Chief Justice Canady: ‘We weathered the storm of the pandemic, and we have come back strong’
Chief Justice Canady
Chief Justice Charles Canady, addressing hundreds of judges and lawyers at the 2022 Annual Convention, said the court system is “strong” and well on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m happy to report that the state of Florida’s judiciary is strong,” Canady said. “We weathered the storm of the pandemic, and we have come back strong.”
Just days from completing a third term as chief, the Lakeland native and 1979 Yale Law School graduate said a pandemic-related backlog of cases in circuit and county civil divisions has been reduced by more than 60% in the past year — progress he called “remarkable.”
Much of the credit belongs to the leadership and hard work of chief judges, Canady said.
“As chief justice, it’s been my privilege to work with all of the chief judges…it’s just a wonderful team,” he said.
Credit is also due to trial judges and the lawyers who appear before them, Canady said.
“Particularly to the trial court judges who are here, who have been addressing that challenge, I want to express my gratitude for that hard work, not only to the judges, but to the lawyers who have been involved in that process, we are deeply grateful to you for your labors.”
None of the progress would have been possible, Canady said, without the significant contribution of court clerks and other “justice system partners.”
“So, as we’re thanking judges here today, we also need to be aware of the people who support judges in the work that they do, the people who make it possible to do the work that we do,” Canady said. “We want to team with them to provide justice for the people of Florida.”
Canady also praised the work of outgoing President Mike Tanner, a Bar leader who has been “a delight to work with,” Canady said.
“The Bar has produced so many outstanding leaders, and Mike, you are among the best,” Canady said.
From State Courts Administrator Alison “Ali” Sackett to Florida Bar Executive Director Joshua Doyle, Canady said every segment of the branch worked collaboratively to rise to the challenge.
“We just have an outstanding group of people who are dedicated to our profession, who work every day to strive to improve our profession, to help our profession do a better job to serve the people of Florida.”
None of that would have been possible, Canady said, without the necessary resources.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature deserve credit for supporting branch funding initiatives, Canady said.
“Of course, our courts can’t function properly without adequate funding, you know that’s part of the picture,” he said. “We’re very grateful to the executive and legislative branches for the support that they’ve provided.”
Senate President Wilton Simpson and Chief Justice Charles Canady
But one lawmaker, Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, deserves special recognition, Canady said.
Noting that he represented Trilby when he served four terms in Congress from 1993 to 2001, Canady presented Simpson with The Florida Bar Legislative Award.
Simpson, who completes his two-year term in November, supported court system funding requests for new judges, an appellate case management system, and two years of a Pandemic Recovery Plan, Canady said.
“President Simpson was the ‘but for cause’ of the salary increase for our trial court judges,” Canady said. “Without the intervention of President Simpson, it would not have happened.”
Simpson, an egg farmer, said before he ran for the Legislature in 2012, he never would have imagined being honored by the Supreme Court.
Simpson said a strong court system is vital for Florida’s future.
“Maintaining law and order and ensuring a fair judicial process for all parties is key, not only for our physical security, but for the economic security of the state,” he said. “Fair application of the law, and the appropriate administration of justice help provide an environment where business owners feel confident investing their time and their money.”
