The Florida Bar News Updates http://www.flabar.org 05/15/2012 www.floridabar.org Tue, 15 May 2012 -0400‘Choosing Our Judges’ — a Presidential ShowcaseFormer Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to headline Annual Convention seminar “The crisis of confidence in the judiciary is real and growing. Left unaddressed, the perception that justice is for sale will undermine the rule of law that the courts are supposed to uphold,” retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has warned. In June, Justice O’Connor will travel to Orlando to speak at The Florida Bar Annual Convention. Mark your calendars for Friday, Jun. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/2D3244C50676DE12852579F4006B5689Tue, 15 May 2012 -040018 jurists to face retention elections, 72 races set for the trial court ballotAnother 286 judges take a seat on the bench unopposed Three Florida Supreme Court justices and 15 district court of appeal judges have qualified for merit retention on this year’s November election ballot. In the trial courts, there will be 32 contested circuit court contests on the August 14 primary ballot, while 170 circuit judgeships — mostly held by incumbents — were uncontested. On the county court bench, there are 40 races . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/7E755D0B0BCBFA80852579F4006C43EATue, 15 May 2012 -0400Putting ‘teeth’ in professionalismComments sought on proposed professionalism rulesBy Gary BlankenshipSenior Editor Calling it “an in-house discussion between colleagues,” Supreme Court Justice Fred Lewis and the court’s Commission on Professionalism are inviting lawyers for a public hearing on ways to enforce professionalism standards, including through a grievance-type process. The hearing will be June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Bar’s Annual Convention at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/92C1E519C6934A8E852579F4006C11CBTue, 15 May 2012 -0400Bar kicks off merit retention education project‘Our government will not survive without an independent, competent judiciary’By Gary BlankenshipSenior Editor “If not judicial retention, what do you do?” It’s been almost 40 years since former Gov. Reubin Askew helped push through a series of court reforms that included the 1976 constitutional amendment creating merit selection and retention for Florida’s appellate bench, and his passion for the subject, as shown by that question, remains. Askew made the comme. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/AEC288EDA8313A55852579F4006C03DATue, 15 May 2012 -0400THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI School of Law Children and Youth Law Clinic is one of 10 law school civil clinics in Florida that has been receiving $25,000 annually from The Florida Bar Foundation. The Foundation is suspending its law student assistance grants until revenue from Florida’s IOTA program returns to pre-recession levels.Foundation suspends law student assistance grants The Florida Bar Foundation has suspended its Law Student Assistance Grant Program temporarily due to severely reduced revenue from Flo. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/016850348AE0B5C8852579F4006D03BATue, 15 May 2012 -0400State attorney, PD races are set Eleven of the 19 state attorney offices in Florida will have contested races this fall, even though in eight of those cases the incumbent is seeking reelection. By contrast, only four public defender races will have contests this fall, all of which involve Republicans, and only two of which have challenges to incumbents. Filing for state attorney and public defender offices closed at noon on April 20. (Unlike other circuits in the state, the state attorney and public defende. . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/1C3D93837C00EBFB852579F4006DB965Tue, 15 May 2012 -0400Most clerks expect to begin civil e-filing by July Most Florida county court clerks are expected to meet the July 1 deadline to have the capability to accept electronic filing for all types of civil cases, although a few are likely to need a bit more time. The Florida Courts E-Filing Authority Board, after hearing that report, voted to provide that information to the Supreme Court, which is considering an amendment to the Rules of Judicial Administration setting mandatory deadlines for clerks and courts to . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/1427B3EC70159780852579F4006D8D8FTue, 15 May 2012 -0400Court says kids have a right to attend hearings Children have a right to be in court during all phases of dependency and termination of parental rights hearings unless a judge determines it is in their best interest not to attend, according to a new rule approved by the Supreme Court. In an April 26 ruling, the court approved amendment to Rule of Juvenile Procedure 8.255. “The amendments address the right of a child to be present at all hearings in dependency and termination of parental rights proceedings, . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/BC5BEEAE14023642852579F4006E2B88Sun, 1 Apr 2012 -0400Polston elected chief justice The Florida Supreme Court April 4 unanimously elected Ricky Polston — a man whose roots lie in the Panhandle town of Graceville — to become the state’s 55th Chief Justice begining July 1. Polston will become only the second chief justice from Jackson County and the first to come from west of the Apalachicola River since 1925. “I am deeply honored by my colleagues’ vote,” said Polston, 56. “And I commit myself to be a faithful steward of this public trust, recognizing that I am . . . ...http://www.flabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/RSSFeed/71B2A012E91DC5B2852579D60050167A