Opinion ID: 1853328
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: district court of appeal certification

Text: Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.240(b)(2) delineates the criteria for certifying the need for additional judges in the district courts of appeal. Based on these criteria, we do not certify the need for any additional district court judges. Our determination is bolstered by the fact that the district courts have not requested the certification of any additional judgeships this year. The issue of certifying a need to decrease a judicial position for any appellate court is far more complex and requires the concurrence of multiple factors for practical application. The timing of a decision on a need to decrease and the timing of a certification to the Legislature of that need to decrease are impacted by the interrelated nature of Florida's constitutional structure and the participation of our three branches of government in the process. Any decrease in judicial positions must be considered with reference to the end of a term of a judicial position, or a resignation, retirement, or other opening that does not correspond with the end of a term of a judicial position. Evaluation of the need to decrease a judicial position involves the concept of a vacancy and the considerations of the executive branch related thereto. Finally, these issues must be addressed by the Legislature in the context of a certification by this Court with reference to a legislative session for final action. We now have a confluence of practical factors to certify a need to decrease one judicial position in the Third District Court of Appeal for a position with a term that ends on January 5, 2009. A judicial officer of the Third District Court of Appeal has formally advised that she will not seek retention and will leave her judicial position upon the end of the current term for that position. The chief judge of the Third District Court of Appeal has requested on behalf of that court that this judicial position be decertified upon the end of the current term, when the position becomes vacant. This is based upon a continued downward trend in caseload. We have continuously reviewed the workload trends for the Third District for the last several years including case filings and weighted judicial workload. We must be careful that any decision to decrease the number of judicial positions be based on a clear trend and not merely a recent fluctuation in volume. Our review indicates that from FY 2002-03 through FY 2006-07, the Third District has had the lowest weighted judicial workload per judge for four of those five years. Further, during that same time period, the Third District has demonstrated a clear trend to have the lowest number of case filings and case filings per judge for all years. We determine that these factors are not mere periodic fluctuations, but represent a clear trend which supports a decrease of one position. Based upon the request of the chief judge on behalf of that court and our review of the workload data, we agree that there should be a reduction of one judicial position for the Third District Court of Appeal. Further, this confluence of factors allows us to amend our certification opinion at this time because it is necessary to allow the Legislature to consider this action before the executive branch is required to begin a process which may alter the status of this position. [8] Pursuant to our obligation under Article V, Section 9 of the Florida Constitution, we hereby decertify one judgeship for the Third District Court of Appeal upon the vacancy of the judicial position, effective January 5, 2009. This measure is consistent with our efforts to critically evaluate judicial workload, be accountable for our resources and, at the same time, ensure that the administration of justice proceeds without delay. Despite significant caseloads, the appellate courts of this State have continued to function effectively through the adoption of innovative case-processing methods, strong staff support and law clerk assistance, and diligent case management. The use of technological advancements has also significantly enhanced the efforts of the appellate courts to operate efficiently. We support the conscientious commitment of our district court of appeal judges to improve court operations, and we urge the Legislature to continue to provide funding for the district courts of appeal to support performance at an optimum level.