Latest Headlines
- Five WaWa Stores In The Works For Escambia County. Here’s The List.
- Scattered Storms Likely Again Today
- Motorcyclist Critical After Jacks Branch Road Crash
- FDOT Plans Traffic Shift Thursday In Century Highway 29 Construction Zone
- Molino Man Charged With Throwing Object, Breaking Windshield Of Passing Car
- North Escambia Athletes Place In USA Volleyball Beach National Championships
- Santa Rosa Sheriff Issues Contractor Fraud Alert After Arrest
- Escambia Man Gets 10 Years On Firearms And Financial Racketeering Charges
- New Name, Same Fish: Largemouth Bass Are Now Florida Bass
- ECUA Considering Water, Sewer And Sanitation Rate Increases
Supreme Court: Another Circuit Judge Needed For Escambia, Santa Rosa
December 23, 2014
After lawmakers have turned down requests in recent years for more trial judges, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday said the state needs an additional three circuit judges and 32 county judges — including an additional circuit judge in the 1st Judicial Circuit, which includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
“The First Judicial Circuit continues to experience a heavy criminal workload as well as a steady number of tobacco cases, which frequently go to trial and thus require significant judicial labor,” the Supreme Court said.
The request came in an annual process known as a “certification of need” to the Legislature, which ultimately decides whether to approve new judges.
“As the state economy continues to steadily improve, we recognize that in a post-recessionary period competing demands for state funding persist across state government,” the Supreme Court said in a 10-page document. “We also note that, due in large part to the recession, the judicial branch has had no increase in trial court judges since 2007, despite a documented need.”
Comments