This document does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives.
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF FINAL BILL ANALYSIS
BILL #: CS/HB 7027 PCB JDC 22-01 The Judicial Branch
SPONSOR(S): Appropriations Committee and Judiciary Committee, Gregory and others
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS:
FINAL HOUSE FLOOR ACTION: 93 Y’s
14 N’s GOVERNOR’S ACTION: Approved
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
CS/HB 7027 passed the House and the Senate on March 14, 2022 as amended by the conference committee.
Florida’s court system consists of two trial-level courts and two appellate-level courts. The appellate-level courts
consist of the Supreme Court and five district courts of appeal. Article V, Section 9 of the Florida Constitution
provides a mechanism by which the Supreme Court may certify a need for additional judges in the county, circuit,
and appellate courts; decertify the need for such judges; or certify the need for increasing, decreasing, or redefining
the appellate districts. The last time a new appellate district (DCA) was created was in 1979 when the Fifth DCA
was established in Daytona Beach.
As required by Rule 2.241 of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, the Chief Justice is tasked with appointing
a committee at least once every eight years to analyze the state’s courts and prepare a final report and
recommendation. On May 6, 2021, Chief Justice Canady issued an administrative order creating the District Court of
Appeal Workload and Jurisdiction Assessment Committee (“Committee”). Ultimately, the majority of the Committee
recommended creating a sixth appellate district and provided recommendations for how to realign the current
circuits to accommodate the addition of the new district.
The bill creates a sixth appellate district court of appeal, which will have its headquarters in Polk County, Florida and
relocates the headquarters for the Second DCA to Pinellas County, Florida. The bill realigns the judicial circuits
within the existing First, Second, and Fifth districts and creates a sixth district composed of the Ninth, Tenth, and
Twentieth circuits. The Third and Fourth districts remain unchanged. Under the bill, the First DCA will decrease from
15 appellate judges to 13; the Second DCA will decrease from 16 appellate judges to 15; the Fifth DCA will increase
from 11 appellate judges to 12; and the Sixth DCA will have 9 appellate judges. The bill ultimately adds a total of
seven new appellate judgeships overall, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s certification. The creation of the
Sixth DCA and the realignment of existing districts is effective January 1, 2023.
The bill makes conforming changes to account for the creation of the new district and provides for the realignment of
the geographic regions of the appellate public defender and the Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. The
bill also generally requires the Governor to recommission each judge whose district was realigned. To ensure
compliance with residency requirements for members of each judicial nominating commission, the bill terminates the
terms of all members of the judicial nominating commissions of the First, Second, and Fifth DCAs, effective upon the
bill becoming a law. The bill directs the Governor to appoint members to those three commissions and to the judicial
nominating commission for the new DCA in a specified manner.
The bill adds one additional county court judgeship in Lake County, Florida, as recommended in the Supreme
Court’s certification.
The bill will have a significant fiscal impact on state government expenditures.
The bill was approved by the Governor on June 2, 2022, ch. 2022-163, L.O.F., and became effective on that date
except as otherwise provided.
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I. SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION
A. EFFECT OF CHANGES:
Background
Florida Court System Structure
Florida’s court system consists of two trial-level courts and two appellate-level courts. The trial-level
courts consist of 67 county courts and 20 circuit courts.
1
The appellate-level courts consist of the
Supreme Court and five district courts of appeal.
2
Each of Florida’s 67 counties has at least one county
court judge.
3
County courts hear violations of municipal and county ordinances, traffic offenses,
landlord-tenant disputes, misdemeanor criminal matters, simplified dissolution of marriage cases, and
monetary disputes involving an amount in controversy up to and including $30,000.
4
Circuit courts hear
all criminal and civil matters not within the jurisdiction of the county court, including family law,
dependency, juvenile delinquency, mental health, probate, guardianship matters, and civil matters
involving an amount in controversy exceeding $30,000.
5
The majority of trial court decisions that are appealed are reviewed by the district courts of appeal
(DCAs). The DCAs decide most appeals from circuit court cases and many administrative law appeals
from actions by the executive branch. DCAs must also review county court decisions invalidating a
provision of Florida’s constitution or statutes
6
and may hear decisions of a county court that are certified
by the county court to be of great public importance.
7
The Supreme Court is the highest court in Florida
and has mandatory jurisdiction over all death penalty cases, district court decisions declaring a state
statute or provision of the state constitution invalid, bond validations, rules of court procedure, and
statewide agency actions relating to public utilities.
8
The current appellate districts are organized as follows:
9
Appellate District Circuits
First DCA 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14
Second DCA 6, 10, 12, 13, 20
Third DCA 11, 16
Fourth DCA 15, 17, 19
Fifth DCA 5, 7, 9, 18
1
Art. V, ss. 5 and 6, Fla. Const.
2
The Supreme Court of Florida, 2019-2020 Florida State Courts Annual Report, https://www.flcourts.org/Publications-
Statistics/Publications/2019-20-Annual-Report (last visited Mar. 22, 2022).
3
Art. V, s. 6(a), Fla. Const.
4
Art. V, s. 6(b), Fla. Const; s. 34.01, F.S.
5
Art. V, s. 5(b), Fla. Const.; s. 26.012, F.S.
6
S. 35.065, F.S.
7
S. 35.065, F.S.
8
Ch. V, s. 3(b), Fla. Const.
9
Ss. 35.01-35.043, F.S.
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Current DCA Structure
10
DCA Headquarters
Section 35.05(1), F.S., designates the following official headquarters for the five DCAs:
First DCA: Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, Leon County.
Second DCA: Tenth Judicial Circuit, Lakeland, Polk County.
Third DCA: Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County.
Fourth DCA: Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County.
Fifth DCA: Seventh Judicial Circuit, Daytona Beach, Volusia County.
Additionally, s. 35.05(2), F.S., provides that a DCA may designate other locations within the
district as branch headquarters. Under s. 35.051, F.S., a DCA judge who lives more than 50 miles from
his or her DCA courthouse or designated branch DCA location is eligible to have a personal
headquarters and to be reimbursed for trips between these locations in a manner similar to Supreme
Court justices.
11
The personal headquarters, which may serve only as judicial chambers and must be used for official
judicial business, may be in any appropriate facility, including a county courthouse.
12
However, no
county is required to provide space to a DCA judge for his or her personal headquarters.
13
The DCA
may contract with a county regarding the use of courthouse space, but state funds shall not be used to
lease the space.
14
Judicial Vacancies
Article V, section 11 of the Florida Constitution provides the process for filling a judicial vacancy.
Pursuant to the Florida Constitution, whenever a vacancy occurs in a judicial office to which election for
10
District Court of Appeal Workload and Jurisdiction Assessment Committee, Final Report and Recommendations (Sept. 30, 2021),
https://www.flcourts.org/content/download/791118/file/dca-assessment-Committee-Final-Report.pdf at p. 4 (last visited Mar. 22, 2022).
11
S. 35.051(1), F.S.
12
S. 35.051(1)(a), F.S.
13
S. 35.051(3)(a), F.S.
14
S. 35.051(3)(b), F.S.
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retention applies, the Governor shall fill the vacancy by appointing a candidate nominated by the
appropriate judicial nominating commission.
15
Supreme Court Certification Process
Currently, Florida’s DCAs are divided into five appellate districts and employ 64 appellate judges
throughout the state.
16
Article V, section 9 of the Florida Constitution authorizes the Supreme Court to
establish, by rule, “uniform criteria for the determination of the need for additional judges except
supreme court justices, the necessity for decreasing the number of judges and for increasing,
decreasing or redefining appellate districts and judicial circuits.” The Florida Constitution further
provides that if the Supreme Court finds that a need exists for such action, the Supreme Court shall,
prior to the next regular legislative session, certify to the legislature its findings and recommendations
concerning such a need.
17
The last time an appellate district was added was in 1979 when the legislature created the Fifth DCA
and increased the number of judges in each appellate district. The First DCA increased from 7 to 9
judges; the Second, Third and Fourth DCAs increased from 7 to 8 judges; and the newly-created Fifth
DCA was allotted 6 judges.
18
19
Pursuant to Rule 2.241 of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, the chief justice is required to
appoint a committee at least once every eight years
20
to assess the capacity of the district courts to
effectively fulfill their constitutional and statutory duties. The appointed committee must make a
recommendation to the Supreme Court concerning the decisions that it should make with respect to the
certification process.
21
The last time a committee conducted a DCA jurisdictional assessment was in
2006.
22
On May 6, 2021, Chief Justice Canady issued an administrative order creating the District Court of
Appeal Workload and Jurisdiction Assessment Committee (“the Committee”).
23
The Committee directed
its evaluation based on five factors: effectiveness, efficiency, access to appellate review,
professionalism, and public trust and confidence. The Committee met a total of six times and solicited
input in the form of surveys, a public hearing, and additional outreach from appellate judges, non-
appellate judges, attorneys, litigants, Department of Corrections (DOC) inmates, and the public.
24
The majority of the Committee recommended adding at least one new appellate district to the Florida
court system. On November 24, 2021, in response to the Committee’s report and recommendations,
the Florida Supreme Court issued two opinions certifying the need for one additional county court judge
in Lake County and the creation of a sixth appellate district. According to the Florida Supreme Court,
the primary rationale for the creation of a sixth appellate district is that the creation of such would
15
Art. V, s. 11(a), Fla. Const.
16
S. 35.01, F.S.
17
Art. V, s. 9, Fla. Const.
18
Ch. 79-413, Laws of Fla.
19
Ch. 79-413, Laws of Fla., (creating s. 35.063, F.S., and providing that a district court of appeal judge residing in realigned country,
may, at his option, “be a judge of the new district or remain with the present district by serving sworn notice, within one month of the
effective date of the act, of intent to change residence in order to continue to serve the district in which he is presently serving.”)
20
Rule 2.241, Fla. R. Jud. Admin.
21
The certification process balances the potential impact and disruption caused by changes in appellate districts against the need to
address circumstances that limit the quality and efficiency of, and public confidence in, the appellate review process. Given the impact
and disruption that can arise from any alteration in judicial structure, prior to recommending a change in districts, the assessment
committee and the supreme court shall consider less disruptive adjustments including, but not limited to, the addition of judges, the
creation of branch locations, geographic or subject-matter divisions within districts, deployment of new technologies, and increased
ratios of support staff per judge. Rule 2.241(c), Fla. R. Jud. Admin.
22
Final Report and Recommendations, supra note 10. At 3.
23
In Re: District Court of Appeal Workload and Assessment Committee, Fla. Admin. Order No. AOSC21-13 (May 6, 2021).
24
Further information regarding the committee’s process and findings can be found in the District Court of Appeal Workload and
Jurisdiction Assessment Committee Final Report and Recommendations issued September 30, 2021, and available at
https://www.flcourts.org/content/download/791118/file/dca-assessment-Committee-Final-Report.pdf (last visited on Mar. 22, 2022).
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promote public trust and confidence.
25
Specifically, according to the Florida Supreme Court and the
Committee, an additional appellate district would help provide adequate access to oral arguments and
other proceedings, foster public trust and confidence based on geography and demographic
composition, and attract a diverse group of well-qualified applicants for judicial vacancies including
applicants from all circuits within each district.
26
The Florida Supreme Court also certified a need for six
additional appellate judgeships and one additional county court judgeship in Lake County. The
Supreme Court did not decertify any county, circuit, or appellate judgeships.
27
On December 22, 2021, the Supreme Court issued a supplemental opinion, in which it certified the
need for one more appellate judgeship, for a total of seven new appellate judgeships overall.
28
The
Court left unchanged its previous certifications with respect to the district and circuit realignments.
29
The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel
The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel (“regional counsel’s office”) serves indigent
clients who are entitled by law to taxpayer-funded legal representation.
30
These clients may be involved
in criminal or civil cases.
The Office of the Public Defender represents indigent criminal defendants initially. However, if the
public defender’s office determines that it cannot represent a defendant because of a conflict of
interests, it must move for the court to withdraw as counsel. If the court grants the motion, then the
court may appoint the regional counsel’s office to represent the client.
31
The regional counsel also is responsible for representation in certain civil matters set forth in statute,
including capacity and dependency proceedings. Also, the regional counsel may represent a client in
any other matter in which the client is constitutionally entitled to representation.
32
There are five regional counsel offices, one for each of Florida’s five appellate districts. Just as each
public defender’s office has one public defender and several assistant public defenders, each regional
counsel’s office is led by a regional counsel and staffed by several assistant regional counsels.
33
Each
regional counsel is appointed by the Governor to a 4-year term.
34
Judicial Nominating Commissions
Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNCs) select nominees to fill judicial vacancies within the Florida
court system.
35
There are twenty-seven separate JNCs: one for the Florida Supreme Court; one for
each of the five appellate districts;
36
one for each of Florida’s twenty judicial circuits; and one Statewide
25
In Re: Redefinition of Appellate Districts and Certification of Need for Additional Appellate Judges, Supreme Court of Florida No.
SC21-1543, (Supp. Opinion Dec. 22, 2021).
26
Id. Citing to Assessment Committee Report at 3-4.
27
In Re: Redefinition of Appellate Districts and Certification of Need for Additional Appellate Judges, Supreme Court of Florida No.
SC21-1543 (Nov. 24, 2021).
28
In Re: Redefinition of Appellate Districts and Certification of Need for Additional Appellate Judges, Supreme Court of Florida No.
SC21-1543, (Supp. Opinion Dec. 22, 2021).
29
Id.
30
S. 27.511, F.S.
31
S. 27.511(5), F.S.
32
S. 27.511(6)(a), F.S.
33
S. 27.511(4), F.S.
34
S. 27.511(3)(a), F.S.
35
Executive Office of the Governor (Florida), Judicial and Judicial Nominating Commission Information, https://www.flgov.com/judicial-
and-judicial-nominating-commission-information/ (last visited Mar. 22, 2022).
36
S. 43.291, F.S.
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Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims.
37
The JNCs are required to operate in accordance
with the Uniform Rules of Procedure applicable to each level of JNC.
38
JNC members serve four-year
terms, except when an appointment is made to fill a vacant, unexpired term.
39
40
Effect of the Bill
Creation of a Sixth Appellate District
The bill creates a sixth appellate district which will be composed of the Ninth, Tenth, and Twentieth
circuits. The bill further realigns the First, Second, and Fifth appellate districts, but the Third and Fourth
appellate districts remain unchanged. The bill provides that the headquarters for the new Sixth DCA will
be located in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, and the headquarters for the Second DCA will be
relocated to Pinellas County, Florida.
41
The creation of the Sixth DCA and realignments of the existing
districts is effective January 1, 2023. The following chart shows the current and proposed district
alignments:
DCA Current Circuits Realigned Circuits
First DCA 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14 1, 2, 3, 8, 14
Second DCA 6, 10, 12, 13, 20 6, 12, 13
Third DCA 11, 16 11, 16 (no change)
Fourth DCA 15, 17, 19 15, 17, 19 (no change)
Fifth DCA 5, 7, 9, 18 4, 5, 7, 18
Sixth DCA N/A 9, 10, 20
Realignment of Current Appellate Districts and Judges
Based upon the addition of the new sixth appellate district, the bill reorganizes the existing appellate
judges and adds a total of seven new appellate judges statewide. The bill:
Decreases the number of appellate judges in the First DCA from 15 to 13;
Decreases the number of appellate judges in the Second DCA from 16 to 15;
Leaves the number of appellate judges in the Third DCA at 10;
Leaves the number of appellate judges in the Fourth DCA at 12;
Increases the number of appellate judges in the Fifth DCA from 11 to 12; and
Provides the newly-created Sixth DCA with 9 appellate judges.
As noted above, due to the reorganization of the sitting appellate judges, only seven new appellate
judges are needed. Effective January 1, 2023, a current DCA judge residing in a county within a
realigned district will be a DCA judge of the new district where he or she resided on December 22,
2021. The bill provides that no vacancy in office shall occur by reason of the realignment of the DCAs.
The bill requires all property, furnishings, artwork, and fixtures located at the current Second DCA in
Lakeland to remain in Lakeland and transferred to the Sixth DCA, unless the Office of the State Courts
Administrator determines that such property is essential to the continuing operations of the Second
DCA in its new headquarters in Pinellas County. The bill specifies the Legislature’s intent that policies
and practices be implemented to provide more opportunities for remote workplaces to encourage the
selection of the most qualified applicants and staff from all corners of the district. Additionally, the bill
provides that the DCAs utilize technology to encourage efficiency, innovation, and flexibility in the
workplace.
37
Executive Office of the Governor (Florida), supra note 35.
38
Id.
39
Id.
40
Art. V, ss. 11 and 20, Fla. Const.
41
The bill provides that until the Second Appellate District occupies the courthouse authorized in proviso accompanying Specific
Appropriation 3147A of chapter law 2021-36, Laws of Florida, the district headquarters may be located in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit,
Hillsborough County.
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The bill also amends s. 34.022(34), F.S., to add one county court judge in Lake County, for a total four
county court judges for Lake County, consistent with the Supreme Court’s certification.
The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Appellate Public Defender, and JNC
The bill makes conforming changes to account for the creation of the new district and provides for the
realignment of the geographic regions of the appellate public defender and the Criminal Conflict and
Civil Regional Counsel. For the purposes of an office of criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, the
bill splits the state into five geographic regions by judicial circuit as follows:
Region Judicial Circuits
First 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 14
Second 6, 10, 12, 13, and 20
Third 11 and 16
Fourth 15, 17, and 19
Fifth 5, 7, 9, and 18
The public defender of the Tenth Judicial Circuit will handle appeals on behalf of any public defender
within the districts comprising the Second and Sixth DCAs.
The bill also generally requires the Governor to recommission each judge whose district was realigned.
To ensure compliance with residency requirements for members of each judicial nominating
commission, the bill terminates the terms of all members of the judicial nominating commissions of the
First, Second, and Fifth DCAs, effective upon the bill becoming a law. The bill directs the Governor to
appoint members to those three commissions and to the judicial nominating commission for the new
DCA in a specified manner.
The bill was approved by the Governor on June 2, 2022, ch. 2022-163, L.O.F., and became effective on
that date except as otherwise provided.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
The bill will have a significant fiscal impact on state expenditures by creating a sixth appellate
district and providing seven new district court of appeals judgeships and one new county court
judgeship.
Consistent with the Florida Supreme Court certification of need, the bill adds one new county court
judgeship in Lake County. HB 5001, the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022-2023,
provides $331,765 in recurring funds and $6,600 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue
Fund and two FTE positions with associated salary rate to establish the new county court judgeship
in Lake County.
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The bill creates a sixth appellate district and adds seven district court of appeal judges. According
to Office of the State Courts Administrator, the creation of a sixth appellate district would require the
appointment of a clerk and marshal for the new DCA as well as other administrative support staff for
the new court. HB 5001 provides $7.2 million in recurring funds and $2.5 million in nonrecurring
funds from the General Revenue Fund and 62 FTE positions with associated salary rate for seven
additional DCA Judgeships, support staff, and operational expenses, including building rent.
Additionally, HB 5001 provides $50 million in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund
for the construction of a new courthouse in Lakeland, Florida for the sixth appellate district.
The bill would also have an indeterminate fiscal impact to general revenue expenditures by
requiring the Public Defender’s Office for the Tenth Judicial Circuit to handle appeals for the public
defender offices within the new sixth appellate district and the realigned second appellate district.
The approximate amount of funding and staffing needs related to appellate case workload in the
Tenth Judicial Circuit has not yet been determined.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
The bill may have an indeterminate fiscal impact to counties within the newly created sixth appellate
district relating to costs for office space, communications and other information technology services
provided to public defenders’ offices performing court-related functions.
42
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
None.
42
Art. V, s. 14(c), Fla. Const.