'I know we will continue to work to fulfill the mission of justice, Florida style'
By Gary Blankenship
Senior Editor
While Florida’s justice system has launched a variety of initiatives ranging from better educating state students about civics to improved handling of complex litigation, it still faces a crucial lack of funding, according to Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Lewis.

Delivering the state of the judiciary address at the Judicial Luncheon during the Bar’s recent Annual Convention, Lewis referred to the difficulties the court system has had in getting comparable and fair pay for judicial branch employees. He also praised those who have helped carry out the Justice Teaching initiative that seeks to improve civics education by pairing a lawyer or judge with every school.

“I think the state of the judiciary is in as good a condition as it can be with the financial restrictions we have had over the past several years and with the restrictions we continue to have in paying our employees of this branch,” the chief justice said. “We live with far too little of the state’s resources for those . . . who work so hard to make sure we can deliver justice.”

He added, “True justice cannot be delivered without all of these very important people. . . . Certainly this judicial branch does not run on any one person. We are delusional if we think than any one person controls what happens. . . . We need to be there to help support one another to help this branch move forward.”

Lewis listed several accomplishments and ongoing programs for the judicial branch, including:
• Successfully getting on board the 110 new judges approved by the legislature and governor over the past two years. “I’m hearing nothing but good reports on all the new judges coming into our system and their dedication to serving the people of Florida,” he said.

• Working with state agencies and others to resolve the problems of those in the criminal justice system with mental health problems. Last year, he noted, there were lawsuits over the treatment of prisoners and those awaiting trial who had mental health problems, and a confrontation stemming from a lawsuit between the courts and the executive branch. With a new governor, a new head of the Department of Children and Families, and some hard work by judges involved in the process, those problems have been worked out, Lewis reported.

• Progress in improving programs for children who “age out” of the state’s dependency program. “These people hit a certain age and all of a sudden they are supposed to be able to set the world on fire,” the chief justice said. “Too often, they become homeless or have other problems.”

• Addressing the unique problems of complex civil litigation. Lewis said Second Circuit Judge Tom Bateman is heading a committee studying that issue, while Ninth Circuit Judge Tom Smith is working on developing standards for handling complex litigation.

• Continuing progress in assessing the accessibility of Florida’s courtrooms to those with disabilities. “I think your justice system needs to be open without any regard to [disabilities],” Lewis said. “We are doing an analysis of our ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliance. A group of architects have volunteered their time, and that’s where we’ve had problems in the past.”

• Carefully studying judicial evaluations by a special Supreme Court commission. “Each [judicial] election that comes around, the public clamors for education,” he said. “There is debate among ourselves on how that should happen.” Lewis noted the commission’s work, adding, “There are risks in life. There are risks if we do nothing in this area and there are risks if we do something. But the greatest risk is if we are not responsive to our citizens. At least [with the evaluation commission’s work] we will have self-evaluated and have made a conscious decision.”

• Reinvigorating the Judicial Management Council to help the Supreme Court address a variety of issues.

• Addressing criticisms that arose after news organizations reported that some circuits had cases and court files that were not accessible to the public and, in some cases, even had docketing information that was hidden. That led Lewis to ask for a report from every circuit in the state on its docketing and access policies and practices. “Your judicial officers at all levels . . . responded admirably so our citizens can have greater faith in our system,” Lewis said.

• Beginning a pilot program in Manatee County giving Internet access to court records. “It will be an experiment and that experiment is essentially being able to place court files on the Internet, but only if it protects Florida citizens in the right way,” the chief justice said. (See story in the July 1 Bar News.)

Lewis closed by thanking lawyers and judges who have volunteered for the Justice Teaching initiative.

“We have now enrolled about 3,500 judges and lawyers,” he reported. “The superintendents with whom I have met personally, all endorse your efforts.

“We have a much greater responsibility to maintain this democracy and pass on our values and help our young people come to their decisions based on all available information.”

There are enough volunteers, he added, to cover all of Florida’s schools.

Lewis presented Lady of Justice awards to the judges on the Justice Teaching steering committee, as well as Florida Law Related Education Association Executive Director Annette Boyd Pitts, for their efforts on the program.

He ended his address by calling on lawyers and judges to continue working to improve the justice system.

“I know we will continue to struggle. I know we will continue to have issues. But I know we will continue to work to fulfill the mission of justice, Florida style,” Lewis said.