Canady lists court’s legislative priorities
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady told The Florida Bar Board of Governors that the court will press the Legislature this year for raises for some court workers and a new facility for the Second District Court of Appeal, among other priorities.
Addressing board members at a February 8 meeting in Tallahassee, a block from the Capitol, Canady began his remarks by introducing the three new justices who were appointed in quick succession only in January by newly elected Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“This is a double special treat to be here with my new colleagues, they are all coming to the job with great energy and commitment and I am so excited that they are my colleagues,” Canady said. “I know that they are looking forward to working with the Bar.”
Canady described Justices Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck, both plucked from the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami, as dedicated public servants. Lagoa served briefly as the Third DCA’s chief judge before her selection and Luck offers additional experience as a trial court judge, Canady said.
Canady said he tried unsuccessfully a decade ago to convince Lagoa to apply for the Supreme Court.
“Better late than never,” Canady said.
Justice Carlos Muñiz, most recently general counsel for the U.S Department of Education, has never been a judge, Canady noted. But Muñiz’s extensive government experience — he and Canady worked together in former Gov. Jeb Bush’s administration — will offer balance and unique insight to the court, Canady said.
The state court system is undergoing a major transition behind the scenes as well, Canady said.
He noted that February 8 was the last day for State Courts Administrator PK Jameson, who was leaving after five years to work for the Legislature. Lisa Goodner Kiel, a former OSCA chief, will serve as interim state courts administrator, Canady said.
Canady assured board members that Jameson’s knowledge of the courts won’t go to waste.
“She’s actually going to be working on issues related to the justice system for the Senate appropriations subcommittee that deals with those issues,” Canady said.
And the Supreme Court has several priorities for lawmakers when they convene March 5, Canady said.
The Supreme Court in January endorsed a study by the Workgroup on County Court Jurisdiction that recommends raising the civil jurisdiction for county and small claims courts.
“I had an interesting conversation with some folks who were involved in the proposal to raise the county jurisdiction levels,” Canady said. “What I found out was behind that, they are interested in trying to figure out ways of simply moving things from filing to resolution more expeditiously… I know that is a goal I support, I know that is goal that all of my colleagues would support.”
The court has endorsed raising the civil jurisdiction for county courts from $15,000 to $25,000, and small claims from $5,000 to $8,000, among other changes recommended by the report. Some lawmakers have proposed raising the county court jurisdiction as high as $75,000, but Canady warned that raising the threshold too high could cause complications.
Canady said the court will also continue to advocate for new Second District Court of Appeal facilities.
“Those of you who are from the Second District know that the situation that they have now is, how shall I say, less than ideal?” Canady said. “They’re really crammed in like sardines in the facility in Tampa [after the court offices in Lakeland had to be closed for health reasons] and we need to get some solutions for them.”
However, Canady seemed doubtful a fix could be found this year.
“Now, we’re working with members of the Legislature and there’s some complexities involved in that and some different perspectives, but I’m hopeful,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen this year. Hopefully, we’re going to make some progress this year, and that’s one of the high priorities.”
While the DCA facility has been on a wish list for years, Canady said he has an even higher priority this year — a $10 million, targeted pay increase for recruitment and retention of some court employees. Canady declined to offer specific examples of job categories, but he said the problem was relatively easy to understand.
“For certain categories of jobs, we’re able to pay, let’s say, $40,000, and the sheriff’s office in the same area is paying $50,000,” Canady said. “Well, people may love the branch, but typically, they love their spouse and children more, and in reality, at some point, something’s got to give.”
Canady said the problem needs urgent attention.
“Now I know, $10 million is a lot of money,” he said. “But I think it’s problematic, particularly, when we’re losing people to other governmental entities. We are an equal branch of government. We have our own special role, but we are a branch of government.”
Canady praised the Bar and its leadership, and suggested, in response to a question from a board member, that he would be willing to work with President
Michelle Suskauer on a proposal to speed up the glacial process for changing court procedure.
“Obviously, there are times when we are looking at particular processes and we’re thinking, how can we do this better? The [procedural] rules process for instance,” Canady said. “I think there are some people in this room who would agree, well, maybe there could be some improvements in the way those things are done.”
