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A committee is considering a controversial plan to reduce the number of judicial circuits in Florida. But some discussion about the plan will be happening behind closed doors.
There will be a meeting to hear public comment this Friday at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.
But, two closed-door meetings will be happening in November.
The committee was established earlier this year after Republican House Speaker Paul Renner requested consolidating some of Florida’s judicial circuits. He claimed that the consolidation would lead to “greater efficiency” in the judicial process.
But, at an August meeting in Orlando, public comment was mainly against the changes. Some claimed that it is a political move – including Democratic State Senator Geraldine Thompson.
“I feel that this proposal has been put forward to change the demographics of certain of the judicial districts, both in terms of ethnic makeup, in terms of voter registration, to concentrate power in the administration.”
The Tampa Bay Times reports a spokesperson for the committee claimed public access laws do not apply to the group. But the Director of Public Access Initiatives at the Florida Center for Government Accountability told the Times that holding private meetings would go against a constitutional rule.
