Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 762
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       23-00574-19                                            2019762__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to trial court security; amending s.
    3         30.15, F.S.; requiring sheriffs to provide security
    4         for trial court facilities; requiring sheriffs to
    5         coordinate with the chief judge on security matters
    6         for trial court facilities and to retain operational
    7         control over how they provide security for such
    8         facilities; specifying that the chief judge retains
    9         certain decision-making authority; specifying that
   10         sheriffs and their deputies, employees, and
   11         contractors are officers of the court when providing
   12         security for trial court facilities; providing
   13         construction; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 30.15,
   18  Florida Statutes, to read:
   19         30.15 Powers, duties, and obligations.—
   20         (4)(a) Sheriffs, in their respective counties, shall
   21  provide security for trial court facilities. Sheriffs shall
   22  coordinate with the chief judge of the judicial circuit in which
   23  their county is located on all security matters for such
   24  facilities, but shall retain operational control over the manner
   25  in which security is provided. The chief judge of the judicial
   26  circuit shall retain decision-making authority to ensure the
   27  protection of due process rights, including, but not limited to,
   28  the scheduling and conduct of trials and other judicial
   29  proceedings, as part of his or her responsibility for the
   30  administrative supervision of the trial courts under s. 43.26.
   31         (b) Sheriffs and their deputies, employees, and contractors
   32  are officers of the court when providing security for trial
   33  court facilities under this subsection.
   34         (c) This subsection may not be construed to affect or erode
   35  the authority of counties under s. 14, Art. V of the State
   36  Constitution or s. 29.008 to otherwise fund security of
   37  facilities as the term “security” is defined in s. 29.008(1)(e).
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.