Work continues in Florida's courts, including details from Palm Beach County

Work of the judicial branch continues around Florida as the public health emergency continues. How it’s happening on the ground can be seen throughout the state, and in the experience of one South Florida county.

Palm Beach County’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Krista March holds a judges meeting using video teleconferencing.

In Palm Beach County’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, as elsewhere, judges, magistrates and court staff are working diligently to ensure constitutional rights are protected and the courts remain accessible.

Chief Judge Krista Marx issued an administrative order to assure and clarify judges of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit remain ready and available to hear all essential and non-essential court events. Judges in the Fifteenth Circuit have worked to ensure litigants have had continued access to the court and its services. From March 23 to April 15:

• Circuit Criminal Judges held more than 746 hearings and entered more than 2,867 orders;
• Probate Judges entered over 4,296 orders and other legal documents, and presided over 260 hearings;
• Family Judges conducted more than 331 hearings and entered over 4,409 documents;
• Juvenile Judges presided over 738 Dependency and Delinquency hearings and signed more than 1,749 orders;
• Circuit Civil Judges presided over 790 hearings, with more 3,123 orders entered;
• County Civil Judges conducted more than 381 hearings and entered 2,971 court documents. They have held 75 remote PIP hearings with 229 orders entered;

Judge Greg Keyser conducts a juvenile hearing remotely using video conferring. On screen is Department of Children and Families attorney Alicia Reeves.

• County Criminal Judges presided over 424 hearings, with more than 3,591 orders entered;
• In Veterans' Court, the presiding judge held 30 hearings and entered more than 603 orders;
• General Magistrates conducted 313 hearings and signed 618 reports and orders as well as presiding over 75 Marchman and Baker Act hearings;
• First appearance of arrested individuals has continued seamlessly with 731 persons having hearings at the Gun Club Facility;
• The jail population has been reduced by 33 percent to 1,527 defendants. This reduction is a result of collaborative efforts by the court and its partners to release those persons who do not pose a safety threat to the community.

Chief Judge Marx has worked to keep the courts and courthouses of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit open in other ways, as well. Safety measures have been implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of those persons who must appear in person including judges; judicial assistants; court staff; court partners; litigants; attorneys; and the public. In collaboration with and funding from Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, two non-invasive temperature reading devices are in use at the main courthouse and juvenile wing of the main courthouse. Additional temperature reading stations have been set up by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the satellite courthouses.

With close collaboration among court partners, the Fifteenth judicial Circuit has reduced face-to-face hearings to only those unable to be held effectively by a variety of remote technology. When in-person hearings are necessary, safety protocols are in place to ensure social distancing. Court staff are fulfilling their responsibilities through a combination of teleworking and onsite work. Rotating teams of on-site staff reduce in-person contact.