IN
THE COUNTY COURT, SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. PI-CTY-98-05
RE: TRANSFERS FROM
TRAFFIC SECTION TO CRIMINAL SECTION OF
In order to provide for the efficient operation of the criminal and traffic sections of the County Court, it is hereby
ORDERED:
1. The following traffic cases shall be transferred to the Criminal Section of the County Court:
a. All companion civil traffic infraction and criminal cases relating to the same incident.
b. All cases in which the Public Defender has been appointed for the defendant.
c. All cases in which a defendant has been charged with a criminal traffic offense and a demand for jury trial has been filed by an attorney or by the defendant.
2. All civil traffic infraction cases so transferred shall be disposed of in the Criminal Section of the County Court in a timely manner by some means other than by jury trial.
3. The appointment of the Public Defender in Advisories or
4. Upon notification of the appointment of the Public Defender to any traffic case, the Clerk will immediately forward the paperwork on that case to the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center with copies to the offices of the Public Defender and State Attorney. Paperwork is not to be held pending receipt of written pleas. The office of the Public Defender is to file written pleas of not guilty in all criminal traffic cases to which it has been appointed with the appropriate traffic facility within two weeks of appointment.
Pinellas County Court Administrative Orders 86-8, 90-16 and 91-26 are hereby
rescinded.
DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at
/s/Susan F. Schaeffer
Susan F. Schaeffer, Chief Judge
cc: All Pinellas Judges
The Honorable Bernie McCabe, State Attorney
The Honorable Robert H. Dillinger, Public Defender
The Honorable
Karleen F. DeBlaker, Clerk of Court,
H. Sandra Combee, Director, Court Services Division, Pinellas County Clerk’s Office
Kaye Thompson, Manager, Clerk’s Office, St. Petersburg Branch
J. William Lockhart, Courts Administrator
Bar Associations,