Opinion ID: 1831190
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Fourth District

Text: Similarly, the Fourth District continues to experience significant growth in population, circuit judgeships, the number of practicing attorneys, and overall workload. The Fourth District was last authorized an additional judgeship during the 1988 Legislative Session, nearly sixteen years ago. The district's population currently exceeds three million people, which is more than a twenty-seven percent increase since fiscal year 1992-1993. Indeed, the three judicial circuits that constitute the Fourth District have some of the largest and fastest growing jurisdictions in Florida including Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. Since the 1993 Legislative Session, the Legislature has authorized sixteen additional circuit judges for the Fourth District. This represents an increase of approximately eighteen percent. The current ratio of circuit judges to district judges for the Fourth District is eight and one-half to one. The chief judge of the Fourth District also notes that increases in the number of practicing attorneys, general litigiousness, and numerous filings within each case impact the district's judicial workload. Further, as with Chief Judge Altenbernd in his letter of judicial needs, Chief Judge Farmer cautioned that we have significant concerns about our ability to continue the level of quality judicial performance the judges of this court have demonstrated since the last increase in judges. Like the Second, the Fourth District is concerned that excessive workload moves the courts perilously close to being unable to devote the necessary time to each case, potentially compromising effective appellate review.