Judicial Certification of Need

The supreme court has used a weighted caseload system to evaluate the need for new trial court judgeships since 1999, and for DCA judges since 2006. The weighted caseload system analyzes Florida’s caseload statistics according to complexity. Cases that are complex, such as capital murder cases, receive a higher weight, while cases that are less complex, such as civil traffic cases, receive a lower weight. These weights are then applied to case filing statistics to determine the need for additional judgeships.

In a November 2019 opinion, the supreme court certified the need for four additional circuit judges and six additional county court judges in FY 2020- 21. In the 2020 legislative session, lawmakers funded all 10 new judgeships. Due to concern about a potential loss in state revenues resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the governor vetoed the funding. Nonetheless, recognizing the Florida Supreme Court’s certification of need, he signed the statutory language in the event funding became available. The additional judgeships were subsequently funded and are reflected in the tables below.

Judicial Certification Table: County Courts

Session Year'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
Requested49494236269761054
Net Certified*4847393223221621
Authorized00000002641
Percent Authorized (of Those Certified)0000000200100200100
TOTAL322322322322322322322324330334335

 

Judicial Certification Table: Circuit Courts

Session Year'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
Requested31272415131381213910
Net Certified*2316731434410
Authorized00000002410
Percent Authorized (of Those Certified)000000050100100N/A
TOTAL599599599599599599599601605606606

 

Judicial Certification Table: District Courts of Appeal

Session Year'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
Requested22300000000
Net Certified*11300000007
Authorized00300000007
Percent Authorized (of Those Certified)00100N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A100
TOTAL6161646464646464646471
Last Modified: February 16, 2024