Florida Senate - 2011                                    SJR 140
       
       
       
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       32-00183A-11                                           2011140__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution proposing an amendment to Section 8
    3         of Article V of the State Constitution to increase the
    4         period of time that a person must be a member of The
    5         Florida Bar before becoming eligible for the offices
    6         of circuit court or county court judge.
    7  
    8  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         That the following amendment to Section 8 of Article V of
   11  the State Constitution is agreed to and shall be submitted to
   12  the electors of this state for approval or rejection at the next
   13  general election or at an earlier special election specifically
   14  authorized by law for that purpose:
   15                              ARTICLE V                            
   16                              JUDICIARY                            
   17         SECTION 8. Eligibility.—No person shall be eligible for
   18  office of justice or judge of any court unless the person is an
   19  elector of the state and resides in the territorial jurisdiction
   20  of the court. No justice or judge shall serve after attaining
   21  the age of seventy years except upon temporary assignment or to
   22  complete a term, one-half of which has been served. No person is
   23  eligible for the office of justice of the supreme court, or
   24  judge of a district court of appeal, circuit court judge, or
   25  county court judge unless the person is, and has been for the
   26  preceding ten years, a member of the bar of Florida. No person
   27  is eligible for the office of circuit judge unless the person
   28  is, and has been for the preceding five years, a member of the
   29  bar of Florida. Unless otherwise provided by general law, no
   30  person is eligible for the office of county court judge unless
   31  the person is, and has been for the preceding five years, a
   32  member of the bar of Florida. Unless otherwise provided by
   33  general law, a person shall be eligible for election or
   34  appointment to the office of county court judge in a county
   35  having a population of 40,000 or less if the person is a member
   36  in good standing of the bar of Florida.
   37         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following statement be
   38  placed on the ballot:
   39                      CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT                     
   40                        ARTICLE V, SECTION 8                       
   41         INCREASING THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE OFFICES OF CIRCUIT
   42  COURT AND COUNTY COURT JUDGES.—The State Constitution currently
   43  prohibits a person from serving as a circuit court judge unless
   44  the person is, and has been for the proceeding 5 years, a member
   45  of The Florida Bar. This same prohibition applies to county
   46  court judges, except in counties having a population of 40,000
   47  or fewer, where a person need only be a member in good standing
   48  of The Florida Bar. This proposed amendment increases to 10
   49  years the period of time that a person must be a member of The
   50  Florida Bar before serving as a circuit court judge or a county
   51  court judge in any county.