Supreme Court of Florida
In Re Amendments to the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure and The…
July 3, 2014148 So. 3d 1171
Summary
The court adopted most proposed amendments governing Florida capital postconviction proceedings, with modifications, to improve efficiency, impose case-management responsibilities, establish counsel qualifications, and create meaningful deadlines. It declined to adopt proposed 180-day filing limits for successive claims based on newly discovered evidence or newly recognized retroactive constitutional rights. The amendments generally take effect January 1, 2015, while the lead-counsel qualifications apply to attorneys appointed or retained on or after April 1, 2015. Justice Lewis, concurring, agreed with adoption but urged continued attention to counsel quality, court-reporting reliability, and governmental responsibility for avoiding systemic delay.