fla. R. Jud. Admin 2.150(b)(1) (Retired judges who have been approved by the supreme court to be assigned to temporary active duty ... shall also comply with the judicial education requirement.). Recommendation Six. Continuing service as a senior judge should require periodic review, based on education, employment, and Judicial Qualifications Commission screening, and on the recommendation of a review board after consideration of input from attorneys who appear before the court. The Committee's recommendation of periodic review rests on the concept of accountability. While sitting judges are elected or appointed through a merit-selection process, [3] senior judges are assigned under the constitutional authority of the chief justice. Further, while sitting judges are subject to removal through an election or a retention vote, voters do not have a similar opportunity to retain or remove a senior judge. Accountability for the continued judicial authority of the senior judges rests with the chief justice and should be subject to a structured review process. We endorse the Committee's recommendation of this structured review process. In making a determination of continued eligibility, the chief justice should consider the three elements of the initial review (education, employment, and JQC screening) and the recommendation of the review board that receives input from attorneys who have appeared before the court. Recommendation Seven. The review of senior judges should be conducted by five review boards, with one board created to serve each appellate district. Review boards should solicit attorney input regarding any senior judge who is scheduled for review, as well as any judge within that appellate district who requests assignment and has been retired for more than a year. The review boards would make a recommendation to the chief justice whether a candidate is eligible or not eligible for assignment. Recommendations of review boards should not be subject to appeal. We endorse the Committee's recommendation that a review board be created in each of the five appellate districts. The Committee opted for district-wide review boards rather than circuit-wide boards or a single statewide board in order to include representatives who have first-hand knowledge of the judges being reviewed and representatives who have experience in other jurisdictions. District-wide review boards will also be the most efficient in terms of the accompanying administrative activity. The Committee estimates that each district-wide review board will conduct thirty to forty reviews annually, which should not prove onerous to the review board members. If a single statewide review board were appointed, the task of conducting 150 to 200 annual reviews could be overwhelming to the board members. The Committee recommends that the district review boards organize their work on an annual cycle and conduct all reviews during one or two meetings. Each district review board shall include the chief judge of each circuit court in the district or a designee, the chief judge of the district court of appeal or a designee, and an equal number of attorneys. The circuit court chief judges and the district court chief judge shall each appoint one attorney member. Where a senior judge serves in multiple jurisdictions, the review will be conducted by the board in the district in which the judge has performed the most service in the present eligibility period. Recommendation Eight. The information collected for purposes of review should be made available to circuit and district chief judges prior to the board's recommendation. The information should be sent to the chief judges to aid them in the assignment and management of senior judges, and then forwarded to the relevant review board. We agree with the Committee that the information collected by review boards about senior judges who are eligible for assignment would be of great assistance to the chief judges who make assignment decisions. Thus, this information will be forwarded to each circuit and district chief judge by the permanent workgroup, discussed in recommendation fifteen below. Additionally, the workgroup should forward the same information to the chief justice. When the review boards are formulating their recommendations regarding a retired judge's eligibility for senior judge service, they should be guided by the following factors: scholarship, communication, case management and productivity, temperament, work ethic, good health, and integrity. [4] Scholarship encompasses the judge's knowledge and understanding of substantive, procedural, and evidentiary law, the judge's attentiveness to factual and legal issues before the court, and the judge's proper application of judicial precedent and other appropriate sources of authority. Communication includes the clarity of the judge's bench rulings and other oral communications, the quality of the judge's written opinions with specific focus on their clarity and logic, the judge's ability to explain the facts of a case and the legal precedent at issue, and the judge's sensitivity to the impact of demeanor and other nonverbal communications. Case management and productivity focuses on whether the judge effectively manages the court docket and promptly disposes of cases, including whether the judge devotes the appropriate time to all pending matters and discharges administrative responsibilities diligently. Temperament appraises the judge's ability to deal patiently with and be courteous to all parties and participants, as well as the judge's willingness to permit every person legally interested in a proceeding to be heard, unless precluded by law or the rules of court. Work ethic assesses the judge's punctuality, preparation, and attentiveness, including whether the judge meets commitments on time and according to the rules of court. Because we are confident that attorneys and colleagues will express concerns about a judge's physical or mental ability to perform judicial duties and responsibilities during the peer review process, physical and mental examinations need not be a routine part of the review process. Review boards are directed to provide a structured opportunity for input from attorneys who practice within the jurisdiction in which the senior judge has served. The attorney input should address the criteria listed above as they relate to the judge being reviewed. This opportunity for input could include published invitations to provide comment by letter, the use of a survey instrument, or other mechanisms. The method shall be left to the sound discretion of each review board in order to allow variation in response to the local legal culture and to promote innovation and experimentation. Recommendation Nine. Annual guidelines from the chief justice regarding the assignments of senior judges should be consistent with the recommendations of this report. The Florida Constitution specifically authorizes the chief justice to delegate to a chief judge of a judicial circuit the power to assign judges to duty in that circuit. Art. V, § 2(b), Fla. Const. In order to provide guidance to the chief judges in exercising this authority, the Committee recommends that the chief justice provide annual guidelines regarding appropriate assignments for senior judges and that these annual guidelines be consistent with the Committee recommendations that are endorsed in this opinion. While we agree with this guidelines recommendation, we also recognize that the chief judges, in consultation with administrative judges, are the most familiar with the skills of the judges and the workload needs of the courts. Thus, chief judges should have flexibility in making senior judge assignments. Recommendation Ten. Senior judges should not be prohibited from serving in a superior court than that in which they were elected or appointed. The same provision of the Florida Constitution that allows for the assignment of retired judges also allows for the assignment of active judges to temporary duty in any court for which the judge is qualified. Art. V, § 2(b), Fla. Const. Under this authority, many active county court judges are assigned to preside over circuit court dockets, many active circuit court judges are assigned to sit on district court panels, and occasionally a district court judge is assigned to sit as an associate justice on this Court. Such experience can qualify a judge to serve in a court superior to the one to which the judge was appointed or elected. Thus, we endorse the Committee's recommendation that a senior judge not be prohibited from serving in a superior court. Recommendation Eleven. While there should not be a per se prohibition against the use of senior judges in complex cases, guidelines regarding the assignment of senior judges should provide that, absent agreement by the litigants, chief judges are encouraged not to assign senior judges to preside over complex cases. This recommendation relating to the assignment of senior judges to preside over complex cases [5] received the most attention in the comments filed with this Court and generated the most lively discussion during oral argument. In general, the circuit chief judges strongly oppose any recommendation that would restrict the use of senior judges in complex litigation. Similarly intense sentiments were voiced by a number of practitioners in favor of a per se prohibition of senior judges presiding over complex litigation without the consent of the litigants. We acknowledge the reality of problems in isolated cases with senior judges presiding over complex and lengthy trials. We urge and expect chief judges to respond directly to concerns expressed when such problems are presented to them. However, we do not conclude that either a per se prohibition on the assignment of senior judges to complex cases or a requirement that chief judges be required to show a good cause for such assignments, as some of the commentators have urged, is warranted or in the best interests of the administration of these cases. Further, we do not endorse the Committee's recommendation that the parties must give their consent for these assignments. Chief judges must be afforded deference and latitude in the management of judicial assignments and dockets, without being overruled by the litigants. We trust that the chief judges will select senior judges with the proper skills and experience to preside over complex cases when such assignments are necessary. As several of the chief judges noted in their comments, senior judges are often more experienced and qualified than active judges to handle complex cases in certain areas. Thus, litigants may benefit from the assignment of a highly qualified senior judge who has significant experience in a particular area of the law. Furthermore, as noted under recommendation six, accountability for the continued judicial authority of the senior judges rests with the chief justice, who has delegated that power to the chief judges. Thus, chief judges are charged with periodically reviewing the progress of all cases assigned to senior judges to ensure expeditious and proper handling. Additionally, the structured periodic review process and information sharing in recommendations six through eight will alert the chief judge to any problems or complaints with a particular senior judge and appropriate actions can be taken. After receipt of these reports by the chief justice, we reserve the prerogative to revisit this issue in the future. Thus, we agree with the Committee's recommendation that, in general, complex cases should be handled by full-time judges. However, when the chief judge deems it necessary, senior judges may be assigned to preside over complex cases. Recommendation Twelve. There should not be a limit on the number of days that a senior judge serves within a calendar year. The Committee concluded that the amount of time that a senior judge serves within a year should not be limited. While the constitutional language regarding senior judge service refers to temporary duty, [6] we agree with the Committee that an order of the chief justice assigning a retired judge to service for a period of one year or three years falls within the chief justice's constitutional authority. Repeated reassignments for sixty-day periods are an unnecessary administrative burden for the chief justice's office. As noted above, senior judges are compensated far less than what they can earn in private practice, yet continue to serve out of an abiding commitment to public service. Where there is a demonstrated need for qualified judges and a senior judge is available, artificial limitations on the extent of service should not prevent the workload from being addressed by a senior judge. The state and citizens of Florida benefit from the service of senior judges. Recommendation Thirteen. Standard assignment orders to duty that allow for service statewide as a senior judge should be created for issuance by the chief justice. The Committee concluded that there is no public policy benefit to limiting the assignment of senior judges to a certain jurisdiction, such as the jurisdiction of the judge's prior service or the jurisdiction of the judge's current residence. We endorse this recommendation that a senior judge who is eligible for assignment will be available for service statewide. As noted above, the accountability for senior judges rests with the chief justice rather than the voters of a particular circuit or district. Because the chief justice's authority and responsibility extend throughout the state, the chief justice can assign a senior judge to duty without limitation to the jurisdiction of the senior judge's prior service.' Recommendation Fourteen. The Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) should create and maintain an Intranet website to support the efficient and effective assignment and use of senior judges. The Senior Judge Workgroup of the Committee on Trial Court Performance and Accountability of the Judicial Management Council previously recommended that a single senior judge management information system be created to replace the existing separate databases associated with senior judge authorization, compensation, and utilization. The Committee proposes that a centralized system be created and maintained on an Intranet website. We endorse this recommendation as such a system would promote the efficiency and effectiveness of using senior judges. The Information Systems Division of OSCA has the capability to provide the technical infrastructure for a website that will be accessible to the circuit and district courts, this Court, OSCA, and all senior judges. This senior judge management information system should provide a registry of eligible senior judges that chief judges, administrative judges, and court administrators can consult. The registry should also provide information on the availability of senior judges, their areas of substantive expertise and preference, their current education information, and their locations. Circuit and district courts should be able to directly update the registry with information about senior judge service. The system should also provide automated links to finance and accounting functions to facilitate requests for reimbursement and links to the judicial education system to facilitate continuing education. We hereby direct the permanent workgroup, which is discussed under recommendation fifteen below, to undertake the creation of a centralized information system to be accessible through an Intranet website. Recommendation Fifteen. A permanent workgroup should be created under the State Courts Administrator and the Clerk of the Supreme Court to address ongoing operational matters and procedures and to support the chief justice in implementing and maintaining the proposed system for the assignment and support of senior judges. While the implementation of the proposed system of ongoing eligibility review and assignment will require a substantial commitment of resources, we agree with the Committee that there is no need for a continuing committee to address policy matters. Accordingly, we endorse the Committee's recommendation that a permanent workgroup be created to address the ongoing operational matters and procedures and to assist the chief justice with the proposed system. Should policy issues arise, the review boards and the chief judges can raise the issues with the chief justice, who in turn can either create a committee to address the issues or direct an existing Court committee to study the issues. The workgroup will operate under the guidance of the State Courts Administrator and the Clerk of the Supreme Court and will include staff from the Finance and Accounting Division, Personnel Division, Court Services Division, Legal Affairs, Information Systems Division, and Strategic Planning Unit of the Office of the State Courts Administrator, and the Clerk of the Supreme Court or a designated staff member from the Clerk's Office. The workgroup will also include representatives from the trial court administrators. The workgroup will be responsible for the following operational matters: the procedural steps for applying for senior judge assignment; the guidelines and procedural considerations regarding the assignment of senior judges; the development and application of an Intranet website to facilitate senior judge assignment; the reporting of information on senior judge use and performance measurement; and the processing of requests for reimbursement of senior judge payment and expenses. We hereby direct the State Courts Administrator and the Clerk of the Supreme Court to establish a permanent workgroup consistent with this recommendation.