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Craig Waters: Florida’s courts lead in use of social media

in Apolitical/Top Headlines by

Long seen as the quietest branch of state government, Florida’s state courts have emerged in the last year as a national leader in social media use. In fact, we are leading the nation with 20 out of 26 court divisions using Twitter to reach the public right now. That’s an astounding number. In a report sent this week to Florida’s Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, our staff detailed the first year’s work in a state court communications plan adopted by the Florida…

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Jorge Labarga answers critics about James E.C. Perry’s ‘senior’ service

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Florida’s chief justice Friday publicly defended his decision to allow Justice James E.C. Perry to continue working on cases after his retirement. On Dec. 1, Jorge Labarga assigned Perry “senior” status for a period after his mandatory Dec. 30 retirement. News since surfaced that the Florida House of Representatives, led by Republican Speaker Richard Corcoran, was preparing a legal challenge to Perry’s continued work, saying, among other things, Perry was an unconstitutional “eighth” justice on the seven-member court. “It’s in the constitution,” Labarga told reporters,…

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James E.C. Perry’s “senior service” on Supreme Court to end

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Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry‘s last day as a “senior” justice will be Tuesday, according to a court order released Monday. Chief Justice Jorge Labarga signed the latest order Jan. 11, modifying his previous order of Dec. 1. Spokesman Craig Waters previously explained that the court’s “longstanding practice for many decades has been that retiring justices remain in senior status to complete their unfinished work after retirement.” , who joined the court in 2009, stepped down Dec. 30, having reached the mandatory retirement age.…

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Bill would force case reporting requirements on Supreme Court

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A bill filed Thursday in the Florida House would force the state Supreme Court to produce a yearly report on how many cases it’s finishing with opinions. It seems to go against the court’s official Latin motto, “Sat Cito Si Recte,” translated as “Soon enough if done correctly,” or even “Justice takes time.” “The phrase indicates the importance of taking the time necessary to achieve true justice,” the court’s website says. Supreme Court spokesman Craig Waters declined comment on the…

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Blogger still irate over Justice James E.C. Perry’s continued presence at Supreme Court

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Conservative blogger Ed Whelan isn’t giving up his position that retired Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry continuing to work on pending cases “appears to be in plain violation of Florida law.” Whelan wrote on National Review Online last week that Perry was wrongly “displac(ing)” Justice C. Alan Lawson, the newest conservative jurist on the state’s high court. In the court’s defense, spokesman Craig Waters explained that the court’s “longstanding practice for many decades has been that retiring justices remain in senior status to…

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More than 30 have applied to Supreme Court for constitutional rewrite panel

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The list of applicants to Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga for a seat on the Constitution Revision Commission has now reached 32. Supreme Court spokesman Craig Waters released an updated list this week. Labarga is allotted three appointments to the commission. He is accepting applications through Dec. 31, and has said he’ll make the appointments with the advice of the other justices. The newest list is below: William Gary Beard Thomas Burnett Richard Caldwell Dick Collins Debbie Crockett Debra…

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