Bill would allow transfers to specialty courts
Bill would allow transfers to specialty courts
Defendants who would qualify to participate in veterans, mental health, or drug courts but are charged in counties without those special venues would be able to transfer their cases to counties with those courts under bills advancing in the Florida Legislature.
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee unanimously approved HB 1069, sponsored by Rep. W. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, on March 16.
The bill identifies veterans, drug, and mental health courts as “problem solving courts” and allows the defendant to switch his or her case to a county with such a court, as long as the defendant agrees, and representatives from the sending and recipient counties agree to the transfer.
The bill next goes to the Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and then the Judiciary Committee. A similar bill, SB 1170, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 10. It also has been referred to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice and the Fiscal Policy Committee.
