COURTS: GENERAL PROVISIONS

F.S. Ch. 43
in effect

F.S. 43.16 Justice Administrative Commission; membership, powers and duties.

(1) There is hereby created a Justice Administrative Commission, with headquarters located in the state capital. The necessary office space for use of the commission shall be furnished by the proper state agency in charge of state buildings. For purposes of the fees imposed on agencies pursuant to s. 287.057(24), the Justice Administrative Commission shall be exempt from such fees. (2) Members of the Justice Administrative Commission shall serve for a period of 2 years, with the terms of each dating from July 1, 1985, except that initially, one state attorney member and one public defender member shall each serve a 1-year term. Members shall be selected in the following manner: (a) Two state attorneys, to be appointed by the president of the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association. (b) Two public defenders, to be appointed by the president of the Florida Public Defender Association. (3) The members of the Justice Administrative Commission are authorized to perform necessary travel incident to official business of the commission and shall be reimbursed therefor in accordance with the provisions of s. 112.061. (4)(a) The Justice Administrative Commission shall employ an executive director and fix his or her salary. The executive director shall employ any necessary personnel for the efficient performance of the commission according to a classification and pay plan annually approved by the commission. (b) All employees of or within the commission are exempt from the Career Service System provided in chapter 110 and, notwithstanding s. 110.205(5), are not included in the Senior Management Service or the Selected Exempt Service. The commission shall annually approve a classification plan and salary and benefits plan. (c) Employees in permanent positions must be offered benefits comparable to those offered under the Career Service System. (d) The commission may offer benefits in excess of those offered under the Career Service System only to employees who are appointed to positions designated as having managerial or policymaking duties or positions requiring membership in The Florida Bar. (e) By January 15 of each year, the commission shall submit to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a listing of all positions receiving benefits greater than those benefits offered under the Career Service System. Any change in the positions that are offered greater benefits or any change in the level of benefits is subject to the notice and objection procedures of s. 216.177. (5) The duties of the commission shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) The maintenance of a central state office for administrative services and assistance when possible to and on behalf of the state attorneys and public defenders of Florida, the capital collateral regional counsel of Florida, the criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office. (b) Each state attorney, public defender, and criminal conflict and civil regional counsel and the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office shall continue to prepare necessary budgets, vouchers that represent valid claims for reimbursement by the state for authorized expenses, and other things incidental to the proper administrative operation of the office, such as revenue transmittals to the Chief Financial Officer and automated systems plans, but will forward such items to the commission for recording and submission to the proper state officer. However, when requested by a state attorney, a public defender, a criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, or the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, the commission will either assist in the preparation of budget requests, voucher schedules, and other forms and reports or accomplish the entire project involved. (6) The commission, each state attorney, each public defender, the criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, the capital collateral regional counsel, and the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office shall establish and maintain internal controls designed to: (a) Prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse as defined in s. 11.45(1). (b) Promote and encourage compliance with applicable laws, rules, contracts, grant agreements, and best practices. (c) Support economical and efficient operations. (d) Ensure reliability of financial records and reports. (e) Safeguard assets. (7) This section is supplemental to chapter 27, relating to state attorneys, public defenders, criminal conflict and civil regional counsel, and capital collateral regional counsel; to chapter 39, relating to the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office; or to other laws pertaining hereto. (8) Chapter 120 does not apply to the Justice Administrative Commission.

F.S. 43.18 Money paid into court; withdrawal.

No moneys deposited as provided in 1 s. 43.17, shall be withdrawn except on the voucher or check signed by the clerk of the court if the court has an authorized clerk and if not, by the judge. Every voucher or check shall state the cause in or on account of which it is drawn.

F.S. 43.20 Judicial Qualifications Commission.

(1) PURPOSE. — The purpose of this section is to implement s. 12(b), Art. V of the State Constitution which provides for a Judicial Qualifications Commission. (2) MEMBERSHIP; TERMS. — The commission shall consist of 15 members. The members of the commission shall serve for terms of 6 years. (3) VACANCIES. — An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the remainder of the term. (4) SELECTION OF MEMBERS BY DISTRICT COURTS OF APPEAL JUDGES, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES, COUNTY COURT JUDGES AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FLORIDA BAR. — The members appointed by the judges of the district courts of appeal, the circuit judges, the county court judges, and the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar shall be selected by not less than a majority of the membership of the respective appointing groups. (5) EXPENSES. — The compensation of members and referees shall be the travel expense or transportation and per diem allowance provided by s. 112.061.

F.S. 43.26 Chief judge of circuit; selection; powers.

(1) The chief judge of each judicial circuit, who shall be a circuit judge, shall exercise administrative supervision over all the trial courts within the judicial circuit and over the judges and other officers of such courts. (2) The chief judge of the circuit shall have the power: (a) To assign judges to any division of the court and to determine the length of the assignment; (b) To regulate use of courtrooms; (c) To supervise dockets and calendars; (d) To require attendance of state attorneys, public defenders, clerks, bailiffs, and all other officers of the court; and (e) To do everything necessary to promote the prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts over which he or she is chief judge. (f) To delegate to the trial court administrator, by administrative order, the authority to bind the circuit in contract. (g) To manage, operate, and oversee the jury system as provided in s. 40.001. (3) The chief judge shall be responsible to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for such information as may be required by the Chief Justice, including, but not limited to, caseload, status of dockets, and disposition of cases in the courts over which he or she presides. (4) Failure of any judge, clerk, prosecutor, public defender, or other officer of the court to comply with an order or directive of the chief judge under this section shall constitute neglect of duty for which such officer may be suspended from office as provided by law. (5) There may be a trial court administrator who shall perform such duties as the chief judge may direct. (6) The chief judge of each circuit is charged by s. 2(d), Art. V of the State Constitution and this section with the authority to promote the prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts over which he or she is chief judge. The clerks of court provide court-related functions which are essential to the orderly operation of the judicial branch. The chief judge of each circuit, after consultation with the clerk of court, shall determine the priority of services provided by the clerk of court to the trial court. The clerk of court shall manage the performance of such services in a method or manner that is consistent with statute, rule, or administrative order.

F.S. 43.27 Office hours of clerks of court.

With the advice and consent of the chief judge of the circuit, the clerks of the courts of the several counties may establish the hours during which the office of clerk may be open to the public. The hours should conform as nearly as possible to the customary weekday hours of business prevailing in the county. The clerk may prescribe that the office be open such additional hours as public needs require. The clerk of court may not close any office of the clerk of court during customary weekday hours without the consent of the chief judge of the circuit.

F.S. 43.30 Divisions of court.

All courts except the Supreme Court may sit in divisions as may be established by local rule approved by the Supreme Court.

F.S. 43.41 Report of judicial disposition.

Within 10 days after final judicial disposition of each traffic violation, including parking on a roadway outside the limits of a municipality, or other offense reported on the uniform traffic citation, as prescribed by s. 316.650, the clerk of the court in which the case was tried shall report the judicial disposition of such case to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on a copy of the uniform traffic citation, which form shall be consistent with the Florida Traffic Court rules. The clerks of the courts may submit judicial disposition data to the department in an automated fashion, in a form prescribed by the department, which form shall be consistent with the Florida Traffic Court rules and procedures established by the department. Those courts submitting data in an automated fashion will submit a copy of the uniform traffic citation in a manner prescribed by the department.

F.S. 43.42 Judicial acts authorized on all days, including Sundays and holidays.

Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any judicial act may be taken or performed on any day of the week, including Sundays and holidays.

F.S. 43.43 Terms of courts.

The Supreme Court may establish terms of court for the Supreme Court, the district courts of appeal, and the circuit courts; may authorize district courts of appeal and circuit courts to establish their own terms of court; or may dispense with terms of court.

F.S. 43.44 Mandate of an appeals court.

An appellate court may, as the circumstances and justice of the case may require, reconsider, revise, reform, or modify its own opinions and orders for the purpose of making the same accord with law and justice. Accordingly, an appellate court may recall its own mandate for the purpose of allowing it to exercise such jurisdiction and power in a proper case. A mandate may not be recalled more than 120 days after it has been issued.

F.S. 43.51 Problem-solving court reports.

(1) The Office of the State Courts Administrator shall provide an annual report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which details the number of participants in each problem-solving court for each fiscal year the court has been operating and the types of services provided, identifies each source of funding for each court during each fiscal year, and provides information on the performance of each court based upon outcome measures established by the courts. (2) For purposes of this section, the term “problem-solving court” includes, but is not limited to, a drug court pursuant to s. 397.334, s. 948.01, s. 948.06, s. 948.08, s. 948.16, or s. 948.20; a veterans treatment court program pursuant to s. 394.47891, s. 948.08, s. 948.16, or s. 948.21; a mental health court program pursuant to s. 394.47892, s. 948.01, s. 948.06, s. 948.08, or s. 948.16; a community court pursuant to s. 948.081; or a delinquency pretrial intervention court program pursuant to s. 985.345.

F.S. 43.291 Judicial nominating commissions.

(1) Each judicial nominating commission shall be composed of the following members: (a) Four members of The Florida Bar, appointed by the Governor, who are engaged in the practice of law, each of whom is a resident of the territorial jurisdiction served by the commission to which the member is appointed. The Board of Governors of The Florida Bar shall submit to the Governor three recommended nominees for each position. The Governor shall select the appointee from the list of nominees recommended for that position, but the Governor may reject all of the nominees recommended for a position and request that the Board of Governors submit a new list of three different recommended nominees for that position who have not been previously recommended by the Board of Governors. (b) Five members appointed by the Governor, each of whom is a resident of the territorial jurisdiction served by the commission to which the member is appointed, of which at least two are members of The Florida Bar engaged in the practice of law. (2) A justice or judge may not be a member of a judicial nominating commission. A member of a judicial nominating commission may hold public office other than judicial office. A member of a judicial nominating commission is not eligible for appointment, during his or her term of office and for a period of 2 years thereafter, to any state judicial office for which that commission has the authority to make nominations. All acts of a judicial nominating commission must be made with a concurrence of a majority of its members. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, each current member of a judicial nominating commission appointed directly by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar shall serve the remainder of his or her term, unless removed for cause. The terms of all other members of a judicial nominating commission are hereby terminated, and the Governor shall appoint new members to each judicial nominating commission in the following manner: (a) Two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2002, one of which shall be an appointment selected from nominations submitted by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar pursuant to paragraph (1)(a); (b) Two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2003; and (c) Two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2004. Every subsequent appointment, except an appointment to fill a vacant, unexpired term, shall be for 4 years. Each expired term or vacancy shall be filled by appointment in the same manner as the member whose position is being filled. (4) In making an appointment, the Governor shall seek to ensure that, to the extent possible, the membership of the commission reflects the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, as well as the geographic distribution, of the population within the territorial jurisdiction of the court for which nominations will be considered. The Governor shall also consider the adequacy of representation of each county within the judicial circuit. (5) A member of a judicial nominating commission may be suspended for cause by the Governor pursuant to uniform rules of procedure established by the Executive Office of the Governor consistent with s. 7, Art. IV of the State Constitution. (6) A quorum of the judicial nominating commission is necessary to take any action or transact any business. For purposes of this section, a quorum consists of a majority of commission members currently appointed. (7) The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide all administrative support for each judicial nominating commission.
Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter43/AllFetched: 7/8/2026