COURT-RELATED PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

• Newsletters
• Court Operations
• Judicial Conduct
• Judicial Elections
• Official Reports

The Office of the State Courts Administrator and other court organizations publish Newsletters such as "Full Court Press."

This manual describes how the Supreme Court of Florida operates on a day-to-day basis and is intended as a guide for the press and the public at large.

This 2005 Publication is the only comprehensive work on how the Supreme Court of Florida operates. Originally published in the Nova Law Review, this article is not an official publication of the Florida Supreme Court and thus should only be cited the same way any similar law review article would be.

Judicial Conduct

These are the Rules that explain what judges can and cannot say or do. Interpretations of this Code are made by the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee.

The Florida Supreme Court and the court’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, in concert with the state’s trial court chief judges and The Florida Bar, regularly schedule campaign conduct forums for all candidates seeking election or re-election to judicial office.  Ordinarily set the week following the close of qualifying, the forums emphasize the nonpartisan character of judicial elections and detail requirements imposed upon candidates by Canon 7 of Florida’s Code of Judicial Conduct.  Given the potential impact of campaign misconduct on public trust and confidence in the courts, all candidates are strongly encouraged to participate in one of the forums scheduled throughout the state.

Official Reports

Ongoing Reports

The various Documents related to this report have been placed on the High-Profile Case Page due to strong public and media interest. The Committee and other bodies have been studying the implications of placing court records on-line.

Finalized 2009

This Report of a Commission proposes revisions to the procedures governing character & fitness determinations of people seeking to be licensed to practice law. Warning: This document is 14 megabytes and may not download easily. A Short Version is available that excludes the attachments and is accessible to persons with disabilities. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners' Response is also available.

This is the Report of the FBBE's Commission on Testing. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners' Response also is available.

Finalized 2008

The Report was accepted by the Court in the fall of 2008. It examines the state of free legal advice given to the poor by Florida lawyers

Finalized 2006

The Final Report of this Work Group was submitted on March 10, 2006. Further information on Juries in Florida also is available.

On November 15, 2006, the Chief Justice received the Report of the Committee on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction.

Finalized in 2005

On November 1, 2005, the Chief Justice received the Report of the Committee on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction.

Finalized in 2003

In May 2003, the Supreme Court Commission on Fairness issued its report titled Guardianship Monitoring in Florida: Fulfilling the Court's Duty to Protect Wards.

Read the Final Report of the Florida Supreme Court Jury Innovations Committee issued in May 2001 and a Press Release about its activities. The 2003 Administrative Order adopting portions of the Report is also available.

Finalized in 2002

This Report on the use of per curiam affirmed decisions was issued by the Florida Judicial Management Council in May 2000.  A Court Opinion was issued in this matter on August 29, 2002.

The Report of the Committee on the Appointment and Assignment of Senior Judges and its Transmittal Letter were submitted to the Court in late February 2002.

Finalized in 2001

On May 3, 2001, the Court issued its Opinion based on the June 2000 report about a Model Family Court for Florida.

This Final Report completed the Study Commission's work from 2000 and concluded that Florida should not adopt the Texas model of having two separate Supreme Courts, one to address civil issues and one to address criminal issues.

Finalized in 2000

A Report of the Florida Supreme Court Workload Study Commission was released on November 9, 2000. Read the Agenda for the first meeting of the Supreme Workload Study Commission on September 25, 2000, the Official Notice of the meeting, and the Membership List.

In December 2000,  the Ten Year Retrospective on Racial & Ethnic Bias was released. This report surveyed work in eliminating racial and ethnic bias in the legal system that began with the release of the First Report of the Florida Supreme Court Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission in 1990, followed by the Commission’s second and final report in 1991.

Finalized in 1999

The Florida Supreme Court Fairness Commmission in December 1999 issued its Full Report, Executive Summary, and Press Release. after completing a study of the Florida Baker Act, which authorizes persons to be detained temporarily if they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others.

Read the June 1999 report on Jury Service Accessibility for Older Persons & Persons with Disabilities in Florida, a collaborative project of the Southeast Florida Center on Aging of Florida International University and the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Fairness.

Finalized in 1997

This 1997 Publication is the final report of the Supreme Court Select Committee to Study the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

Finalized in 1996

This 1996 Report details work to eliminate gender bias from the legal system since the 1990 Report of the Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Study Commission.

Finalized in 1991

This Executive Summary describes formal reports made in 1990 and 1991 on racial and ethnic bias in Florida's legal system.

Finalized in 1990

This 1990 Executive Summary describes aa study that explored the extent of gender bias in Florida's legal system and to suggest steps to eliminate bias.

This 1989 Report dealt with proposals affecting the rules governing mediation and arbitration.

This Report examined proposed changes to the judicial article of the state Constitution.

Report on the Judiciary. This Report details problems that had arisen in the Supreme Court's jurisdiction and caseload by the late 1970s, which led to Constitututional reforms in 1980.

Report of the Commission on Appellate Court Structure. This 1979 Report makes recommendations regarding reforms to the structure of Florida appellate courts.