Supreme Court of Florida
In Re: Amendments to the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure and The…
July 3, 2014
Summary
The Supreme Court of Florida adopted most proposed amendments governing capital postconviction proceedings, with modifications, to improve efficiency, impose meaningful deadlines, strengthen case management, and clarify counsel and records responsibilities. The Court declined to adopt proposed 180-day filing limits for certain successive postconviction claims and made the amendments effective January 1, 2015, except for lead-counsel qualifications effective April 1, 2015. Justice Canady, joined by Justice Polston in the relevant portion, would have permitted self-representation in capital postconviction proceedings and adopted the proposed 180-day limits.