NCJ Number
55147
Date Published
1977
Length
99 pages
Annotation
FLORIDA'S COURT SYSTEM IS PROFILED IN ONE OF A SERIES OF REPORTS PREPARED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR STATE COURTS TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ABA) STANDARDS ON COURT ORGANIZATION.
Abstract
THE PROFILE IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF FLORIDA'S CONSTITUTION, LAWS, COURT RULES, ANNUAL COURT REPORTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANUALS. AN OVERVIEW SUMMARIZES INFORMATION ON COURT STRUCTURE (APPELLATE AND TRIAL COURTS), THE JUDICIARY (QUALIFICATIONS, SELECTION, TERM OF OFFICE, DISCIPLINE, REMOVAL, COMPENSATION, RETIREMENT AGE, CONTINUING EDUCATION, PARAJUDICIAL OFFICERS), ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURE (ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY, CENTRAL AND INDIVIDUAL COURT ADMINISTRATION, POLICYMAKING AND RULEMAKING AUTHORITY, NONJUDICIAL PERSONNEL), FINANCE AND BUDGET (FUNDING, FEES AND FINES, BUDGETING PROCEDURES), AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (RECORDKEEPING, STATISTICS, DATA PROCESSING). THE EXTENT TO WHICH EACH ASPECT OF COURT OPERATIONS IS CONSISTENT WITH ABA STANDARDS IS NOTED. CHARTS DEPICT COURT ORGANIZATION, JURISDICTIONS, AND FUNDING SOURCES. THE MAIN BODY OF THE REPORT CONSISTS OF DETAILED INFORMATION CONCERNING EACH ASPECT OF THE FLORIDA COURT SYSTEM COVERED IN THE OVERVIEW. THE INFORMATION IS ARRANGED TO CORRESPOND WITH ABA STANDARDS ON UNIFIED COURT SYSTEMS, JUDICIAL COMPETENCY AND INDEPENDENCE, RULEMAKING AND POLICYMAKING, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, FINANCING AND BUDGETING, AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS. A CHART INDICTING THE DEGREE OF CONFORMITY BETWEEN THE FLORIDA COURT SYSTEM AND EACH ABA STANDARD IS KEYED TO THE BODY OF THE REPORT. SOURCE DOCUMENTS ARE LISTED. (LKM)