Governor signs clerk oversight legislation.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed legislation June 18 that subjects the clerks of the court's budgets to the state appropriations process.

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SB 2108 was compromise legislation, put forth by Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, and Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Ft. Lauderdale, that gives the Legislature oversight of the clerks' budgets--for their court-related functions only--which is consistent with how the Legislature oversees budgets for the courts and all other state entities with localized offices.

Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Belvin Perry, chair of the Trial Court Budget Commission, said the bill's signing puts all the components of the court system on equal budget footing.

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"The legislative branch can now determine who gets funded and in what manner," Perry said. "Before it was sort of out of kilter--the clerks were well funded while the state attorneys, public defenders, and the court system were not."

Florida Justice Reform Institute President William W. Large said Crist exhibited strong leadership in signing the bill.

"This new law will also help decrease costly civil trial delays in Florida, which deters new businesses and companies from moving to or remaining in Florida," Large said. "The new law will also help courts to further harness technology to help reduce costs and deliver better services, making Florida a technology leader in court services."

Jim Fuller, Duval County Clerk of the Court and president of the Florida Association of Court Clerks, said clerks will work with the state to implement the law, but are nervous about the fiscal matters.

The law both mandated a budget cut for clerks--which Fuller said will cost 1,300 jobs statewide--and sets up a new budgeting process that will attempt to determine per-case costs for clerks. But Fuller said that will be difficult because each type of case, each case itself, and each county is different and has different challenges.

"The problem is that in the Constitution, we're supposed to be funded by fees and fines and things that we collect in the courthouse. Now we're changing all that and we're going to be part of the appropriations process," he said. "We'll work with that, but we have to have enough money to fund our offices."

And while the clerks are willing to cooperate with the bill's mandated study of clerk and court operations, Fuller said there is concern the five-month mandated deadline is too short a period.

Two days before signing the bill, Gov...