Florida Access to Justice Project statement on House passage of judicial term limits

“This is yet another in a series of attacks and efforts at retribution against the courts for doing their job and striking down unconstitutional actions by the legislature.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2016

Contact: Damien Filer / 850-212-1858 / Damien@ProgressFlorida.org

TALLAHASSEE – Today, the Florida House passed a measure that would impose term limits on state appellate judges. Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo issued the following statement on behalf of the Florida Access to Justice Project: 

“Passage of this bill by leaders in the Florida House is political playback plain and simple. 

“This is yet another in a series of attacks and efforts at retribution against the courts for doing their job and striking down unconstitutional actions by the legislature.

“We don’t need to limit the terms of the judges on our highest courts. What we need is experienced, seasoned jurists, and we need to keep politics out of our judicial system.”

If CS/HJR 197/SJR 322 became the law of the land it would represent an amendment to Florida’s constitution to create 12-year term limits for judges and justices on Florida’s Supreme Court and District Courts of Appeal. Judges on these courts would be allowed no more than two six-year terms.

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