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    DIAGRAM OF THE STATE COURT SYSTEM
    500 S. Duval St.
    Tallahassee FL 32399
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    Court-Related Public Documents
     

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

    Court Operations
             

    Florida Supreme Court Internal Operations Manual

    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.

    The Operation & Jurisdiction of the Florida Supreme Court

    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

     

    Code of 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 Commission.
     

    Ethics Guide for Candidates for Judicial Office

    The Aid to Understanding Canon 7 of the Code of Judicial Conduct is an advisory guide to help candidates for judicial office understand the ethical obligations they are expected to meet.

    Official Reports

     

    Ongoing Reports

    Task Force on Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Cases

    The Final Report was released August 17, 2009. Appendices of the report are below.

    Publication Notice - A Publication Notice has been issued by the Court inviting all interested persons to comment on the Task Force report. Comments must be submitted on or before October 15,2009.

    Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C
    Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F
    Appendix G Appendix H Appendix I
    Appendix J Appendix K Appendix L
    Appendix M    

    See the Foreclosure Task Force website for documents related to this issue, including a petition to amend the Rules of Court filed with the Florida Supreme Court.

    An Interim Report was released May 8, 2009.

    The Chief Justice established the task force in March 2009 by Administrative Order in the wake of dramatic increases in residential mortgage foreclosure case filings.

     

    Report of the Committee on Privacy & Court Records

    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
    2009 Report of the Commission on Character & Fitness
    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.
     
    2009 Report on Florida Board of Bar Examiners Testing
    This is the Report of the FBBE's Commission on Testing. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners' Response also is available.
     
    Finalized 2008
    2008 Report on Pro Bono Services in Florida
    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
     
    2008 Report on Complex Litigation
    The Report on managing complex litigation was received by the Court in April 2008.
     

    Finalized 2006

    Report of the Work Group on Standards for Jury Panel Sizes

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

    2006 Report on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction

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

    Finalized in 2005

    2005 Report on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction

    On November 1, 2005, the Chief Justice received the Report of the Committee on District Court of Appeal Workload & Jurisdiction.
    Finalized in 2003

    Report on Guardianship Monitoring

    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.
     

    Jury Innovations Project Report
    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

    Report on Per Curiam Affirmed Decisions

    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.
     

    Report on the Use of Senior Judges

    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

    Report of the Family Court Steering Committee

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

    Finalized in 2000

    Report of the Supreme Court Workload Study Commission

    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.
     

    Ten-Year Retrospective on Racial & Ethnic Bias

    In December 2000,  the Ten Year Retrospective on Racial & Ethnic Bias was released. This report surveyed work in eliminating recial and ethnic bias in the legal system that began with the release of the Report of the Florida Supreme Court Gender Bias Study Commission in 1990.

    Finalized in 1999

    Report on Florida's Baker Act
    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.
     

    Report on Jury Service Accessibility

    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

    Report on the Florida Board of Bar Examiners

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

    Finalized in 1996

    Report of the Gender Bias Study Implementation Commission

    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

    Report of the Racial & Ethnic Bias Study Commission

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

    Finalized in 1990

    Report of the Gender Bias Study Commission
    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.