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Florida is reviewing whether it should merge some of its judicial circuits, which haven’t changed in decades. The proposal is receiving backlash from politicians and attorneys.
Speaker of the House Paul Renner introduced the proposal. He wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of Florida’s Supreme Court in June.
He writes that the circuits haven’t been changed for decades despite population changes. Renner claims that consolidation would lead to “greater efficiency” in the judicial process.
However, at a Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee Meeting, many attorneys and politicians spoke out against the idea.
State Senator Geraldine Thompson claimed she’s never heard any members of the public request this change.
“I feel that this proposal has been put forward to change the demographics of certain judicial districts, both in terms of ethnic makeup, in terms of voter registration, to concentrate power in the administration.”
Melissa Vickers is the Vice President of the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
“We have a system right now where defendants and victims are already feeling lost in the system. If we combine circuits, they’re going to feel more lost.”
Susan Lopez, the state attorney for Hillsborough County, was one of two state attorneys who declined to write a letter to the committee considering this proposal. Governor Ron DeSantis appointed her to replace Andrew Warren, who DeSantis suspended.
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