The following is a real-time transcript taken as closed captioning during the ceremonial proceedings, and as such, may contain errors. This service is provided solely for the purpose of assisting those with disabilities and should be used for no other purpose. These are not legal documents, and may not be used as legal authority. This transcript is not an official document of the Florida Supreme Court.

Article V Revision 7 Ceremony


CHIEF JUSTICE: WE ARE HAVING AN ASSEMBLY IN THE AUDITORIUM TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH ARTICLE V REVISION 7. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO FEEL LIKE A LAME JUDGE OR A LAME DUCK, BUT I APPRECIATE JUSTICE PARIENTE EXTENDING TO ME THE COURTESY OF BEING ABLE TO PRESIDE OVER THIS LAST AND, I THINK, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT CEREMONY IN MY CAREER ON THE BENCH. I HAVE GOT A SCRIPT HERE, AND I AM GOING TO TRY TO STICK TO IT PRETTY MUCH, BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE THINGS THAT ARE IN HERE BE SAID. I APOLOGIZE. INITIALLY, TO DEVIATE FROM THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I WANT TO TRY TO EXPRESS, IN MY OWN WORDS, JUST HOW SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM AND COUNTLESS OTHER HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF FLORIDIANS, HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, OVER THIS PAST, THESE PAST SIX YEARS, ESPECIALLY THESE PAST TWO YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY IN RECENT MONTHS. YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY ENTRITIES TO THE COUNTY JUDGES AND TO THE CIRCUIT JUDGES AND TO THE APPELLATE JUDGE TO SAY JOIN US IN THIS DEFENSE OF OUR TRIAL COURT SYSTEM, WAS ONE THAT SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, ORDINARILY YOUR CHIEF WOULD GET UP AND GIVE YOU THE ADMONITION TO PUT ON YOUR ROBE AND DO YOUR DARNDEST, AND THAT IS ALL THAT YOUR CHIEF WOULD ORDINARILY ASK FROM YOU, BUT WE ARE IN UNUSUAL HISTORIC TIMES. AND I HAVE GOT TO ASK SOMETHING ELSE FROM YOU, BEYOND JUST DOING YOUR JOB AS YOUR OATH COMPELS YOU TO DO. AND THAT IS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN FACED, YOU HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE RARE POSITION, REALLY, OF DOING SOMETHING THAT, ALTHOUGH THE WORK YOU DO ON THE BENCH AND ALL OF NEWS THIS ROOM KNOW IT, IN WHATEVER CAPACITY WE SERVE AS PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT, WE KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY AND IN OUR STATE. EVERY TIME WE MAKE A DECISION, IT IS A REAFFIRMATION OF THE RULE OF LAW, AS WE HAVE ADOPTED IT IN THIS COUNTRY. SO CLEARLY, WE DO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR CITIZENS' LIVES. BUT RARELY, RARELY, DO A GROUP OF HUMAN BEINGS GET TO BE PLACED IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE DEFENDING THE VERY WAY OF LIFE AND THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT THEIR PEOPLE HAVE ADOPTED. AND YOU CAN EXCUSE MY RHETORIC, BUT CLEARLY OUR FOUNDING FATHERS, PEOPLE THAT DRAFTED OUR NATIONAL AND OUR STATE CONSTITUTION, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES OR IN THE PRESENT INDICATION OF THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES, THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT CLEARLY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THAT POSITION OF DEFENDING THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF OUR SOCIETY. WELL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT, IS WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, LAST SIX YEARS, THE LAST YEAR, LAST MONTHS. THAT IS YOU HAVE BEEN PROTECTING OUR FUNDAMENTAL WAY OF DOING BUSINESS AND LIVING LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY, AS OUR FOUNDING FATHERS SET OUT IN OUR CONSTITUTION, ABOUT THREE COEQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, WITH CHECKS AND BALANCES UNDER THE RULE OF LAW. AND YOU HAVE DONE THIS EXTREMELY WELL. BECAUSE I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, AS I STAND HERE, ON THE CRITICAL DATE OF JULY 1, 2004, BECAUSE OF WHAT ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE, THE FLORIDA COURT SYSTEM, THE FINEST IN THIS COUNTRY, IS INTACT, AND I WANT YOU TO GIVE EACH OTHER A LOUD ROUND OF APPLAUSE IN RECOGNITION FOR WHAT ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE. [APPLAUSE] ENATTRIBUTEIES SIX YEARS AGO, THE FLORIDA PEOPLE PUT ON CONSTITUTION THAT PROVIDED FOR FUNDING THE STATE'S TRIAL COURTS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT HAS BEEN OUR TRIAL COURT'S GREATEST CHALLENGE SINCE EARLY HISTORY, WHEN OUR MODERN TRIAL COURT SYSTEM WAS CREATED. OF COURSE I AM REFERRING TO WHAT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS REVISION 7 OF ARTICLE V OF THE CONSTITUTION. NOT ONLY DID REVISION 7 CHALLENGE US, BUT IT ALSO CREATED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AND AS I VISITED WITH ASSEMBLED LEADERS AND JUDGES EARLY ON, AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT OUR APPROACH WOULD BE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT, WELL, WE COULD WRING OUR HANDS AND, OF COURSE, JULY 1, 2004, WAS GOING TO COME, NO MATTER WHAT, AND WE COULD JUST WRING OUR HANDS AND LET THE PROCESS OCCUR, OR WE COULD SEE IT, ALSO, AS AN OPPORTUNITY FIRST OF ALL, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SELF-RESPONSIBILITY AND RETROSPECTION, AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, REALLY, OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, THE DAY AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS IN WHICH THIS REVISION WAS PASSED. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, CLEARLY THE INTENT WAS TO ENSURE THAT ALL FLORIDIANS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME QUALITY COURT SERVICES, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY LIVED. YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK MANY TIMES, ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATES IN THE COMMISSION, THAT GAVE RISE TO THIS PROPOSITION, AND ESPECIALLY THE WORK OF FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE ALAN SUNDBERG. HE HAD FELT, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MODERN COURT SYSTEM THAT, THE STATE SHOULD BE CHIEFLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS FUNDING, THAT YOU COULDN'T HAVE A STATE AND A UNIFORM COURT SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WITHOUT THAT FUNDING, AND THAT OVER THE SOME 30 YEARS THAT HAD PASSED IN THE INTERIM, THAT HE HAD BECOME, ALONG WITH OTHER LEADERS IN OUR STATE, GREATLY CONCERNED THAT WE HAD GIVEN RISE TO A TWO-CLASS SYSTEM, ONE CLASS WHERE THE URBAN COUNTIES, WITH A HIGH TAX BASE, WERE ABLE TO AFFORD ALL OF THE MODERN AMENITIES THAT GO WITH A PROGRESSIVE COURT SYSTEM, BUT THEN A SECOND CLASS SYSTEM THAT HAD COME TO PASS IN THE POORER AREAS OF THE STATE THAT RELY I HAD ON ESSENTIALLY AN AGRICULTURAL TAX BASE, AND WHERE THOSE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS COULD BARELY AFFORD TO FIX THE POTHOLES IN THE ROAD. WELL, TODAY I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, ON THIS DAY OF JULY 1, 2004, WE ONLY HAVE ONE UNIFORM, HIGH-QUALITY CLASS, AND I THINK WE SHOULD APPLAUD THAT FACT, TOO, TODAY, BECAUSE IT IS HISTORIC. [APPLAUSE] OF COURSE WE COULDN'T HAVE ACHIEVED THAT MILESTONE ON OUR OWN, AND THERE ISN'T ANY DOUBT OR QUESTION ABOUT THAT, AND ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS TO SEE DURING THIS COURSE OF ACTION, HAS BEEN TO SEE THAT LEADERS, RESPONSIBLE PERSONS FROM AROUND THIS STATE IN EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY, AS JUSTICE BELL ALWAYS SAYS, FROM PENSACOLA TO KEY WEST, FLORIDA, PEOPLE HAVE RISEN TO THE OCCASION, AND WHETHER IT HAS BEEN HEROIC LEGISLATORS OR BUSINESS LEADERS OR JUST CITIZENS THAT WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITORS OR COURT ADMINISTRATORS OR FORMER JUSTICES OF THIS COURT, WE HAVE HAD THE COLLECTIVE AID OF OUR CITIZENRY, IN DEFENDING FLORIDA'S RULE OF LAW, FLORIDA'S COURT SYSTEM. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOME OF THOSE WHO HAVE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN ARTICLE V FUNDING ISSUES. AND, AGAIN, AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR ME, ARE THE JUDGES OF FLORIDA. I INDICATED IN THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, HOW ORDINARILY WE JUST CALL ON OUR JUDGES TO PUT ON THEIR ROBES AND GO AND DO THE VERY BEST THAT THEY CAN, BUT IF YOU REFLECT ON THIS, I THINK THAT YOU WILL FIND, THAT THIS HAS BEEN THEIR FINEST HOUR. IT IS TRULY IN MY LIFE TIME, AT LEAST, THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO RISE IN DEFENSE OF THE ENTIRE BRANCH AND THE ENTIRE TRIAL COURT SYSTEM, AND INCREDIBLY THEY HAVE PUT ASIDE DIFFERENCES, WHETHER IT IS DIFFERENCES IN ISSUES BETWEEN COUNTY JUDGES AND CIRCUIT JUDGES, OR DIFFERENCES IN ISSUES THAT ARISE BETWEEN APPELLATE JUDGES OR THE SUPREME COURT AND TRIAL JUDGES, OR DIFFERENCES WITHIN THEIR OWN RANKS, GEOGRAPHICALLY AROUND THE STATE, WHERE, IN THE PAST FROM TIME TO TIME, WE HAVE HAD ONE GEOGRAPHIC AREA SAY, WELL, ISN'T IT MY TIME TO HIT THE JACKPOT, BECAUSE I HAVE GOT THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OR THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE UP THERE TO ADVOCATE FOR ME. NO, THIS TIME, REALIZING THE GREAT RISK AND CHALLENGE TO THE ENTIRE BRANCH AND OUR ENTIRE TRIAL COURT SYSTEM, THEY PUT ASIDE ALL OF THOSE ISSUES, AND THEY APPROACHED THIS ISSUE WITH GREAT PASSION AND WITH UNITY, AND THAT IS ALSO AN HISTORIC FIRST FOR OUR STATE, AND BY GOSH, IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, AND I KNOW MY SUCCESSOR HAS ALREADY FOCUSED ON THIS, THIS IS THE WAY THAT IT WILL REMAIN. WE HAVE SEEN THE STRENGTH OF WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER. THERE ARE OTHERS, AND RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, WAS A TASK FORCE, INITIALLY CHARGED, AS I SAY, THE DAY AFTER REVISION 7 WAS PASSED. IT IS A TASK FORCE THAT WAS COMPOSED OF COUNTY, CIRCUIT JUDGES, AND COURT ADMINISTRATORS, AND, LATER, IT WAS GIVEN THE FORMAL STATUS OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION. AND, REALLY, THIS COMMISSION IS THE ONE THAT GRABBED THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND TOOK THE LEAD IN LEADING US ON A PATH THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION AND A BUDGET, PURSUANT TO REVISION 7, AND AT THIS TIME, IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT ALL OF YOU ON THAT BUDGET COMMISSION, ARE STILL STANDING AND STILL HAVE THE ENERGY TO COME INTO THIS ROOM TODAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE SERVING OR HAVE SERVED ON THE TASK FORCE OR THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY, TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED BY THE REST OF US. WOULD YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANOTHER IMPORTANT GROUP TO THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE AND TO THE WORK OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, WAS A COMMISSION THAT WE CREATED ON TRIAL COURT PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS CHALLENGE, OUR RESPONSE WAS, WE WANT TO BE MUCH MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO OURSELVES THAN ANYBODY FROM THE OUTSIDE COULD EVER CHALLENGE US, AND THAT IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WE PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC OR TO THE LEGISLATURE, WE WANT TO BE CERTAIN AT ALL TIMES THAT WE PREVAIL ON THE MERITS OF AN ISSUE. IF WE CAN'T DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE COURT SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE ON THE MERITS, THEN WE SHOULDN'T HAVE IT. AND THIS COMMISSION ON TRIAL COURT PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY WENT TO WORK, DOING THE HARD WORK, WITH REFERENCE TO STANDARDS OF CASELOADS AND ISSUES LIKE THIS, EVERY ASPECT OF THE FUNDING OF THE TRIAL COURTS, AND I WOULD LIKE ANY PAST OR PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON TRIAL COURT PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT ARE HERE TODAY, TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. [APPLAUSE] I SPOKE OF UNITY AND PASSION, AND HERE THE COUNTY COURT JUDGES AND THE DCA JUDGES AND THE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES, ARE THE ONES THAT TALK ABOUT THAT IS WHERE THE ACTION IS. THAT IS WHERE THE JUDGES REALLY COME TOGETHER AND REALLY DISCUSS THESE ISSUES, AND WE HAVE HAD INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP FROM THE CHAIRS AND THE MEMBERSHIP, OF THOSE CONFERENCES. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ANSWERED MY CALL FOR UNITY, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY DID AT THIS TIME, BY ASKING ANY PAST OR PRESENT CHAIRS OF THOSE CONFERENCES TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. [APPLAUSE] OUR WHOLE GAMEPLAN, WHEN IT CAME TO THIS ISSUE AND LET IT CIRCULATE THROUGH THE LOCAL LEVEL AND ON UP, AND THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT IS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE IMPORTANCE AND CREDIBILITY WITH REFERENCE TO PERFORMANCE AND NEEDS OF THE COURT SYSTEM, WOULD COME FROM OUR CHIEF JUDGE ANSWER OUR TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS, AND THEY HAVE PERFORMED HEROICALLY, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AS WELL AS ANSWERING THE CALL WHEN JUDGE SCHAEFFER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, CALLED THEM TO ACTION, EITHER LOCALRY OR HERE IN TALLAHASSEE. ARE THERE ANY CHIEF JUDGES OR TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE PRESENT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO STAND AND PLEASE BE RECOGNIZED. [APPLAUSE] YOU CAN SEE THAT JUDGE SCHAEFFER KEEPS GETTING UP AND DOWN, BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD A LIFETIME DURING THIS CYCLE. SHE HAS BEEN A CHIEF JUDGE AND A REGULAR JUDGE AND CHAIR OF THE TRIAL COURT AND JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE GETTING UP, EVERY TIME I CALL A GROUP HERE. WE HAVE TO, ALSO, RECOGNIZE AND HERE I AM, ESPECIALLY INDEBTED TO AND PLEASED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF. THE GOVERNOR HAS A VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT TRIES TO LOOK OUT FOR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AND, OF COURSE, SOMETIMES I FEEL THEY LOOK OUT FOR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH A LITTLE TOO WELL, WITH REFERENCE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, I FELT THAT THIS, AGAIN, WAS AN OUTSTANDING TWO YEARS, IN TERMS OF THE OPEN RELATIONSHIP, NOT ONLY BETWEEN STAFFS BUT, ALSO, BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND I. WE MAY HAVE DISAGREED AT TIMES, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS OPEN TO LISTENING, AND I THINK THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT AND THAT WAS, ALSO, AN OPEN THING IN ONE PARTICULAR AREA THAT, REALLY, GOT ADDRESSED BY THE LEGISLATURE, AND THIS AREA OF SERVING, YOU KNOW, THE POOR OR RURAL COUNTIES. NEVERTHELESS, WITHOUT THAT BASE BUDGET RECOMMENDED BY THE GOVERNOR, WHO KNOWS WHERE WE WOULD BE TODAY, SO IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF THAT HAVE HONORED US WITH THEIR PRESENCE TODAY, I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. [APPLAUSE] INDEBTED TO HIM INDEBTED TO I AM INDEBTED TO YOU TALK ABOUT PASSION. THERE WERE MEMBERS OF BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT RECOGNIZED FROM THE OUTSET, THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE, AND THEY MADE IT A PRIORITY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN WE STARTED OUR TWO-YEAR APPROACH OF FIRST HAVING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS OF THE TRIAL COURTS, AND, WHEN CRUNCH TIME CAME WITH REFERENCE TO ACTUALLY HAVING A BUDGET FULFILLED, THOSE IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS. SO I WOULD LIKE, AT THIS TIME, AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU DON'T GET THE BUCKS, YOU DON'T OPEN YOUR DOORS AND YOU DON'T PERFORM THE SERVICES, SO I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT HONOR US WITH THEIR PRESENCE TODAY, TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR HEROIC SERVICES TO THE THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. [APPLAUSE] ONE OTHER GROUP THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, IS OUR PARTNERS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE STATE ATTORNEYS AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS. ARE ANY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS ASSOCIATION OR THE STATE PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION, PRESENT? WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND. [APPLAUSE] ONE OF THE DISTRESSING THINGS TO ME ABOUT THE WAY THE BUDGET WORKS IS THAT WE HAVE THESE SUBJECT MATTER AREAS, WHERE SUBCOMMITTEES ON THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, ARE FUNDED, IN A LUMP SUM, AND WHAT THAT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF, IS THAT THEN THERE HAS TO BE A DEBATE WITHIN THOSE GROUPS, ABOUT WHO IS GOING TO GET HOW MUCH OR WHATEVER. THAT IS NOT A CONSTRUCTIVE SYSTEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE ISSUE HAS TO BE ADDRESSED, WHEN THAT BASIC ALLOCATION IS MADE TO BEGIN WITH. AND I PLEDGE TO YOU, THAT ON BEHALF OF MY COURT, THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO APPROACH THIS. I HAVE SPOKEN A NUMBER OF TIMES, ABOUT WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A SERIOUS FAILING OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND THAT IS THE SALARIES OF THE INCOMING STATE ATTORNEYS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS. I THINK IT IS A DISGRACE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE THAT COME OUT OF LAW SCHOOL WITH HUGE DEBTS, HAVE COMMITTED SEVEN YEARS OF THEIR LIVES, AND THEN THEY CHOOSE, VOLUNTARILY, TO DO PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THEY ARE REWARDED WITH SALARIES THAT A TEACHERS UNION OR FIRE FIGHTERS UNION OR WHATEVER, WOULD REJECT OUT OF HAND, AND SO YOU ALL DO WONDERFUL WORK, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH YOU IN FIGHTING THE BATTLE TO SEE THAT THOSE SALARIES ARE BROUGHT UP TO A DIGNIFIED LABEL, SO WE DON'T LOSE THOSE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE PUBLIC SERVANTS IN THIS STATE. OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS, AND THE DISTRESS IN IDENTIFYING AS I HAVE, THAT SOMEBODY WALK AWAY AND SAY, THAT SON OF A GUN, HE NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT US, OR WHATEVER, AND I APOLOGIZE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS WORK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE, WITHOUT, AS I SAID, HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT, AGAIN, TO EXPRESS,AND THAT IS ON A PERSONAL AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, EXPRESS MY THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE THAT WORK IN OSCA, THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COURTS ADMINISTRATOR, AND YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT DO THE FUNDAMENTAL WORK, AND WHETHER IT IS GOING AND HAVING TO WAIT FOR HOURS AND HOURS AT A SUBCOMMITTEE OR COMMITTEE MEGAN THEN NEVER GETTING CALLED ON TO GIVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO PREPARE, OR WHETHER IT IS STAYING UP, VIRTUALLY 24 HOURS A DAY, THESE ARE THE CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN, REALLY, THE BACKUP, THE PROVIDER OF INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING, SO THAT JUDGE SCHAEFFER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, COULD BE WELL-ARMED, AND, ALSO, THAT THEY COULD REACT TO AND TURN AROUND AN ISSUE IN A HURRY, IN TERMS OF GETTING THE PROPER INFORMATION. SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT LET'S PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER, FOR ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORKED SO TIRELESSLY IN THE STATE COURT ADMINISTRATORS OFFICE. [APPLAUSE] SOMEBODY THAT IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT THAT I KNOW WOULD BE LOOKING DOWN AND SMILING, THAT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT JULY 1, 2004, WOULD BE FORMER STATE COURTS ADMINISTRATOR KEN PALMER. NOBODY, NOBODY WORKED HARDER OR HAD A GREATER PASSION, OR HAD SET OUT TO BE CERTAIN THAT THIS BRANCH WAS DEFENDED, THAN KEN PALMER, AND WE LOST HIM, OF COURSE TRAGICALLY TO CANCER, BUT IT WAS HIS BASIC WORK TO BEGIN WITH, SUCH AS TRAVELING THE COUNTRY WITH MEMBERS OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, LOOKING AT HOW THEY DID IT IN OTHER STATES, WHEN THEY FACED THE ISSUE OF TRANSITION FROM LOCAL TO STATE FUNDING. IT WAS, REALLY, HIS FUNDAMENTAL WORK, IN DOING ALL THAT, THAT FORMED THE FRAMEWORK OF HOW WE ENDED UP RECOMMENDING WHAT THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD DO, IN ORDER TO CARRY THIS FORWARD. I MENTIONED CHIEF JUSTICE SUNDBERG, WHO SIMILARLY WAS LOST, TWO OUTSTANDING LEADERS OF OUR STATE THAT WERE LOST AT A YOUNG AGE. LET'S NOT FORGET THEM IN OUR PRAYERS AND IN OUR THOUGHTS. LASTLY, AND I AM ABOUT TO SIT DOWN. I KNOW, THANKFULLY TO EVERYBODY HERE, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF LISA GOODNER, WHO IS OUR CURRENT STATE COURTS ADMINISTRATOR. YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PERSONS THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN A HEROIC FIGURE IN THE STATE COURT SYSTEM, WORKING WITH KEN PALMER AND OTHERS. BUT I HAVE TO SAY, UNDER THE THREAT, UNDER THE THREAT THAT THE SYSTEM FACED, THAT LISA GOODNER BLOSSOMED OUT AND INTO THE LEADER THAT SHE IS TODAY, AND I KNOW EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, EVERY CITIZEN OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, OWES A GREAT DEBT TO LISA GOODNER, FOR HOLDING IT ALL TOGETHER DURING THESE YEARS. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO RECOGNIZE LISA GOODNER, A SHE APPROACHES THE PODIUM FOR HER OWN COMMENTS. LIZA. [APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU, JUSTICE ANSTEAD AND TO ALL OF THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, I HAVE BEEN STATE COURT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ONE WHOLE YEAR TODAY. I MADE IT. I DON'T BELIEVE IT, PARTICULARLY WITH THE YEAR WE HAVE HAD. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR ME, AND IT HAS BEEN AN EVEN GREATER HONOR TO BE THE LEADER OF THE OSCA STAFF. THEY ARE AN EXCELLENT GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, AND I COULD NOT BE MORE CAPABLY BLESSED WITH THESE PEOPLE. IT HAS ALSO BEEN VERY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR ALL OF US. I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT HAS GONE INTO REVISION 7 IMPLEMENTATION BY OSCA STAFF THIS YEAR, AND IT DIDN'T JUST BEGIN THIS YEAR. OSCA HAS LENT SUPPORT TO ADDRESSING THE FUNDING OF THE TRIAL COURTS, AS LONG AS IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE PARTICULARLY SINCE THE 1990s. IN 1991, THE FLORIDA COUNCIL WITH STAFF ASSISTANCE, ISSUED A REPORT WITH ARTICLE V COSTS AND PROPOSALS AND ADVANCING COSTS FOR FUNDING BY THE STATE. OSCA STAFF IN THE '90s, WORKED ON THE UNIFORM ACCOUNTS, THE DREADED THING THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, AND ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE OSCA TRUST FUND, TO HELP COUNTIES FOR THEIR COURT EXPENDITURES. IN 1997, OSCA STAFF HELPED THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION COMMISSION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY. SINCE THEN, THE ARTICLE V STEERING COMMITTEE CREATED BY THEN CHIEF JUSTICE HARDING. WE HAVE STAFFED THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION APPOINTED BY CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS SINCE IT WAS FIRST CREATED IN 2000 AND ALSO STAFFED THE TRIAL COUNTS ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION SINCE IT WAS FIRST APPOINTED. ALONG THE WAY THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OTHER COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES, WORK GROUPS APPOINTED TO STUDY ARTICLE V FUNDING, AND WE HAVE SERVED THOSE COMMITTEES, WORKED FOR THOSE COMMITTEES AND CONTRIBUTED TO THOSE COMMITTEES, AND OF COURSE ONCE A YEAR THERE IS A LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT WE HAVE TO ATTEND TO. SINCE THE AMENDMENT PASSED, WE HAVE HELPED THESE VARIOUS COMMITTEES WITH DEVELOPING A CONSENSUS DEFINITION OF WHAT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR THE STATE TO FUND, DEVELOPING A CONSENSUS DEFINITION OF WHAT THE LEVEL OF FUNDING OUGHT TO BE, HELPING TO EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR THAT FUNDING, AND ASSISTING WITH SETING IN PLACE A NEW GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE THAT PLACES NEW AND SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRIAL COURT BUDGETING IN THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION. OUR WORK HAS RANGED FROM RESEARCHING ISSUES TO PREPARING DOCUMENTS, TO PROVIDING TRAINING, TO MAKING COFFEE. JUDGE STAN MORRIS TOLD 400 CIRCUIT JUDGES LAST WEEK, AND I THANK HIM FOR DOING SO, THAT REVISION 7 HAS BASICALLY AMOUNTED TO A SECOND FULL-TIME JOB FOR OSCA STAFF, AND HE REALLY WAS NOT FAR FROM THE TRUTH WHEN HE SAID THAT. SUCH A STATEMENT INVITES THE QUESTION, WHY HAVE PEOPLE PUT SO MUCH ENERGY INTO THIS AMOUNT OF WORK? IT IS NOT A VERY GLORIOUS ISSUE AND IS VERY COMPLICATED. ALL OF US WORKING ON IT JUST CAUGHT THE FEVER AT SOME POINT, RECOGNIZING THAT THIS WAS AN ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE COURTS AND THEREFORE SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE STATE, IN A VERY DRAMATIC WAY. I BELIEVE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IN THE COMMITMENT OF OSCA STAFF TO THIS PROJECT, IS PUBLIC SERVICE AT ITS BEST. THE TITLE OF MY COMMENTARY IN YOUR PROGRAM TODAY IS "VIEW FROM THE WHEELHOUSE", THE TITLE TAKEN BY AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY TWO VERY FINE OSCA EMPLOYEES, STEVE HENLEY AND JOE SURE, I AM SURE THEY ARE HERE SOMEWHERE. IT DEALS WITH MANAGEMENT AND DEPENDABILITY OF THE COURTS. I AM NOT HERE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS TODAY. YOU HAVE IT, IF YOU WANT TO READ IT AND HAVEN'T ALREADY, BUT IT VIEWS HOW WE WORK WITH AND AS STAFF WITHIN THE COURT SYSTEM. TO QUOTE WITHIN THE ARTICLE, COURT ADMINISTRATION IS NOT THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, BUT IT IS PERHAPS AN AMALGAM OF NAVIGATION, CHARTERING THE COURSE AND DIRECTING THE VESSEL AND HIRING THE CREW. MAKE NO MISTAKE WHO THE CAPTAINS ARE. OUR JOB HAS BEEN TO ASSIST THEM TO CARRY OUT THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ADMINISTER THE COURTS SO THAT JUSTICE IN FLORIDA CAN BE EFFECTIVE, FAIR, RESPONSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT HAS GIVEN US A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP NAVIGATE TOWARDS THAT VISION. VIRTUALLY EVERY EMPLOYEE IN OSCA HAS PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS PROCESS, AND WHILE WE ARE COMMEMORATING A BEGINNING AND NOT AN END, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM ALL, RECOGNIZING THEIR HARD WORK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM ALL TO STAND. WITH THE RISK OF LEAVING SOMEONE OUT, WHICH YOU ALWAYS HATE TO DO, I JUST CAN'T STAND HERE TODAY WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN THE MOST INVOLVED AND WHOSE TALENTS AND DEDICATION HAVE BEEN SO CRITICAL TO OUR OVERALL SUCCESS. DESERVING SPECIAL RECOGNITION TODAY ARE PEGGY HORVATH, CHARLOTTE JARRETT, JOE SURE, CHRIS SLEIGHTON, GREG PEPPER, LORI RUSH, DOROTHY BURKE, STEVE HENLEY AND PATTY HARRIS AND ALSO THE FINE SUPPORT OF SUE BRUCE, SHARON BOSELY AND PEGGY HOUSE. AND ALSO MS.^BERANEK, A DEPUTY COURT ADMINISTRATOR HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND WHOSE ADMINISTRATION IS IMPORTANT TO THE BRANCH. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OTHER STAFF WHO ARE HERE AND WHO, LIKE OSCA, HAVE CONTRIBUTE THE GREATLY TO IMPLEMENTING THIS AMENDMENT. THERE ARE SEVERAL TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS HERE. TERESA WESTERFIELD, MIKE BRIDENBACK, CAROL ORTMAN. I SAW KAREN JEFFRIES COME IN. DID I MISS ANYBODY? GRANT SLATE IS SITTING BACK THERE. THEY HAVE SHARED WITH OSCA THE TASK OF CHARTING THE COURSE FOR REVISION 7 AND ALSO HAVE HAD THE VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE FOR {CHARINGT} THE COURSE FOR TRANSITION IN EACH OF THEIR CIRCUITS. THE REAL DIFFICULT WORK OF IMPLEMENTATION THAT BEGINS TODAY, RESTS LARGELY ON THEIR SHOULDERS, AND I KNOW THEY ARE VERY WELL UP TO THE TASK, SO WE WORKED HARD, AND WE HAVE HAD THE EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGE OF SERVING WHAT I KNOW TO BE SOME OF THE FINEST JUDGES IN THE WORLD. TO THE JUDGES AND THE JUSTICES HERE TODAY, THANK FOR YOU YOUR CONFIDENCE IN US. YOU HAVE CHALLENGED US TO BE THE BEST. YOU HAVE ENCOURAGED US DURING HARD TIMES. YOU HAVE CRITICIZED WHEN IT WAS NEEDED AND YOU HAVE PRAISED PROFUSELY, WHEN YOU FELT IT WAS DUE. WE BEGAN OUR WORK TO HELP IMPLEMENT THIS AMENDMENT UNDER THE VISION OF JUSTICE HARDING, HELPED SHAPE IT UNDER THE STRONG LEADERSHIP OF JUSTICE WELLS AND TOOK PUBLIC WITH ITS BEST PROMOTER AND BEST CHEER LEDER, JUSTICE ANSTEAD. TO THE TRIAL JUDGES, OUR PROMOTION HAS BEEN WONDERFULLY ENHANCED BY THE CAM ADDRY WE HAVE COME TO SHARE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND FINALLY A SPECIAL WORD ABOUT JUDGE SCHAEFFER. JUDGE SCHAEFFER, I KNOW THAT YOU WILL TALK ABOUT YOUR A TEAM, SO I WON'T DO, IT BUT I DO WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM THAT NOT ONLY HER A TEAM BUT EVERYBODY IN THE ENTIRE BRANCH OWES HER AN ENORMOUS DEBT. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT I COULD HAVE WORKED WITH A MORE EFFECTIVE LEADER THAN SUSAN SCHAEFFER, AND FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE JUDGE SCHAEFFER, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS A PARTICULAR BADGE OF OSCA HONOR TO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY WITHSTOOD ONE OF YOUR RELENTLESS INQUISITIONS AND THEN TO RECEIVE HIGH PRAISE FOR A JOB WELL DONE. YOU ARE WELL PLACED, AND WE ARE BETTER PEOPLE FOR IT. NOW, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE NEXT SPEAKER, BELVIN PERRY, CHIEF JUDGE OF THE NINTH CIRCUIT, TCBC MEMBER AND CHAIR OF THE REVISION COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE, ESTABLISHED BY CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD, TO HEAD A COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORT STATEWIDE, TO EDUCATE POLICYMAKERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE OF REVISION 7 AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITIES. JUDGE PERRY DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF CHAIRING THAT COMMITTEE, AND HE IS HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR WORK. THANK YOU.

CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD AND MEMBERS OF THE COURT, THIS IS TRULY, TRULY A GREAT DAY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. PLAYWRIGHT GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, ONCE SAID, YOU SEE THINGS AND YOU SAY WHY, BUT I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE, AND I SAY WHY NOT. AS YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS AGO, THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT STATE, PASSED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, PLACING GREATER RESPONSIBILITY ON THE STATE TO FUND THE COURT SYSTEM. MANY THOUGHT THAT THE STATE WOULD NEVER FUND AN ADEQUATE FOUNDATION FOR THE COURTS. RUMORS OF COURTHOUSE CLOSINGS BECAME THE TALK OF THE DAY. RUMORS OF MASS LAYOFFS AND CRITICAL COURT SERVICES ENDING BECAUSE OF FUND CUTTING, BECAME COMMONPLACE DISCUSSIONS. BUT AS YOU NOW KNOW, COURTHOUSES WILL REMAIN OPEN, AND SERVICES THAT WE ARE SO PROUD OF, AND SO CRITICAL TO OUR CITIZENS, WILL CONTINUE, BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IS THAT, WITHOUT THE VISION AND LEADERSHIP OF PEOPLE WHO SAW THINGS THE WAY THEY COULD BE, COURTHOUSES COULD HAVE ACTUALLY CLOSED, AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES COULD HAVE ENDED. INSTEAD, BECAUSE OF THE GREAT VISION OF LEADERS LIKE CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, SUCH AS ARTHUR SIMMONS OF THE ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES, JOHN SCHEBER OF THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, RICK McALLISTER OF THE FLORIDA RETAIL FEDERATION, PATRICK ROBERTS WITH THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS, BUDDY THURMAN AND JENNIFER GREEN OF THE FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, RICH TURNER WITH THE FLORIDA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND DOMINICK COLLABRO, THE FLORIDA TAX WATCH, AND, OF COURSE, MANY, MANY MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA BAR, WE ARE HERE TODAY, INSTEAD, TO CELEBRATE AND COMMEMORATE REVISION 7 IN THIS GREAT DAY. AS YOU KNOW, I SERVED AS THE CHAIR OF THE REVISION 7 COMMUNICATION AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE'S GOAL WAS TO LEAD A CONSISTENT STATEWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORT TO EDUCATE OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM PARTNERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC, ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE OF REVISION 7 AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FLORIDA TRIAL COURTS. THE COMMITTEE WAS DIRECTED BY CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD, TO DEVELOP A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION. THIS BLUEPRINT WAS TO BE A SIMPLE PLAN, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EDUCATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS WERE COHESIVE AND CLEAR, AND THAT THEY WOULD STAY ON MESSAGE. AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, FIRSTHAND, THE WORK OF TRUE VISIONARIES IN ACTION. FOR INSTANCE, CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD TRAVELED THE STATE, FROM PENSACOLA TO MIAMI, AND MET WITH NUMEROUS EDITORIAL BOARDS, RESULTING IN MANY ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS PUBLISHED, STATING THE JUDICIAL BRANCH'S POSITION ON THE ISSUE. MANY CITIZENS AROUND THE STATE, WROTE LETTERS TO EDITORS, LIKE MR. JOHN ALBERTSON OF DELAND, WHO SAID IN PART IN HIS LETTER, "THE REQUIRED TIME HAS COME FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND ADEQUATELY FUND THE COURT SYSTEM. A QUALITY JUSTICE SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTAL IN A DEMOCRACY. OUR AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. ALL PEOPLE SUFFER, WHEN A COURT SYSTEM IS INADEQUATE." I SAW THE TREMENDOUS DEDICATION AND HARD WORK THE STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COURT ADMINISTRATORS OFFICE. I SAW THE OVERWHELMING PARTICIPATION OF VARIOUS CIRCUIT JUDGES AND STAFF. I SAW THE COMMITMENT AND PARTICIPATION WITHIN OUR COURT SYSTEM. I LEARNED, FIRSTHAND, THE TRUE DEFINITION OF GRASS ROOT EFFORTS. FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND TO MANY OF US, IT FELT LIKE A LIFETIME. OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON REVISION 7, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. WE TALKED AND STRATEGIZED ABOUT REVISION 7. WE CALLED, WE WROTE, WE E-MAILED OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR A STRONG AND EFFICIENT COURT SYSTEM, ALL WHILE WE WERE BUSY CONDUCTING REGULAR JUDICIAL BUSINESS. THERE WERE MANY UPS AND DOWNS ALONG THE WAY. WE TOLD EVERYONE, AND I MEAN EVERYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN, ABOUT REVISION 7 AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO MAINTAIN COURT FUNDING. IT WAS A CRITICAL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA COURTS AND COLLECTIVELY WE WORKED TOGETHER. TOGETHER WE DEVELOPED AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, KNOWN AS JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS. TOGETHER WE SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COURT FUNDING. TOGETHER WE PREPARED A STATEWIDE VIDEO, WITH A CONSISTENT AND UNIFIED MESSAGE WHICH AIRED ACROSS THE STATE. TOGETHER, WE PREPARED BROCHURES, LETTERS AND SPEECHES. TOGETHER, WE EXPLAINED THE WORK OF THE COURTS AND THE ISSUES OF REVISION 7 TO ANYONE WHO ASKED ABOUT REVISION 7, AND EVEN TO SOME WHO DIDN'T ASK. AND SOME WHO DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR. WE LEARNED, EARLY ON, THAT THE TASK AT HAND WAS MUCH GREATER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED. WITHOUT A DOUBT, REVISION 7 IS THE GREATEST ISSUE FLORIDA COURTS HAVE EVER FACED, BUT WE FACED IT TOGETHER. AS A TEAM. WE WORKED TIRELESS, TO SEE THAT THE CITIZENS OF FLORIDA HAD THE COURT SYSTEM ON JULY 1, THAT THEY HAD COME TO EXPECT, ONE THAT PROVIDED SERVICES AND PROTECTION TO FAMILY'S BUSINESSES AND OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS, WAS A UNIFIED MESSAGE THAT WORKED AT BOTH THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS. IT WORKED AS WELL IN UNION COUNTY AS IT DID IN ORANGE COUNTY. IT WAS A MESSAGE THAT WAS AS EFFECTIVE IN TAMPA, AS WAS IN TALLAHASSEE. THE MESSAGE WORKED. HOWEVER, WITHOUT THE FLORIDA BAR'S SUPPORT, WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY. JACK HARKNESS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BAR, PAUL HILL, STEVE METZ, BILL WILEY OF THE BUSINESS LAW SECTION, AND, OF COURSE, OUR PRESIDENT MILES McGRANE, DESERVE A SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA BAR WORKING FOR US, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL. WE MUST REMEMBER, IT IS THAT, THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER IN ONE GREAT EFFORT, TO SEE THAT THE COURT SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY, IS VIRTUALLY THE SAME ONE IT WAS YESTERDAY. THIS REMARKABLE PROCESS IS COMING TO A CLOSE. I AM PROUD TO HAVE HAD THE HONOR TO WORK WITH OUR LEGISLATORS, OUR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, THE FLORIDA BAR, THE GOVERNOR, AND HIS STAFF. THE JUSTICES AND THE STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF THE STATE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, AND THE JUDGES AND STAFF OF ALL OF THE CIRCUITS FROM PENSACOLA TO KEY WEST. I COMMEND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, FOR THEIR EFFORT, TO SEE THAT FLORIDA'S COURT SYSTEM MAINTAINS ITS HIGH STANDARDS AND QUALITY SERVICE. IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE WORKED WITH SO MANY HARDWORKING, DEDICATED AND CAPABLE PEOPLE. TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN OF JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS, IS A REALITY. IN CONCLUSION, BEN FRANKLIN ONCE SAID, WELL DONE IS BETTER THAN WELL SAID. IT IS WELL DONE, FOLKS. TODAY, ON JULY 1, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 8 A.M., THE COURTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA OPENED, AND PEOPLE WALKED IN, AND DID THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS, AND THEY DID NOT NOTICE A CHANGE. IT IS WELL DONE. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR PRESIDENT OF OUR FLORIDA BAR, MILES McGRANE, WHO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF MARSHALING THE FORCES OF THE FLORIDA BAR. WITHOUT MILES'S HELP AND THE FLORIDA BAR PRESIDENTS PRECEDING HIM, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. MR. McGRANE. [APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU, MR. CHIEF JUSTICE, MEMBERS OF THE BAR, MEMBERS OF THE COURT AND SPECIAL GUESTS. I AM HERE TODAY TO SPEAK TO THE MONUMENTAL HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA COURT SYSTEM AND I AM PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A SMALL PART OF HISTORY IN THE MAKING. AS JUSTICE ANSTEAD THANKED JUSTICE PARIENTE FOR GIVING HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU, FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I APPRECIATE IT, KELLY. TO CORRECT EVERYONE, I AM THE PAST PRESIDENT AND I SAY THAT WITH GREAT AFFECTION. I AM SURE KELLY WILL PICK UP THE MANTEL AND CONTINUE NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS FIGHT ISN'T OVER. JUSTICE ANSTEAD, WHEN YOU BECAME CHIEF, YOU IMMEDIATELY PRIORITIZED REVISION 7. YOU PERSONALLY CALLED ON THE LAWYERS OF FLORIDA AS THE FRONT LINE GUARDIANS OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO COME TO THE DEFENSE OF FLORIDA'S JUSTICE SYSTEM. YOU ASKED US TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND OUR CLIENTS, ABOUT THE ISSUES. YOU ASKED US TO ASSIST OUR LOCAL CHIEF JUDGE, THE JUDGES, TO MAINTAIN THIS COUNTRY'S FINEST AND MOST EFFICIENT TRIAL COURT SYSTEM. IN YOUR WISDOM, YOU POINTED OUT TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE BAR THAT OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED TO HEAR FIRSTHAND, FROM THOSE MOST FAMILIAR WITH THE IMPORTANT WORK BEING DONE BY THE FLORIDA'S TRIAL JUDGES. YOU REMINDED US WHY IT WAS CRUCIAL FOR US, AS OFFICERS OF THE COURT, AND CARETAKERS OF FLORIDA'S JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO MAKE SURE OUR VOICES WERE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE LAWYERS OF FLORIDA ACCEPTED YOUR CHALLENGE, EMBRACED YOUR CHALLENGE AND MADE IT THEIR OWN. A YEAR AGO, WHEN I GAVE MY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AS PRESIDENT OF THE FLORIDA BAR, I TOLD THE STATE'S LAWYERS THAT THE BIGGEST ISSUE THE BAR WOULD FACE, WAS FUNDING FOR THE TRIAL COURTS. I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST A BAR LEADERSHIP ISSUE, AND I CALLED UPON EVERY LAWYER IN FLORIDA, TO JOIN WITH OUR CHIEF JUSTICE, TO SPEAK OUT ON THIS ISSUE. I ALSO SAID THAT, WHEN THE DAY IS DONE, OUR COURTS MUST HAVE THE CAPACITY THEY HAD ON THAT DAY, AND THAT NOTHING LESS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. AND TO YOU, CHIEF, I TURN TO YOU AND I PUBLICLY GAVE THE BAR'S COMMITMENT TO BEING STEADFAST, AS THE GUARDIANS OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY. JUST LAST WEEK, ONE YEAR LATER IN MY STATE OF THE BAR ADDRESS, I WAS ABLE TO SAY THAT, THOUGH THE COURTS DID NOT RECEIVE ALL THAT WAS REQUESTED, THIS MATTER RESOLVED FAVORABLY, AND OUR TRIAL COURTS WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA, JUST AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST. AS JUDGE PERRY JUST SAID, THIS MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, CAME AND WENT AND NO ONE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE, AND I THINK THAT IS A REMARKABLE STATEMENT AS TO WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON BEHALF THE COURTS THIS YEAR. I BELIEVE WE OWE THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO YOUR LEADERSHIP, JUSTICE ANSTEAD. YOU ARE THE ONE THAT LED THE CHARGE, AND WE FOLLOWED YOU, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, ON BEHALF THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA, AGAIN, FOR YOUR COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP. I, ALSO, BELIEVE WE OWE THIS OUTCOME TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ENTIRE COURTS. JUSTICE WELLS, JUSTICE PARIENTE, JUSTICE LEWIS, JUSTICE QUINCE, JUSTICE CANTERO AND JUSTICE BELL. YOU ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE AND INTEGRITY, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WERE VISIBLY DEDICATED TO THIS EFFORT. I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMPLETE DEDICATION OF SUSAN SCHAEFFER, AS CHAIR OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION AND JUDGE STAN MORRIS AS THE VICE CHAIRMAN. EVERY TIME I WAS IN TALLAHASSEE, AND I WAS GOING THROUGH, MEETING WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE LEGISLATURE, THERE WAS JUDGE SCHAEFFER. AHEAD OF ME, DODGING ON, SAYING WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SEE NEXT? WELL, I AM GOING THEIR FIRST. AND I TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION. JUDGE PERRY, YOU, ALSO, DESERVE OUR GREAT APPRECIATION, FOR YOUR SERVICE, AS CHAIR OF THE REVISION 7 COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY GROUP. IT WAS BOTH A PLEASURE AND CHALLENGE, TO SERVE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE, I WAS PROVIDED ALL THE INFORMATION I NEEDED. AS PRESIDENT OF THE BAR, YOU PREPARED ME WITH THE BEST ARGUMENTS I WOULD NEED, TO ARGUE IN FRONT OF A NEW INJURY, THE EDITORIAL BOARDS, THE BUSINESS GROUPS, THE LAWYERS, AND MY CLIENTS, AND I THANK YOU FOR PREPARING ME WELL, SO I COULD CARRY ON THAT ARGUMENT, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF FLORIDA, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE GROUP. A NAME THAT HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED BUT THE CHIEF JUDGE AND I COULDN'T HAVE MADE OUR ROAD TOUR WITHOUT HIM, WAS CRAIG WATERS. I WANT TO THANK CRAIG WATERS, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION DIRECTOR FOR THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT. HE WAS AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE RESOURCE IN THIS EFFORT. AS THE CHIEF JUDGE AND I TRAVELED AROUND THE STATE, FROM EDITORIAL BOARD TO EDITORIAL BOARD, HE WAS A CONSTANT GUIDE AND ADVISOR. WHAT HE SAID WOULD WORK, WORKED. THE COURT AND THE FLORIDA BAR ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIS EXPERTISE. CRAIG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE STAND HERE TODAY TOGETHER, THE BAR AND THE BENCH, TO COMMEMORATE REVISION 7 ON THIS, THE FIRST DAY OF JULY 2004. IT HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL SOJOURN, AND THE BAR IS NOW READY TO GO THE DISTANCE. TO JUSTICE PARIENTE, AS YOU PICK UP THE BATON TOMORROW, THE FLORIDA BAR, KELLY OVERSTREET JOHNSON, WILL BE THERE FOR YOU. YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT, AND WE WISH YOU GODSPEED. I THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING ME IN THE CELEBRATION. MY FRIENDS, TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO BE A FLORIDA LAWYER. I AM PROUD TO BE ONE. YOU SHOULD BE, TOO. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]

CHIEF JUSTICE: NOW I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE AND CALL THEM TO THE PODIUM. YOU KNOW, ON ANY TEAM, ESPECIALLY THROUGH A LONG SEASON OF DIFFICULT GAMES, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT STANDS OUT, AND USUALLY AT THE BANQUETS THAT WE HAVE, WE CALL THAT PERSON THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, AND WE HAVE A UNIQUE PERSON HERE, I INDICATED IN THE VERY BEGINNING, THAT ARE DOZENS, HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON THAT WEIGHED 110 POUNDS WHEN THIS BATTLE STARTED SIX YEARS AGO, AND NOW ONLY WEIGHS 90, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUNCE FOR OUNCE, IT WAS FOUGHT IN THE DEFENSE OF THE THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. AND I AM PLEASED AND HONORED, TODAY, TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, WITH REFERENCE TO THE OUTCOME OF REVISION 7. JUDGE SUSAN SCHAEFFER. [APPLAUSE]

I AM CONCERNED. I THOUGHT I HAD 30 MINUTES AND JUSTICE ANSTEAD HAD TEN, AND I KIND OF TIMED HIM, AND I NOTICED THAT HE TOOK 30, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE BEEN CUT BACK TO TEN OR NOT, BUT IN ANY EVENT, MAY IT PLEASE THE COURT. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. [LAUGHTER]

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS OF THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. TODAY, JULY 1, 2004, ALL CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME ESSENTIAL TRIAL COURT SERVICES, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE. THIS IS WHAT THE CITIZENS OF FLORIDA VOTED FOR, WHEN THEY PASSED REVISION 7 TO ARTICLE V OF FLORIDA'S CONSTITUTION IN 1998. AND THIS IS WHAT THE SUPREME COURT, THE CHIEF JUDGES, THE TRIAL COURT JUDGES, THE TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS, THE TCBC, THE A-TEAM, THE CIRCUIT AND COUNTY COURT JUDGES CONFERENCES AND THE OSCA WORKED SO HARD TO ACHIEVE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE LEGISLATORS PROVIDED. SO MY ADDRESS TO YOU TODAY IS A STORY OF SUCCESS. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE 30 MINUTES, AND BY GOD I AM GOING TO TAKE IT. AND RECOUNT FOR YOU, THE STRUGGLE THAT THE TRIAL COURTS AND THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, WHICH I WILL CALL THE TCBC, HAD TO ESTABLISH THE FRAMEWORK TO MAKE REVISION 7 WORK AND EVEN GREATER STRUGGLE THAT WE HAD, TO OBTAIN FUNDING THAT WILL MAKE IT WORK, SO SIT BACK WITH ME AND TRAVEL THE REAL ROAD TO REVISION 7. WE MET MANY HEROES ON OUR TRAVELS. THE TCBC VOTED TO HONOR THREE OF OUR HEROES, JUSTICE HARDING, JUSTICE WELLS, AND JUSTICE ANSTEAD WITH RESOLUTIONS. THE TCBC WILL FOLLOW WITH RESOLUTION, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PROCEEDING. I WANT TO SHOW YOU ONE. IT HAS THE LOGO AND ONE OF THE BLUE FOLKS, AND IT HAS JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS, THE TRIAL COURT COMMISSION, LOGO, AND EACH RESOLUTION IS PERSONALIZED, DEPENDING ON WHAT THESE JUSTICES DID, SO GENTLEMEN, IF I MIGHT SEE YOU AFTERWARDS, THE TCBC WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THESE RESOLUTIONS. THESE THREE JUSTICES WERE OUR JUSTICE HEROES. WE ALSO DECIDED TO RECOGNIZE SOME LEGISLATIVE HEROES. THERE ARE 160 LEGISLATORS WHO LABOR ACROSS THE STREET, AND WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE 10 PERCENT OF THEM, AND SO IN ALPHABETCAL ORDER, WE ARE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE SENATORS CAMPBELL, KING, PRUITT, SMITH, VILLALOBOS AND WEISS, AND REPRESENTATIVES BIRD, BENSON, GELBER, GOODLETTE, JOYNER, KOTTKAMP, KYLE, MAHON, NEGRON, AND SEILER. THOSE WHO ARE HERE WILL RECEIVE THEIR PLAQUES FROM THE TCBC IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS SESSION. BUT WE ARE PROUD OF THEM. LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE THIS. IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. WE HAVE ONE OF THESE FOR EACH OF OUR LEGISLATIVE HEROES. THIS MORNING, STAN AND BELVIN AND JOE AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SPEND AGO HALF AN HOUR WITH THE GOVERNOR. GOD, I WISH HE HAD GIVEN WAS HALF AN HOUR DURING THE SESSION, BUT WE GOT IT TODAY. SO WE WENT ACROSS WITH A PLAQUE THAT WAS BIGGER THAN EITHER OF THESE. I WISH I WOULD HAVE SHOWN IT TO YOU. IT WAS HUGE. AND GOT TO SIT DOWN WITH THE GOVERNOR AND SPEND A LOVELY HALF-HOUR WITH HIM, REALLY, SORT OF THANKING HIM FOR SORT OF GETTING THE BALL ROLLING. HE WAS VERY PERSONABLE, AND AS I SAID IT WAS A LOVELY HALF-HOUR TO SPEND WITH THE GOVERNOR. THE GOVERNOR IS ALSO ONE OF OUR HEROES. HE HAS ALREADY GOT HIS PLAQUE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER HEROES. HOWEVER, AS YOU KNOW, MOST HEROES DON'T GET ANY PLAQUES, AND THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING ELSE. THEY JUST GET THANKS. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WITH MOST OF YOU, SO NOW ON WITH THE STORY. ON NOVEMBER 3, AND BY THE WAY I WANT TO TELL YOU ALL, I TOLD THE GOVERNOR, NO STATE DOLLARS WENT TO PAY FOR ANY OF THIS. NO TCBC MONEY WAS USED FOR ANY OF THIS. BELVIN PERRY HAS HIS WAYS. ON NOVEMBER 3, 1998, REVISION 7 PASSED. OUR CHIEF JUSTICE AT THAT TIME WAS MAJOR HARDING. OUR STATE COURT ADMINISTRATOR WAS KEN PALMER. KEN, MOST REGRETTABLY, IS ONE OF OUR FALLEN HEROES. THOSE TWO COURT LEADERS GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED THAT, IF REVISION 7 WAS GOING TO SUCCEED, THE TRIAL COURTS HAD BETTER GET STARTED. ON JANUARY 12, 1999, MAJOR ESTABLISHED WHAT WAS EVENTUALLY A 15-PERSON GROUP, CALLED THE ARTICLE V FUNDING STEERING COMMITTEE. I AM JUST GOING TO CALL IT THE STEERING COMMITTEE. MAJOR ASKED ME TO BE CHAIR OF THIS DISTINGUISHED GROUP. SEVEN OF THE 15 MEMBERS ARE STILL PART OF THE PRESENT 23-MEMBER TCBC. THEY ARE THE SEVEN WITHOUT A LIFE. HOWEVER, ALL 15 ARE HEROES OF REVISION 7, AND I THANK YOU. THE TASKS DURING COMMITTEE WERE MANY, BUT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS WAS TO INVENTORY ALL OF THE COSTS THAT THE COUNTIES WERE PRESENTLY SPENDING AND TO DETERMINE WHAT PART OF THESE COSTS SHOULD BECOME PART OF THE STATE BUDGET. WHEN MEMBERS OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE SAW THE INVENTORY, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT JUDGES AND TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS HAD SEEN ALL THAT OTHER CIRCUITS HAD OR DIDN'T HAVE. BELIEVE YOU ME, THAT WAS QUITE AN EYE OPENER. SOME CIRCUITS HAD DAYCARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY EMPLOYEES IN THE COURTHOUSE. JUDGES IN ONE CIRCUIT HAD THEIR OWN PERSONAL BAILIFFS AND JUDGES IN ANOTHER HAD TWO ASSISTANTS PER JUDGE. ONE CIRCUIT PAID FOR JUDGES' BAR DUES AND ANOTHER PAID FOR JUDGES' ROBES AND ANOTHER PAID TO HAVE JUDGES' ROBES DRY CLEANED. SOME WERE IN THE BUSINESS OF DOING URINALYSIS, TESTING FOR DRUG CASES AND EVEN PATERNITY CASES. ONE EVEN HAD A PROGRAM FOR THE HOMELESS. THESE WERE THE CIRCUITS THAT WE DUBBED THE HAVES. SADLY, THERE WERE CIRCUITS THAT WE DUBBED THE HAVE-NOTS, WHERE THE JUDGES LITERALLY HAD TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN PENS, IF THEY WERE TO TO HAVE PENS THAT WROTE WITH INK ON THE PAPER. THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE 14th CIRCUIT AND ONE OF THE HAVE-NOT CIRCUITS, SHE IS ON THE TCBC, ALL OF PENS THAT SHE COULD GATHER UP FROM THE CIRCUIT JUDGES CONFERENCE. IN FACT, HE GAVE HER A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM. THAT WAS EXTREME. THE HAVE-NOTS HAD LITTLE COURT ADMINISTRATION, MOST OF IT PROVIDED BY EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY AND MOST HAD NEVER SEEN A GENERAL MASTER AND NO MEANINGFUL CASE MANAGERS AND FEW MEDIATION PROGRAMS. I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE EXAMPLES I GAVE YOU. I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT WE SAID YES TO AND WHAT WE SAID NO TO. I CAN TELL THAT YOU THE STEERING COMMITTEE AND ULTIMATELY THE TCBC SAID NO TO DAYCARE SERVICES, PERSONAL BAILIFFS, MORE THAN ONE JA, TO BAR DUES, TO ROBES AND TO DRY CLEANING. WE SAID NO TO THE COURT BEING INVOLVED IN DRUG AND PATERNITY TESTING. WE SAID, WHILE THE HOMELESS WERE A DEFINITE PROBLEM IN EVERY COMMUNITY, THAT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM AND NOT THE PROBLEM FOR THE COURT. WE SAID YES TO PENS THAT DON'T LEAK. WE SAID YES TO COURT ADMINISTRATION, CASE MANAGERS, GENERAL MASTERS AND THE CHILD SUPPORT HEARING OFFICERS AND MEDIATION. THESE FOUR ELEMENTS BECAME WHAT WE CALL THE EQUITY ELEMENTS. FOR REVISION 7 TO BE SUCCESSFUL, ALL CIRCUITS NOT JUST HAVES, WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES AND DOLLARS IN THESE FOUR ELEMENTS. ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING THAT THE STEERING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMISSION. ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION WAS NO EASY SELL, HOWEVER. THE SUPREME COURT COURT, THE CIRCUIT COURT AND COUNTY COURT JUDGES ALL HAD TO GIVE UP A LITTLE CONTROL, IF THE TCBC WERE TO BE ESTABLISHED, BUT AFTER MUCH CAJOLING AND COMPROMISING AND HELP FROM CHIEF JUSTICE HARDING AND SOON TO BE CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS, EVERYONE DEGREED AND THE TCBC EVENTUALLY WAS ESTABLISHED BY COURT RULE. THAT WAS GOOD COURT RULE. THE TCBC BEGAN ITS WORK ON JULY 1, 2000. BY NOW IT WAS CHIEF JUSTICE CHARLIE WELLS, THE ONLY CHIEF JUSTICE WHO WILL EVER GET TO APPOINT THE FULL 21 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, SINCE THE TERMS AFTER THE APPOINTMENT WERE STAGGERED. WE PLANNED IT THAT WAY. CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS MADE ME HIS CHAIR AND JUDGE DON BRIGGS, HIS VICE-CHAIR. WHEN THOSE INITIAL POINTS WERE MADE, I KNEW ALL OF THE MEMBERS EXCEPT FOR ONE. I REMEMBER THINKING WHO IS THIS JUDGE CHARLES FRANCIS FROM TALLAHASSEE? I HAD NEVER MET THE GUY AND HERE HE WAS, GOING TO BE A MEMBER OF MY COMMISSION. BELIEVE ME, I LEARNED VERY QUICKLY THAT CHARLIE IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE JUDGE IN THE STATE WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY ISSUES FOR TRIAL COURTS. CHARLIE IS NOW A DEAR FRIEND AND A MEMBER OF THE A-TEAM. CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF SELECTING SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUE, DIVERSE, MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MOST HARDWORKING TRIAL JUDGES AND TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS IN THE STATE FOR THE FIRST TCBC. HIS MEMBERSHIP SELECTION IS BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE TCBC WAS ABLE TO FLOURISH AND BECOME ACCEPTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE, NOT ONLY BY THE TRIAL COURT HIERARCHY BUT EVENTUALLY BY THE OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AS WELL. SPEAKING OF JUSTICE WELLS, DURING HIS TERM AS CHIEF JUSTICE, HE TRAVELED TO EVERY CIRCUIT IN THE STATE, TRYING TO RALLY THE CHIEF JUDGES AND TRIAL COURT JUDGES TO GET INVOLVED AND TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO GET INTO WITH STATE FUNDING. HIS EFFORTS AND THOSE OF THE OSCA STAFF WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM WERE TIRELESS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MESSAGE WAS VERY BORING. I REMEMBER TELLING JUSTICE WELLS AND KEN PALMER, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THAT, THE MESSAGE, GOOD THOUGH IT WAS, WAS THE BEST SLEEP MEDICINE MONEY COULD BUY. EVEN A VISIT FROM CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS COULD NOT GET THE TRIAL JUDGES STIRRED UP TO REALLY CARE ABOUT REVISION 7. DOESN'T THAT SHOW YOU WHY WE OUGHT TO COMPARE NOTES, NOT EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID A LITTLE EARLIER. THEY SEEMED TO BELIEVE THAT THE THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT WOULD BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF BY THE OTHER TWO BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THAT THEY WERE THE THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. NOW, IN 2003, THEY WERE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING. IN JULY 2002, CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD BECAME THE NEW CHIEF JUSTICE. I NAIVELY BELIEVED THAT JUSTICE ANSTEAD HAD GIVEN ME A TEE THAT TIGER WOODS HAD USED THE YEAR HE WON THE BRITISH OPEN, SO IT WAS EASY FOR HIM TO CONVINCE ME THAT I SHOULD REMAIN AS CHAIR OF THE TCBC. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THE TEE WAS A RUSE. HE APPOINTED JUDGE STAN MORRIS AS HIS VICE-CHAIR. OF THE SEVEN MEMBERS WHOSE TERMS WERE UP, FOUR OPTED OUT. THEY HAD HAD ENOUGH. THREE OPTED TO STAY. THREE WITHOUT A LIFE. CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD ALSO MADE SOME MASTERFUL POINTS TO THE TCBC, NONETHELESS NOT THE LEAST WHICH WAS JOHN LAURENT, FORMERLY CHAIR OF THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT DEALT WITH APPROPRIATIONS. HAVING AN INSIDER ON THE A TEAM JOIN NEWS 2004, CERTAINLY REALLY HELPED US. UP UNTIL 2003, THE LEGISLATURE HAD DONE VERY LITTLE TO DEAL WITH REVISION 7. I CAN SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER HAVING LUNCH IN ORLANDO WITH JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, AND SPEAKER TOM FEENEY, 2002. BELVIN AND I ASKED HIM IF IT WASN'T TIME TO GET GOING ON REVISION 7. HIS ANSWER VERY SIMPLY WAS NOT ON MY WATCH. PRESIDENT McKAY MUST HAVE FELT THE SAME WAY. SO WHILE REVISION 7 WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE PHASED IN OVER THIS SIX-YEAR PERIOD, IT NEVER HAPPENED. THEREFORE, REVISION 7 WAS TO BE ON PRESIDENT JIM KING AND SPEAKER JOHNNIE BYRD'S WATCH, WHETHER THEY WANTED IT ON THEIR WATCH OR NOT. I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY DIDN'T. IT BEGAN IN 2003. THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WAS THE TCBC's FIRST FULL INDOCTRINATION INTO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, OUR FIRST FORE RAY INTO TALLAHASSEE POLITICS. LISA GOODNER AND BRENDA JOHNSON WERE OUR TEACHERS. I THINK LISA ASSIGNED HERSELF TO ME. I LEARNED NOT TO CALL A SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE AN S.O.B. ON AN ELEVATOR. [LAUGHTER] AND IT WAS NOT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T AN S.O.B. BUT IT WAS BECAUSE, AS SHE TOLD ME, THEIR AID MIGHT BE ON THE ELEVATOR. I MUST HAVE SCARED LISA TO DEATH. HER RULE FOR ME WAS THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANYBODY ON THE ELEVATOR. [LAUGHTER] IT IS TRUE. SHE ACKNOWLEDGES IT. SHE GAVE ME THE SAME RULE FOR RESTROOMS. AFTER ALL, SHE TOLD ME, WHO KNEW WHERE LUCY MORGAN MIGHT BE LURKING. NOW, WE JUDGES, WE HAD TO LEARN THE ART OF SUCKING UP. NOW THAT, IS NOT AN EASY TASK FOR JUDGES, WHO ARE USED TO BEING THE SUCK-UP-EES. [LAUGHTER] JOE FARINA EVEN MADE ME ATTEND THE SPEAKER PRESIDENT'S BALL, AND THERE IS NOTHING I HATE MORE THAN GETTING GUSSIED UP, UNLESS IT WAS DANCING, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS GOOD FOR THE CAUSE AND I HAD TO GO, SO I DID IT. IN TALLAHASSEE, THE FIRST TIME WE WERE FOR THE MOST PART RANK AMATEURS FOR LOBBYING. WHILE I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS AT THE TIME, IT SUDDENLY DAWNED ON ME THAT LISA HAD FOLLOWED ME EVERYWHERE, AND I GOT TO THINKING ABOUT IT AND DECIDED NO, LISA LED ME EVERYWHERE. SHE MUST HAVE BEEN AFRAID FOR ME TO GO ANYWHERE BY MYSELF. I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT, IN 2004, I WAS ALLOWED TO VISIT LEGISLATORS ALL BY MYSELF. APPARENTLY I HAD LEARNED THE ART OF LOBBYING. GETTING BACK TO 2003, TO SAY THAT GETTING THE LEGISLATURE TO FUND THE ELEMENTS THAT TCBC WANTED THEM TO FUND WAS DIFFICULT AND AN UNDERSTATEMENT OF ALL TIMES. THEY THOUGHT WE DIDN'T NEED COURT ADMINISTRATION. THE CLERK OF COURT COULD PROVIDE THAT TO US. THEY THOUGHT OSCA WAS UNNECESSARY. THE JUSTICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION, JAC, COULD SURELY PROVIDE WHATEVER SERVICES OSCA PROVIDED TO THE TRIAL COURTS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEEDED MASTERS AND HEARING OFFICERS. THEY THOUGHT EVERYBODY WHO CAME TO COURT SHOULD SEE A JUDGE. I REMEMBER TESTIFYING ABOUT OUR NECESSARY ELEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, AND HEARING A MEMBER, LISA HAD TOLD ME WAS FRIENDLY TO THE COURTS, SAYING TO A FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBER, WHO SHE HAD TOLD ME WAS NOT FRIENDLY TO THE COURTS, THEY DON'T NEED THAT, ABOUT MASTERS AND HEARING OFFICERS, THEY DON'T NEED THAT, ABOUT CASE MANAGERS, THEY DON'T NEED THAT, ABOUT MEDIATION, UNTIL IT WAS ALL I COULD DO NOT TO STOP AND SAY TO THE SENATOR, WELL, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU HAVE BEEN A JUDGE! FORTUNATELY I REFRAINED, AND MORE FORTUNATELY, THE SENATOR WAS REALLY FRIENDLY TO THE COURTS, AND HE CAME AROUND. IN FACT, HE IS GETTING ONE OF OUR PLAQUES. [LAUGHTER] THE A-TEAM REALLY HAD TO FIGHT FOR CASE MANAGERS. MANY IN THE LEGISLATURE BELIEVED THE CASE MANAGERS WERE ONLY FOR SPECIALTY COURTS, WHICH THEY HAD DETERMINED, EXCEPT FOR DRUG COURT, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FUND. THEY WERE INCORRECT IN THEIR BELIEF AS CASE MANAGERS PERMEATE ALMOST EVERY NORMAL DIVISION OF THE TRIAL COURT, BUT GETTING IMPORTANT LEGISLATORS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE INCORRECT, WAS QUITE ANOTHER TASK. I REMEMBER A DAY IN 2003, WHEN THE A-TEAM WORKED THE MEMBER OF THE JUDICIAL APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE, AND GOT A SUCCESSFUL VOTE FROM THAT COMMITTEE, MAKING CASE MANAGERS AN ELEMENT OF STATE FUNDING. A MERE ONE HOUR AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL SUBCOMMITTEE VOTE, WE LOST THE SAME VOTE IN THE FULL APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, WHEN THE CHAIR OF APPROPRIATIONS WOULDN'T PERMIT ME OR ANY OTHER MEMBER, TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUE BEFORE THE FULL COMMITTEE. I REMEMBER SAYING TO LISA, CAN HE DO THAT? HER ANSWER, SHORT AS ALWAYS, IS, "HE CAN AND DID." THAT WAS A DARK DAY FOR US, SINCE THE A-TEAM KNEW THAT WE HAD 175 CASE MANAGERS WHO MIGHT LOSE THEIR JOBS, AND THE JUDGES WHO HAD COME TO RELY SO HEAVILY ON THIS ASSET, MIGHT LOSE IT. FORTUNATELY, COOLER HEADS EVENTUALLY PREVAILED. CASE MANAGERS, ALTHOUGH THE LAST ELEMENT TO BE ADDED, WERE FINALLY INCLUDED AS AN ELEMENT OF THE TRIAL COURTS, IN A COMPROMISE REVISION 7 BILL BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. THIS WAS NOT WORKED OUT, HOWEVER, UNTIL THE SPECIAL SESSION YOU ALL KNOW THE SPECIAL SESSION COMES AFTER THE REGULAR SESSION. I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT WAS A FRETFUL WAIT FOR THE A-TEAM. BY THE TIME THE 2003 SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS OVER, THE LEGISLATURE HAD PASSED HOUSE BILL 113-A, WHICH WAS A GOOD REVISION 7 BILL. IT IDENTIFIED ALL OF THE EQUITY ELEMENTS THAT TCBC HAD PROPOSED FOR STATE FUNDING. THAT WAS OUR SUCCESS STORY FOR 2003. HOWEVER, WE HAD BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH ON OUR BUDGET THAT YEAR. FISCAL YEAR '03-'04 BUDGET FOR THE TRIAL COURT WAS A DEFINITE FAILURE. THOSE OF US ON THE A-TEAM WHO LABORED LONG AND HARD DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION, LEFT TALLAHASSEE WITH OUR TAILS BETWEEN OUR LEGS, ABSOLUTELY BEGINNING WE WOULD NEVER GET FUNDING FROM THE LEGISLATURE IN 2004. WE TRULY BELIEVED THAT, SHORT A MIRACLE, THAT TRIAL COURTS WOULD BE GOING BACKWARDS ON JULY 1, 2004, CERTAINLY NOT FORWARD AND THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN STAY EVEN. SO WHAT HAPPENED? WHY ARE WE CELEBRATING TODAY? HOW DID WE SUCCEED IN FULLY IMPLEMENTING REVISION 7 DURING THE 2004 LEGISLATIVE SESSION AFTER SUCH A DISASTROUS BUDGET YEAR IN 2003? I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TURNED THE TIDE, BUT I AM GOING TO SHARE SOME OF MY MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU AS TO WHY WE MIGHT HAVE SUCCEEDED. MAYBE THE LEGISLATORS TOOK PITY ON US. ONE SENATOR WAS OVERHEARD TO SAY, AS HE WALKED DOWN THE HALLS WITH A GROUP OF STATE ATTORNEYS, THAT THE TCBC MEMBERS WERE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF WRINKLED OLD JUDGES WHO COULDN'T MAKE A LIVING AS REAL TRIAL LAWYERS. I THINK THAT IS WHAT LISA WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO ME. HE WAS UNQUESTIONABLY WRONG. SINCE THE TCBC JUDGES HE WAS REFERRING TO ARE NEITHER OLD NOR WRINKLED, EXCEPT FOR ME. AND I BELIEVE IF I WENT BACK TO BEING A LAWYER TODAY, I COULD KNOCK HIS SOCKS OFF IN A COURTROOM. [LAUGHTER] BUT IF THAT IS WHAT HE THOUGHT AND TOOK PITY ON THE TRIAL COURTS BECAUSE OF THEIR WRINKLED UP OLD LEADER, THEN THAT WAS OKAY WITH ME. THE A-TEAM LEARNED TO LET INSULTS ROLL OFF OUR BACK, LIKE A DUCK DOES WATER. WHO WOULD EVER HAVE BELIEVED THAT WAS POSSIBLE? MAYBE I GOT THE TRIAL JUDGES OUT OF THEIR SLUMBER MODE, WHEN I THREATENED ALL OF THEM IN A SPEECH AT BOTH COUNTY AND CIRCUIT JUDGES PLENARY SESSION. THAT IF THEY DID CERTAIN THINGS, OR DIDN'T DO OTHER THINGS, DURING THE 2004 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I WOULD HUNT THEM DOWN AND STRANGLE THEM. I STILL REMEMBER ONE JUDGE'S EVALUATION OF MY SPEECH. HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I JUST DON'T THINK IT IS RIGHT FOR ONE JUDGE TO THREATEN TO STRANGLE ANOTHER JUDGE. [LAUGHTER] I AM AFRAID OF YOU. WELL, THAT MADE MY DAY! I THINK MAYBE IT WAS FEAR THAT GOT THE RANK AND FILE TRIAL JUDGES WORKING HARDER FOR THE CAUSE IN 2004. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD HAD MADE IT OBVIOUS TO ALL CONCERNED WITH FUNDING, THAT THE COURTS COULD AND WOULD USE THE POWER OF THE PRESS AS UP IN WRITERS AND EDITORS DID CARE ABOUT THE COURT SYSTEM AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE PROPERLY FUNDED. THEY, ALSO, KNEW THE PEOPLE READ THE PAPER AND CARED, TOO. CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR THE TRIAL COURTS, VISITING EDITORIAL BOARDS IN BOTH 2003 AND 2004, TO GET THE TRIAL COURTS MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE. MAYBE THE POWER OF THE PRESS AND CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD'S HARD WORK FOR TWO LONG YEARS PAID OFF. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THE BAR REALLY GOT INVOLVED IN 2004 AND GOT SOME OF THEIR VERY ABLE LOBBYISTS, SUCH AS STEVE METZ, PAUL HILL AND BILL WILEY INVOLVED IN HELPING US. I THINK THE LEADERS OF THE BAR FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE BAR COULD BE MORTALLY WOUNDED, IF THE TRIAL COURTS WERE UNDERFUNDED. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY GOT HEAVILY INVOLVED IN 2004, FINALLY REALIZING THAT AN UNDERFUNDED COURT SYSTEM WOULD DELAY THEIR BUSINESSES CASES MOST OF ALL. ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF FLORIDA ACTUALLY OFFERED THEIR VERY ABLE LOBBYIST AND $15 MILLION FROM THE WORKERS COMP TRUST FUND, TO HELP THE COURTS GET ADEQUATE FUNDING. I CAN TELL THAT YOU THAT CAUSED SOME LEGISLATIVE HEADS TO TURN. MAYBE THE "TAX WATCH" REPORT CAUSED THE LEGISLATURE TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE THAT THE COURTS NEEDED MORE FUNDING. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THE TCBC, THE CONFERENCES, THE CHIEF JUDGES AND THE RANK AND FILE JUDGES SPOKE WITH ONE VOICE AND DIDN'T GO OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IN 2004. THAT THREAT OF STRANGULATION REALLY PAID OFF. MAYBE IT WAS DIVINE INTERVENTION OR MAYBE WE HAD GUARDIAN ANGELS WHO HELPED US, AND THEN, MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A GROUP OF EIGHT PEOPLE THAT AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO AS MY A TEAM, WHO LITERALLY WORKED DAY AND NIGHT, WEEKDAYS, WEEKENDS, WORKING DAYS AND HOLIDAYS, BOTH BEFORE AND DURING THE SESSION. THESE EIGHT PEOPLE LITERALLY LIVED IN TALLAHASSEE MOST OF THE SESSION, AND ONLY TWO OF THEM HAD HOMES HERE. THESE EIGHT PEOPLE NEGLECTED WORK, FAMILY AND CERTAINLY ANY SEMBLANCE OF A SOCIAL LIFE. THEY HAD NO LIFE EXCEPT REVISION 7. THE A-TEAM DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD POSSIBLY DO IN 2004, THAT WASN'T ILLEGAL, IMMORAL OR UNETHICAL, TO GET THE JOB DONE. WHO IS THIS A-TEAM? LET ME INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU. THEY ARE, STAND UP, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JUDGES JOE FARINA, JUDGE CHARLIE FRANCIS, JUDGE JOHN LAURENT, JUDGE STAN MORRIS, AND JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATOR CAROL ORTMAN AND STATE COURTS ADMINISTRATOR LISA GOODMAN AND ME. [APPLAUSE] THEY ALLOWED ME TO BE CAPTAIN OF THIS TEAM AND I AM NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN I SAY THAT THE A TEAM WAS THE BACKBONE AND LIFEBLOOD OF THE REVISION 7 EFFORT AND NO MATTER WHAT OR WHO ELSE HELPED THE TRIAL COURTS ACHIEVE THE SUCCESS THEY DID IN 2004, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, WITHOUT THE A-TEAM'S SUPREME EFFORTS. I WANT TO SAY TO EACH OF THEM, AS BETTE MIDLER SAYS IN A FAMOUS SONG, DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY HERO? YOU ARE EVERYTHING I WOULD LIKE TO BE. I COULD FLY HIGHER THAN AN EAGLE, FOR YOU ARE THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS. ANY CREDIT I MAY GET FOR THE SUCCESS OF REVISION 7 MUST BE SHARED WITH MY A TEAM. I COULD NEVER HAVE SOARED WITHOUT YOU. EACH OF YOU IS A TRUE HERO, AND I PUBLICLY THANK YOU. I HAVE DONE IT PRIVATELY MANY TIMES. MOST PROBABLY THE REASON WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN 2004 IS A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THE REASONS I HAVE SUGGESTED, AND THERE WAS ONE MORE REASON. THE TCBC, AFTER SIX YEARS, WAS FULLY PREPARED. OUR NUMBERS WERE ACCURATE AND FAIR. AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER THE GOVERNMENT HAD SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FOR CONSULTANTS AND A LOT OF REPORTS WERE PREPARED BY A LOT OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, THE NUMBERS USED FOR THE 2004 APPROPRIATIONS IN ALL BUT A FEW INSTANCES, WERE THE NEWSPAPERS THE TCBC SUPPLIED. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT FACT, AND I TELL YOU THAT EVERY JUDGE AND EVERY TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATOR WHO SERVED ON THE TCBC IS A HERO, AND I THANK YOU. WHATEVER THE REASON OR REASONS THE GOVERNOR GAVE US A GOOD START IN HIS BUDGET, THE SENATE IMPROVED ON THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, AND THE HOUSE IMPROVED ON THE SENATE'S BUDGET. WHEN THE FINAL CONFERENCE WAS OVER, AND COMPROMISES REACHED, AGE GOING TO GO FAST THROUGH THIS, THE TCBC HAD ASKED FOR 241.5 EMPLOYEES FOR COURT ADMINISTRATION. WE GOT 241.5 EMPLOYEES FOR COURT ADMINISTRATION. WE ASKED FOR 212.5 CASE MANAGERS AND WE GOT 212.5 CASE MANAGERS. WE ASKED FOR 237.5 MASTERS, HEARING OFFICERS AND SECRETARIAL STAFF AND WE GOT 231.5 MASTERS, HEARING OFFICERS AND SECRETARIAL STAFF. WE ASKED FOR 146.5 MEDIATION EMPLOYEES, AND WHILE WE GOT ONLY 117 OF THEM, IT WAS STILL 27 MORE EMPLOYEES, AND THE COUNTIES WERE PRESENTLY FUNDING. THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US ALMOST ALL OF OUR EQUITY POSITIONS. THE ONES THAT MADE REVISION 7 WORK. AS TO DUE PROCESS CAUSE, WE ASKED FOR 260.5 COURT REPORTERS. WE GOT 260.5 COURT REPORTERS. WE ASKED FOR 102 COURT INTERPRETERS. WE GOT 102 COURT INTERPRETERS. WE ASKED FOR 14 EXPERT WITNESS EMPLOYEES AND WE GOT 14 EXPERT WITNESS EMPLOYEES. THE LEGISLATURE FUNDED EVERY DUE PROCESS POSITION THAT TCBC HAD ASKED FOR. OSCA SAID THEY NEEDED 18.5 EMPLOYEES TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR EXTRA RESPONSIBILITIES DUE TO REVISION 7. THEY GOT 18.5 NEW EMPLOYEES. WE RECEIVED 22 MILLION DOLLARS IN EXPENSE DOLLARS FOR OUR TOTAL BUDGET. JUDY, THAT OUGHT TO BUY YOU SOME PENS THAT DON'T LEAK. WE BELIEVE THAT, WHEN WE LEFT THE 2003 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THAT WE NEEDED A CIRCLE IN 2004, TO MAKE REVISION 7 WORK. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE GOT THAT MIRACLE. OUR SUCCESS STORY WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE, IF I DIDN'T TELL YOU A FEW OF THE OTHER MATTERS THE TCBC FOUGHT FOR THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. I WANT TO GIVE YOU TEN QUICK EXAMPLES. ONE, WE WANTED THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM TO FIND A HOME OUTSIDE THE COURTS BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR THEM TO BE RUN BY THE CHIEF JUDGES. GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM HAS A NEW HOME. WE ASKED THE CONFLICT ATTORNEYS FEES AND COSTS, BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL, NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE COURT'S BUDGET. THEY AREN'T. WE WANT STATE ATTORNEYS, CONFLICT COUNSEL TO HAVE A BUDGET FOR THEIR OWN BUDGET FOR DUE PROCESS COST. THEY DO. WE BELIEVE VICTIM WITNESS PROGRAM SHOULD BE FOR THE STATE ATTORNEYS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS NOT STATE COURT ADMINISTRATORS. IT IS. WE WANTED TO CONTROL OUR OWN DUE PROCESS COSTS AND NOT HAVE THE JAC CONTROL THEM AS THEY DO PUBLIC DEFENDER AND STATE ATTORNEY CONFLICT WITNESS FEES. WE DO. THE CLERK'S BUDGET IS THE CLERK, NOT THE JAC. THEY ARE. WE WANTED CHIEF JUDGES FOR INNOVATIVE COURT PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE ONE. WE WANTED CHIEF JUDGE TO SAY KEEP THE MONEY ALREADY ACCUMULATED IN THE COUNTIES IMPROVEMENT FUND AND ALSO KEEP TEEN MONEY ACCUMULATED. WE WON OUT FOR CONTROL OF BUDGET ALLOCATIONS. WE DID. THEY DO AND WE HAVE ALREADY MADE ALL OF THE ALLOCATIONS TO THE CIRCUIT FROM THE '04-'05 BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS AND FINALLY NUMBER TEN, WE NEEDED MORE MONEY FROM THE COURT IDENTIFICATION TRUST FUND, IN ORDER TO EDUCATE THIS NEW STAFF. WE GOT OVER AND ABOVE THE FILING FEE WE ALREADY HAD FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATING TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS AND JUDGES. AND WE CAN NOW EDUCATE LAW CLERKS, MASTERS AND HEARING OFFICERS AND OTHER COURT STAFF AS WELL. ALL IN ALL, WHEN THE 2004 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS OVER, THE CITIZENS WHO HAD VOTED FOR REVISION 7, HAD WHAT THEY VOTED FOR, ADEQUATE STATE FUNDING FOR ESSENTIAL TRIAL COURT SERVICES, FOR EVERY CITIZEN, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVED. THERE ARE NO MORE HAVE-NOT COURTS. THEY ARE ALL HAVES. REVISION 7 IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED AND AS BELVIN SAYS, IMPLEMENTED WELL. WE HAVE JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS. THE TCBC, THE A-TEAM, 807 TRIAL COURT JUDGES, 20 TRIAL COURT ADMINISTRATORS AND 2400 TRIAL COURT STAFF. FEEL BLESSED BY THE REVISION 7 BUDGET AND SUBSTANTIVE LEGISLATION WE HAVE ACQUIRED THAT WOULD MAKE OUR TRIAL COURT SYSTEM WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. WE PLEDGE TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE LEGISLATURE, THAT WE WILL USE WISELY, THESE VALUABLE AND COSTLY ASSETS WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. YOU ARE OUR HEROES, AND WE THANK YOU. WE WILL REMEMBER OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS FROM THE BAR. YOUR CASES WILL NOT LANGUISH. YOU ARE OUR HEROES, AND WE THANK YOU. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE HELP OF THE SUPREME COURT, PARTICULARLY THE HELP OF CHIEF JUSTICE HARDING, CHIEF JUSTICE WELLS, AND CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD. YOU ARE OUR HEROES, AND WE THANK YOU. AND WE WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF BOTH THE PRESENT AND PAST OSCA STAFF. THE OFTEN UNSUNG HEROES YET MOST IMPORTANT MEN AND WOMEN WHO OPERATE BEHIND THE SCENES. YOU ARE OUR HEROES, AND WE THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO END THESE REMARKS WITH THIS LITTLE STORY. I HAD A LOG CABIN IN SILVA, NORTH CAROLINA. IT WAS A FAMOUS ROCK IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SILVA CALLED BLACK ROCK. I WAS TOLD, IF YOU COULD CLIMB THE MOUNTAINS TO THE TOP OF BLACK ROCK, YOU COULD SEE FOR MILES AND MILES. PEOPLE WHO HAD MADE THE CLIMB, TOLD ME THE VIEW WAS MAGNIFICENT. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO, SAID THE CLIMB WAS NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART. THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WENT ON THIS CLIMB AND GOT LOST. THEY TOLD ME, YOU HAD TO BATTLE BOTH HARMLESS AND POISONOUS SNAKES TO GET TO BLACK ROCK. STORMS DO NOT GIVE YOU MUCH WARNING. YOU HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR THEM AND BE READY. I WAS TOLL THE CLIMB WAS LONG AND STEEP BUT THE REWARD IF YOU MADE IT, WAS WORTH THE SCRATCHES AND BRUISES AND ACHING MUSCLES AND WEARY BONES THAT YOU GOT FROM THE CLIMB. I WAS TOLD THE VIEW THAT YOU GOT FROM THE TOP OF BLACK ROCK MADE IT WORTHWHILE. IN 1993 I DECIDED I WANTED TO CLIMB TO BLACK ROCK. I LEFT EARLY ONE MORNING WITH A SEASONED TEAM OF CLIMBERS WHO HAD GONE TO GO TO BLACK ROCK BEFORE. THEY WONDERED IF I, CARRYING MY TWO PACKS OF CIGARETTES, COULD EVER MAKE IT HALFWAY TO THE TOP, AND I WONDERED THE SAME, BUT WITH ENCOURAGEMENT WITH MY TEAM OF CLIMBERS, I MADE IT AND QUIT SMOKING. SIX HOURS AND SEVERAL SNAKES LATER, I SAW BLACK ROCK. WHEN I CLIMBED ON TOP OF THE ROCK AND SAW THE MAGNIFICENT VIEW FOR MILES AND MILES, I FORGET THE BRUISES, SCRATCHES, ACHES AND PAINS. I WAS EXHILERATED. THE CLIMB HAD INDEED BEEN WORTH IT. AT THAT MOMENT I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. I TURNED AROUND, THREW MY HANDS TOWARD THE SKY, AND PROCLAIMED TO MY CLIMBING TEAM, WE DID IT! ONE OF MY FRIENDS CAPTURED THAT MOMENT IN A PICTURE, AND LESS THE YOU THINK I AM MAKING UP THIS STORY, I HAD IT BLOWN UP AND BROUGHT IT. THAT IS ME. [APPLAUSE] TODAY I FEEL LIKE I DID ON THAT CLIMB ELEVEN YEARS AGO. THE CLIMB TO REVISION 7 WAS NOT FOR THE FEINT OF HEART. IT WAS LONG AND STEEP. WE HAVE FOUGHT HARD NOT TO GET LOST. WE FOUGHT NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. WE ENCOUNTERED A FEW SNAKES ALONG THE WAY, MOSTLY HARMLESS, A FEW POISONOUS, BUT WE LEARNED TO WATCH OUT FOR THEM ALL AND STEP AROUND THEM WHEN WE COULD, BUT WHEN WE COULDN'T, WE CONFRONTED THEM HEAD ON. AFTER 2003, THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE ACTUAL CLIMB, WE WONDERED ALOUD IF WE COULD MAKE IT, BUT MY CLIMBING TEAM TOLD ME TO GO AND SMOKE A CIGARETTE, AND THEY WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO KEEP CLIMBING. WE WERE SCRATCHED, BRUISED AND AT TIMES BONE TIRED, BUT WE%ER VEERED BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE REWARD AT THE END OF THE CLIMB, IF WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, WOULD BE WORTH IT. JULY 1, 2004, AND WE HAVE FINISHED OUR REVISION 7 CLIMB. WE ARE ON TOP OF BLACK ROCK. AS I LOOK OUT, I CAN SEE FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THE VIEW OF OUR TRIAL COURTS IS MAGNIFICENT. WHAT I SEE IS JUSTICE FOR ALL FLORIDIANS. OUR SCRAPES AND BRUISES ARE UNIMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE KNOW IT WAS WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF OUR CLIMB OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. JUST AS I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF ON TOP OF BLACK ROCK, I CAN'T HELP MYSELF TODAY WHEN I REALIZE ALL THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. I AM TRULY EXHILERATED. FOR ALL OF MY DEAR FRIENDS AND TEAMMATES, WHO CLIMBED REVISION 7 WITH ME, THIS IS FOR YOU. THANK GOD WE MADE IT! [APPLAUSE] JUSTICE PARIENTE: ALL RIGHT. YOU DID TAKE 35 MINUTES AND I AM SUPPOSED TO TAKE TEN MINUTES AND I SWEAR TO YOU BECAUSE I GAVE OVER THIS CEREMONY TO CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD AND ALL OF YOU, THAT WE ARE GOING TO FINISH ALMOST ON TIME, BUT APPARENTLY THE TCBC HAD A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY EXTRA, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GIVE A SPECIAL PLAQUE TO OUR MVP, OUR MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, JUDGE SCHAEFFER, AND I WOULD LIKE, IT IS STILL ENCASED IN PLASTIC, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT TO YOU AND TO THE AUDIENCE. IT IS PRESENTED TO JUDGE SUSAN SCHAEFFER, CHAIR OF THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND VISION IN SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSING ISSUES FACING FLORIDA'S TRIAL COURTS DURING THE TRANSITION TO STATE FUNDING. AND THEN A QUOTE THAT EXEMPLIFIES WHAT YOU DID AND WHAT YOUR A TEAM DID. THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA, WHO STRIFE VALIENTLY, WHO KNOW THE GREAT ENTHUSIASM, GREAT DEVOTIONS AND SPEND THEMSELVES IN A WORTHY CAUSE WHO, AT THE BEST, KNOW THE TRIUMPH OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT. THAT IS BY TEDDY ROOSEVELT, AND THAT IS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS DAY, JULY 1, 2004, BY THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION.

THANK YOU [APPLAUSE] THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE THE GOVERNOR'S PLAQUE. NOW YOU CAN SEE WHAT HIS LOOKED LIKE.

YOU KNOW, CHIEF JUSTICE ANSTEAD MENTIONED, AS A COURT ADMINISTRATOR, LISA, THAT YOU BLOSSOMED DURING THIS TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF HE PLANNED THAT PARTICULAR PICTURE, BUT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BLOSSOMED, JUST A VERY, VERY SMALL BUNCH OF FLOWERS. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AS ARE YOU. YOU WILL HAVE A SPIRIT THAT IS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT, AND YOU HAVE BEEN THE COURSE, STEADIED THE COURSE FOR ALL OF US. I, AS THE INCOMING CHIEF JUSTICE, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND WITH ALL OF YOU. I PRESENT IT TO YOU. [APPLAUSE] WE ALSO HAVE AND WE ARE ALSO NOT PRESENTING THEM TODAY, ON BEHALF OF THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA, WE ARE PRESENTING RESOLUTIONS AND THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING THEM TO ARE ON THE BACK OF YOUR PROGRAM IN 8-POINT FONT, SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN READ. THAT I AM NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE RESOLUTION. CLEARLY THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA HAD LESS TO SPEND THAN THE TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION, SO YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FRAME YOUR OWN RESOLUTIONS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I THOUGHT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT I WAS GOING TO BE TAKING OVER AS CHIEF JUSTICE ON JULY 1, 2004, I WAS VERY ANXIOUS. VERY, VERY ANXIOUS, A GREAT DEAL OF MY ANXIETY CAME FROM KNOWING THAT THE SAME DAY THAT I WAS TO ASSUME THIS AWESOME POSITION AS CHIEF JUSTICE, WAS THE SAME EXACT DAY THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO TO STATEWIDE FUNDING, AND I KEPT ON THINKING, IS THIS GOING TO BE WHAT Y2K DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE, A DISASTER? AND I MUST SAY THAT, EVERY TIME THAT PEOPLE WOULD TALK ABOUT JULY 1, 2004, AND SHUDDER, YOU KNOW, I SHUDDERED WITH ALL OF YOU, AND SO YOU HAVE BEEN MIRACLE WORKERS, BECAUSE WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED COLLECTIVELY, HAS MADE THIS STATE AND OUR COURT SYSTEM, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN NOW BUILD ON AND JUST MAKE IT BETTER AND BETTER, FOR ALL OF THE CITIZENS, SO I THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES, AND I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS A FEW MORE POINTS ABOUT WHERE I SEE US GOING, IN THE NEXT FEW, TWO YEARS, BUT I AM NOT GOING TO DO THAT, BECAUSE IT IS TIME TO APPRECIATE THE CELEBRATION, GO OUT IN THE ROTUNDA AND ENJOY TODAY. I REALLY LOVE THE THOUGHT THAT I AM BEGINNING MY TERM TOMORROW, SO THAT WE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE A TRULY FITTING CELEBRATION ON JULY 1, 2004, FOR ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND LET ME HAVE A CHANCE TO GREET YOU ALL IN PERSON. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] WE ARE ADJOURNED.