Court says 13 county judges are not needed.

For the first time since courts were reorganized in 1972, the Florida Supreme Court has recommended a net reduction in the number of the state's trial judges. The court reported that except for civil traffic cases, civil filings are up but criminal filings are down.

In its annual certification opinion, the court recommended two new circuit court and two new county court judgeships, but also cut 13 county court judgeships in 10 counties. The court recommended no changes for district courts of appeal.

While recommending eliminating some judgeships, however, the court said more funding is needed for court technology, interpreters, and support staff, such as case managers and clerks, to maximize efficiency in handling cases.

"The Florida Supreme Court continues to use a weighted caseload system as a primary basis for assessing judicial need for the trial courts. Using this objective threshold standard, we have examined case filing and disposition data, analyzed various judicial workload indicators, applied a three-year average judicial need, and considered judgeship requests submitted by the lower courts, including all secondary factors identified by each chief judge for support of their requests," the court said in its unanimous November 22 per curiam opinion. "We have also incorporated a rigorous judicial workload per judge threshold analysis and an allowance for administrative time spent by chief judges and county court time spent on county election canvassing boards. Applying this methodology, this court certifies the need for four additional judgeships statewide, two of which are in circuit court and two in county court. We are also decertifying 13 county court judgeships."

The court called for two new circuit judges in the Ninth Circuit and two new county judges for Hillsborough County. It recommended three fewer county judges for Brevard County, two in Pasco County, and one each in Escambia, Leon, Putnam, Alachua, Polk, Monroe, Charlotte, and Collier counties.

If approved by the Legislature, it would be the first time in the court's modern era since the current court setup went into effect in 1972 that the number of trial court judges has been cut. The cuts would not necessarily be immediate. Since judges are constitutional officers, reductions would come only as judicial terms expire.

In its 2016 certification opinion, the court called for four new circuit judges and eight new county judges but also called for decertifying six county...