TAMPA, Fla. — Right now, a statewide committee is working to figure out if Florida's circuit court system would run better if some courts were combined.
Following a series of public meetings, surveys, and hearings—the Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee (JCAC) held what was supposed to be its last public discussion on this topic on Friday, October 13.
After that, the group had planned to keep meeting in private before issuing a recommendation to the State Supreme Court on December 1.
That was until the State Attorney's office in Hillsborough County wrote a letter to the Florida Attorney General's Office. It questioned if the committee could legally do that under state law.
Sao Letter to Ag by ABC Action News on Scribd
"We thought because it hadn't been done in over 50 years, in fact, I think we've had ten governors since the last time the circuit boundaries were redrawn, we thought it was important to at least consider should it be done in the open government way that the Florida government is structured," said the State Attorney's Chief of Staff, Gary Weisman.
Tuesday, the Office of the State Courts Administrator responded, saying that the committee will now hold the rest of its meetings in public.
Related Article: Statewide committee looking into combining courts across Florida
The letter also claims that the committee chooses to make this change independently and not because it has to under Florida law.
Jcac Response by ABC Action News on Scribd
Either way, it's transparency that Weisman said the state attorney's office is welcoming.
Related Article: Statewide committee holds final hearing on proposed court consolidation
"This is how we should debate issues. I understand their position, they understand our position, but at the end of the day, who wins here is the citizens of Florida and the citizens of Hillsborough County," he said.
The committee will hold its next public meeting on November 3.
