A committee appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to consider consolidating the state’s 20 judicial districts has recommended against combining the jurisdictions.
During a Nov. 3 virtual meeting, committee members voted 14-0 in favor of a motion to recommend to the court that no action be taken to combine any of the circuits.
State Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz appointed committee members earlier this year after state House of Representatives Speaker Paul Renner suggested that consolidating some of the circuits might improve efficiencies in the judicial process.
However, opposition to the proposal was widespread. In October, State Attorney Brian Kramer and Public Defender Stacy Scott asked Bradford County commissioners to oppose judicial consolidation publicly.
Kramer warned that the move could increase the county’s costs to provide IT support to his and Scott’s offices. He added that officials in a larger jurisdiction might not be as responsive to local officials as he and Scott are now.
