The Legislature’s attack on home rule in Florida soon may escalate to a much higher level.
Republican leaders in Tallahassee want to consolidate the state’s 20 judicial circuits. They claim that it’s about making the court system more efficient. Critics claim that it’s about politics.
In Florida, each county has a court in which judges handle misdemeanors—mostly driving under the influence and domestic battery—and lower-level civil cases. Such cases rarely get much public attention.
Circuit courts handle felonies and high-level civil cases, which often do draw public attention. Large counties, such as Palm Beach, make up their own circuits. Palm Beach is the 15th. Most counties, being smaller, are combined with others. Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River are the 19th.
Each circuit has a state attorney. Last week, Gov. DeSantis suspended Monique Worrell, the state attorney for the circuit that includes Orange and Osceola counties. DeSantis is a Republican. Worrell is a Democrat. A year ago, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren. He had been elected twice. Worrell got nearly 66 percent of the vote in 2020.
In both cases, DeSantis cited “neglect of duty.” In both cases, the suspended prosecutor claimed that they were following the law and that DeSantis was playing politics to burnish his run for president as a “law-and-order” candidate. The police union, which supports the governor, had criticized Worrell after the shootings of two Orlando officers.
DeSantis named Republicans to replace Worrell and Warren. Both would have to run in 2024, however, in a presidential year with high turnout.
In June, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, asked Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz—a DeSantis appointee—to consider judicial circuit consolidation. He touted greater efficiency without offering any specifics. Muñiz named a committee to study the idea and report back in December.
Democrats suspect that the real motive is to gerrymander the circuits and make it easier for Republicans to win those races not just for state attorney but also for public defender and judicial seats that are up for election.
In Palm Beach County, a Democrat has been state attorney since 1992. Though DeSantis carried the county in 2022, President Biden won it by 100,000 votes.
The committee could recommend combining Palm Beach County’s 15th Circuit with the 19th to the north. It has had a Republican state attorney for decades. Donald Trump carried Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties and almost carried St. Lucie.
In addition, the committee could suggest combining Democratic-leaning Hillsborough with Republican-leaning counties to the south or east. Democratic-leaning Orange and Osceola could go with Republican-heavy areas to the north.
Even if combining the 15th and 19th circuits brought some savings, doing so would create far more problems in trying to dispense justice in an area from north of Lake Okeechobee to Boca Raton. It would mean longer drives to courthouses and less public access to the courts. It would mean trying to seat juries from a much different pool.
Critics also note that the Legislature just created a sixth appellate court that even some members of the committee that studied the idea considered unnecessary. The new circuit means millions more for a new courthouse and operating budget.
I’ll have more when the committee releases its report.
Delray to discuss Festival of the Arts
Another week, another discussion of a big public event in Delray Beach.
Last week, it was Delray Affair. At today’s city commission meeting, the topic is Delray Beach Festival of The Arts.
Organizers have staged the event in the city for 34 years. Traditionally, it has required closing Atlantic Avenue between Swinton Avenue and Northeast Fifth Avenue.
Recently, however, the commission has tried to steer events away from that area. The police and fire departments say they have trouble getting to the barrier island. Commissioners also want bridges to stay open to traffic during public events.
So organizers have proposed that next year’s festival, scheduled for Jan. 13-14, take place on the five blocks west of Swinton. That would mean closing Atlantic Avenue in front of the police station, though the adjacent south county courthouse is closed on the weekend.
A new Delray fire station
Speaking of the Delray Beach Fire Department, the commission today likely will approve a request to the state for a $7.5 million resiliency grant toward the cost of a new station on the barrier island.
According to the staff report, the station will cost $15 million and be roughly 25 percent larger than the current facility on Andrews Avenue. It will be built to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds.
Delray Beach still lacks a permanent, resilient emergency operations center. This year, the commission renewed its deal for space at the Fairfield Inn on West Atlantic Avenue.
FAU basketball team receives prestigious invitation
Further evidence came last week of Florida Atlantic University’s higher basketball profile.
After reaching the Final Four last season, the Owls’ men’s team has received an invitation to the prestigious Jimmy V Classic tournament in Madison Square Garden. It is named for Jim Valvano, who won a national championship at North Carolina State in 1983 and died of cancer 10 years later. The event is a fundraiser for the Jimmy V Foundation, which supports cancer research.
FAU will play Illinois on Dec. 5. The other game will match Connecticut and North Carolina, which have won a combined 11 national championships. Before last season, FAU wouldn’t have had a sniff at such a tournament. For 2023-24, the Owls are in the top 10 of most preseason rankings.
Brightline issue nears resolution
Brightline may be close to resolving an issue that had posed problems for service between South Florida and Orlando.
According to news reports, the company and the Florida East Coast Railway—which owns the tracks—are pleased with a different schedule by the Coast Guard for opening and closing a bridge in Martin County.
The Coast Guard had been trying to balance the interests of rail operators and the marine industry. Brightline had disliked the first version. All parties seem satisfied with the second.
Bob Rollins inducted into Florida Youth Soccer Association Hall of Fame
Bob Rollins, who has served on the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Parks District for nearly 30 years, has been inducted into the Florida Youth Soccer Association Hall of Fame.
From coaching his son’s team four decades ago, Rollins went on to become president of the Soccer Association of Boca Raton. The induction took place on Aug. 5, during the association’s annual meeting in Orlando.
Delray developer Carl DeSantis dies
Carl DeSantis, the original developer of Atlantic Crossing in Delray Beach, died Friday at 84.
DeSantis—no relation to the governor—started the supplement company Rexall Sundown. A Dutch company bought Rexall Sundown in 2003. Three years later, DeSantis started Delray Beach-based CDS Holdings. Forbes estimated his net worth to be $3.6 billion.
The city commission approved Atlantic Crossing, on the two blocks west of Veterans Park, in 2014. Two years later, DeSantis sold his interest to The Edwards Companies of Ohio. The first phase is nearly open. The second phase is scheduled for completion in 2027.
