Budget Cuts Impact Clerk's Office Hours of Operation
  

In the final days of the 2012 legislative session, after the committees had completed their work, the joint conference committee cut clerks' budgets by approximately 7 percent. This is the fourth year that clerk budgets have been cut. In 2009, clerk budgets statewide were cut 17%. With these cuts we will have reduced our staffs statewide by approximately 25 percent with no reduction, and in most cases an increase, in workload.

Your Leon County Clerk's office has 25 percent fewer employees than when I took office in January 2001. We have tried very hard over the last several years to work harder and smarter, doing more with less.  But this final round of budget cuts will most definitely impair the level of services provided to customers and citizens.

The most notable level of service decline will begin on July 1, 2012, when our Courts Department office hours will be reduced from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. State law requires us to process criminal cases first, so the biggest impact from the latest cuts will be to civil cases such as foreclosures, evictions and child support proceedings.  These limited office hours will allow our court employees to focus on processing criminal cases within existing time standards.

Clerks statewide have been meeting with the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and all circuit chief judges to develop a plan for implementing these budget cuts while continuing to provide essential support services to the judiciary. We continue to work to restore funding with the Governor's Office and the Legislature, and hope these changes will be temporary and not permanent.  As progress is made, we will keep you informed. 

Earlier this week the Florida Supreme Court issued their opinion in re: case no. SC11-399 and case no. SC10-2101. The FSC has established a phased-in timeline for making e-filing and e-service mandatory.

Key provisions of the opinion in re SC11-399: 

• The new rules and amendments to the existing rules at issue in this case require attorneys to file documents with the trial and appellate courts electronically and work together with the mandatory e-mail service requirements for pleadings and documents. 
• The e-filing requirements become effective in the civil, probate, small claims, and family law divisions of the trial courts, as well as for appeals to the circuit courts on April 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m., except as may be otherwise provided by administrative order. E-filing will be mandatory in the above listed divisions pursuant to rule 2.525 on that date.
• The e-filing requirements become effective in the criminal, traffic, and juvenile divisions of the trial courts, as well as for appeals to the circuit court in these categories of cases, on October 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m., except as may be otherwise provided by administrative order. E-filing will be mandatory in these divisions under rule 2.525 on that date.  

Key provisions from opinion in re SC10-2101: 

• E-mail service will be mandatory for attorneys practicing in the civil, probate, small claims, and family law divisions of the trial courts, as well as in all appellate cases, effect on July 1, 2012.
• Mandatory e-mail service in the criminal, traffic, and juvenile divisions of the trial court will be delayed until e-filing is also mandatory in these divisions, on October 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m.
• When the new rules take effect on July 1, attorneys practicing in the criminal, traffic, and juvenile divisions of the trial court may voluntarily choose to serve documents by e-mail under the new procedures, or they may continue to operate under the existing rules.
• Pursuant to rule 2.516(b)(1), self-represented parties involved in any type of case in any Florida court, may, but are not required to, serve documents by e-mail. Attorneys excused from e-mail service are also not obligated to comply with the new e-mail service requirements.

The Leon County Clerk's Office will work with you in every way possible to make this transition to e-filing smooth and relatively pain-free! We encourage all attorneys to begin e-filing in the civil case types as soon as possible in order to avoid a last minute rush just before the deadline. By beginning early, we will have time to work with each attorney and office to perfect the process.

The statewide e-Portal is not yet set up to accept filings in criminal cases types; for example, criminal, traffic, and juvenile divisions of the trial court. As soon as the portal is set up for us, we will notify you so that you may begin filing these case types with the Leon County Clerk's Office.

Along with the e-filing, your ability to efficiently function in the electronic courts will be greatly enhanced by access to the electronic files online that is offered through our judicial website. If you are not currently using this function, please visit our website at www.clerk.leon.fl.us, Online Services, Forms and Assistance, Miscellaneous Forms, Request for Access to Subscription Judicial Website, to register. As always, if you have any questions, we encourage you to contact our office for more information.