IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR PASCO AND PINELLAS COUNTIES, FLORIDA

 

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2004-038 PA/PI-CIR

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RE:     CIRCUIT COURT APPELLATE PROCEDURES

 

            In order to establish procedures for handling appeals to the Appellate Division of the Circuit Court, in accordance with the Sixth Judicial Circuit Local Rules, Rule 1(A)1., and in an effort to promote uniformity of appellate decisions and to enhance judicial efficiency involving appeals to the Circuit Court, it is hereby

 

            ORDERED:

 

1.      All civil and criminal appeals invoking the appellate jurisdiction of the Circuit Court

pursuant to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.030(c), including appeals from County Court, petitions to review administrative action, and all other petitions seeking extraordinary writs necessary to the complete exercise of the Circuit Court’s appellate jurisdiction, shall be heard by three-judge panels.

 

            2.  There shall be three separate three-judge panels within the Appellate Division that hear both criminal and civil appeals:

                       

a.       the North Pinellas County Appellate Panel shall consider all civil and criminal appeals assigned to the three-judge panel sitting in Clearwater;

 

b.      the South Pinellas County Appellate Panel shall consider all civil and criminal appeals assigned to the three-judge panel sitting in St. Petersburg; and,

 

c.       the Pasco County Appellate Panel shall consider all civil and criminal appeals assigned to the three-judge panel sitting in New Port Richey.

 

3.   Each three-judge appellate panel shall have a Primary Appellate Judge assigned by

the Chief Judge.  The Primary Appellate Judge shall hear all motions filed in every appeal assigned to his or her panel.

 

4.      The Clerk of Court for each county shall assign appellate cases as follows:

 

a.   the Clerk of Court for Pinellas County shall assign cases by alternating between

      the two, three-judge panels assigned to the Appellate Division, one sitting in

      Clearwater and the other in St. Petersburg.

                       

b.      the Clerk of Court for Pasco County shall assign cases to the three-judge panel assigned to the Appellate Division sitting in New Port Richey.

 

            5.  It shall be the responsibility of each party to an appellate proceeding, whether represented by counsel or pro se, to file an original and four (4) copies of each brief with the Clerk of Court.  All briefs should be securely stapled with one staple in the upper left-hand corner.

 

This Order shall take effect on July 15, 2004, and shall apply to all appeals and petitions filed on or after that date.  All civil appeals currently pending at the time this Order takes effect shall be heard by the single appellate judge already assigned to that appeal.  The current criminal appellate three-judge panels will hear both civil and criminal appeals until December 31, 2004.

 

Administrative Order No. PA/PI-CIR-00-35 is hereby rescinded.

 

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida this _____ day of July 2004.

 

                                                                        __________________________________________

 

cc:        All Judges

            The Honorable Bernie McCabe, State Attorney

            The Honorable Robert H. Dillinger, Public Defender

            The Honorable Karleen F. DeBlaker, Clerk of Court, Pinellas County

            The Honorable Jed Pittman, Clerk of Court, Pasco County

            Carol Heath, Director, Court Services Division, Pinellas County Clerk’s Office

            Gay Inskeep, Trial Courts Administrator

            Kerry L. Rice, Senior Deputy Courts Administrator, Pasco County

            DeRita Barbary, Criminal Administration

            Bar Associations, Pasco and Pinellas Counties

            Law Libraries, Pasco and Pinellas Counties