Senate Bill 2138

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2138

    By Senator Campbell





    33-601A-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the judiciary; increasing

  3         membership of the Supreme Court; authorizing

  4         satellite offices for justices of the court;

  5         creating s. 35.044, F.S.; creating a Sixth

  6         District Court of Appeal; amending ss. 35.03,

  7         35.042, F.S.; redistricting the remaining five

  8         district courts of appeal; amending s. 35.05,

  9         F.S.; providing for the headquarters of the new

10         appellate district; amending s. 35.06, F.S.;

11         providing for the number of judges in the new

12         district; providing an effective date.

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14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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16         Section 1.  The membership of the Supreme Court is

17  increased from seven members to nine members. Each member of

18  the Supreme Court shall maintain a satellite office in the

19  district from which he or she is elected or appointed.

20         Section 2.  Section 35.03, Florida Statutes, is amended

21  to read:

22         35.03  Second Appellate District.--The Second Appellate

23  District is composed of the Sixth, Tenth, Twelfth, and

24  Thirteenth, and Twentieth Judicial Circuits.

25         Section 3.  Section 35.042, Florida Statutes, is

26  amended to read:

27         35.042  Fourth Appellate District.--The Fourth

28  Appellate District is composed of the Fifteenth, Seventeenth,

29  and Nineteenth Judicial Circuits.

30         Section 4.  Section 35.044, Florida Statutes, is

31  created to read:

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2138
    33-601A-98




  1         35.044  Sixth Appellate District.--The Sixth Appellate

  2  District is composed of the Seventeenth and Twentieth Judicial

  3  Circuits.

  4         Section 5.  Section 35.05, Florida Statutes, is amended

  5  to read:

  6         35.05  Headquarters.--

  7         (1)  The headquarters of the First Appellate District

  8  shall be in the Second Judicial Circuit, Tallahassee, Leon

  9  County; of the Second Appellate District in the Tenth Judicial

10  Circuit, Lakeland, Polk County; of the Third Appellate

11  District in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County; of the

12  Fourth Appellate District in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit,

13  Palm Beach County; of and the Fifth Appellate District in the

14  Seventh Judicial Circuit, Daytona Beach, Volusia County; and

15  the Sixth Appellate District in the Twentieth Judicial

16  Circuit, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County.

17         (2)  The Second District Court of Appeal may designate

18  other locations within its district as branch headquarters for

19  the conduct of the business of the court in special or regular

20  term and as the official headquarters of its officers or

21  employees pursuant to s. 112.061.

22         Section 6.  Section 35.06, Florida Statutes, is amended

23  to read:

24         35.06  Organization of district courts of appeal.--A

25  district court of appeal shall be organized in each of the six

26  five appellate districts to be named District Court of Appeal,

27  .... District.  The number of judges of each district court of

28  appeal shall be as follows:

29         (1)  In the first district there shall be 15 judges.

30         (2)  In the second district there shall be 14 judges.

31         (3)  In the third district there shall be 11 judges.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                                  SB 2138
    33-601A-98




  1         (4)  In the fourth district there shall be 12 judges.

  2         (5)  In the fifth district there shall be 9 judges.

  3         (6)  In the sixth district there shall be 9 judges.

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  5  The successors of the original and additional judges of the

  6  district courts of appeal shall be elected at the general

  7  election next preceding the expiration of their respective

  8  terms of office to serve for full terms of 6 years.

  9         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1998.

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12                          SENATE SUMMARY

13    Increases the membership of the Supreme Court from seven
      members to nine members. Each justice shall maintain a
14    satellite office in the district from which the justice
      is elected or appointed. Creates a new Sixth District
15    Court of Appeal with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale,
      Broward County, to be comprised of nine judges, and
16    consisting of the Seventeenth and Twentieth Judicial
      Circuits. Redistricts the existing five district courts
17    of appeal.

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