  THE
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| 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT JOURNAL | SPRING 1997 |
Table of Contents
sound block (sound blok) n. A piece of wood or other hard substance usually in a circular or square form. Primarily used by judges to strike their gavel on to open court or gain attention. [Orig. English Common Law, 1655]
In this issue of the SOUND BLOCK, I am proud to announce the inception of the Employee of the Quarter award. Public sector employment offers few opportunities to reward truly outstanding employee effort and contribution. This award represents the Ninth Judicial Circuit's very modest attempt to recognize the work of its employees. The Employee of the Quarter will be awarded one day of merit leave, a letter of commendation, and special parking privilege throughout the quarter (dependant upon work location).
Many names were submitted from throughout the Circuit. The Court Administrator and the four Division Heads filtered through the list of nominations and submitted three finalists to the Chief Judge. After careful consideration, Judge Perry selected the Ninth Circuit's first Employee of the Quarter, Erin O'Leary.
Erin is employed as a Law Clerk. During the last several months, Erin has worked tirelessly to setup and implement the three judge appellate panel system.
Additionally, Erin has utilized her considerable legal skills and talents to assist the judiciary with the extraordinary demands of the State of Florida v. Medina. The exceptional quality of Erin's work consistently draws high marks from the Judges of the Ninth Circuit.
Reminder: Please submit all future nominations, with support documentation, for the Employee of the Quarter to Matt Benefiel, Court Administrator.
The Honorable Belvin Perry, Jr. was unanimously reelected in February to a second term as Chief Judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. His term will run from July 1, 1997 thru June 30, 1999. Judge Perry will continue to lead the Court toward creating a more user-friendly and efficient system which will better serve the public.
On February 14, 1997, Circuit Judges Tony Johnson and Roger McDonald and County Judge Jim Henson were sworn in at the Downtown Mariott. The event was witnessed by over 350 officials, friends and family members.
The Honorable Renee A. Roche was appointed Circuit Judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court by Governor Lawton Chiles in February. She will serve in Osceola County and be responsible for leading a new Juvenile Division designated to hear all juvenile matters. Judge Roche was an Orange County Traffic Judge prior to her appointment.
On April 25, 1997, Osceola Courtroom 'D' will officially be renamed the 'Gary L. Formet, Sr. Courtroom'. It will take place on the front lawn of the Osceola Courthouse. Beverages and dessert will be served at the conclusion of the ceremony.
The Hon. Belvin Perry, Jr., Chief Judge, recently issued the following Administrative Orders:
Order 07-96-39 revises the required American with Disabilities Act language re: accommodations on notices for court proceedings to be held in a public facility and all process compelling appearance at all such proceedings. It is effective nunc pro tunc to January 1, 1997 and vacates Order 07-92-26.
Order 07-96-40 provides authorization for the Florida Juvenile Justice Advisory Board to remove court files for the limited purpose of completing [their] research project. It is effective February 11, 1997.
Order 07-96-41 concerns the appointment of Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officers and is effective nunc pro tunc to February 7, 1997. This Order vacates Order 07-96-10.
Order 7-96-43 addresses the release of certain inmates from custody without the requirement of a judicial order. This inmate category partially includes persons arrested under an incorrect identity, defective capias or recalled warrant. Please see the Order for the entire range of reasons. It is effective February 26, 1997.
Order 07-96-44 provides for emergency proceedings for both Orange & Osceola counties to be held by video from the Orange County Courthouse. This Order applies to all criminal cases except Juvenile cases which will adhere to the current procedure. It is effective nunc pro tunc to February 22, 1997.
Court Administration secures language and speech interpreters for those who encounter a communication barrier. Interpreters are sent to all venues within the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court.
During the last half of 1996, the Court provided interpreter services in 1,594 cases. Requests were tracked by case type. County Criminal required the vast majority at 937 cases (59%) and Circuit Criminal had 307 cases(19%). The Juvenile Division accounted for 65 cases (4%) and all other requests labeled Miscellaneous amounted to 288 cases (18%). Court Administration is working on new policies and procedures for the use of interpreters within the Circuit Court.
Osceola Court Administration fielded four teams in the February 1997 Junior Achievement Bowl-a-thon. Their participation raised $718.42 for Junior Achievement. The great success of the event is due to all participants and Madalyn Smith who coordinated the event. Everyone who participated left their own mark in the sport of bowling. It will, however, never be the same!
On April 18, 1997, Victim's Rights Week will be observed at the Osceola County Courthouse at noon on the Courthouse steps in honor of past victims and for the prevention of future victims. It is sponsored by the Domestic Violence Task Force of Orange and Osceola Counties.
As a reminder, all media inquiries should be directed to either Karen Levey or Crissy Lewis at 836-2050.
On March 21, 1997 Judge Perry appointed Kathy Shieve as General Master for Mental Health Proceedings in Osceola County. She will be responsible for conducting hearings at Charter Hospital (Kissimmee) for involuntary placement of persons who are mentally ill.
Greg Bowman and Kelly Moser were hired as part-time Teen Court Program Assistants.
Nikki Royer assumed the role of J.A. for Judge Mihok upon the departure of J.A. Becky Bichard.
Darlene Mahaleris will assume her duties as J.A. to Judge Grincewicz in early April, 1997.
Sonja Mayler is returning to Court Administration in Jury Services as an Assistant. Welcome Back Sonya!
The Orange County Teen Court Advisory Board sponsored a fund raising event on 2-1-97 for the Thomas S. Kirk Scholarship Fund. The event was held at Planet Holleywood/Pleasure Island Lake Buena Vista and drew approximately 150 people. The scholarships are at Valencia Community College and now total more than $44,000.00 .
Volunteer teens participated in the St. John's River Clean-up Campaign. They scoured the waterway picking up trash and debris. It was a huge environmental success sponsored by the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Orange County's Teen Court collected Easter candy, toys and school supplies for homeless children. Over 50 homeless children received Easter bags as a result their efforts. The contributions were made thru the Coalition for the Homeless.
Electronic Mail Forwarding; All-in-1 (A1) users can forward their Email to an Internet address. To do so,
from A1 proceed to 3rd electronic message menu (page down 2x);
select Auto Forwarding;
Enter your Internet Email address followed by @inet@oa1. For example: UMASS#1@aol.com@inet@oa1 (use the letter 'o' and number '1' for oal) Please remember to select the Cancel Auto Forwarding option upon returning to work.
Backup Disk from Desktop Icon; The Microsoft backup utility program provides the capability to backup selected files across multiple diskettes directly from the Windows 95 desktop. To create a backup procedure, record and save a backup set by using the backup utility program in the Systems Tool Folder. To launch the automated backup procedure from a desktop icon, create a shortcut that points to the saved backup set. Contact Information Systems at 836-6010 if you are interested in using this feature.
ScanDisk - Windows 95: PC users should run the ScanDisk utility once-a-week. ScanDisk checks your disk's surface, files, and folders for errors and automatically fixes any problems. To run ScanDisk please follow these steps:
click start from the taskbar;
select Programs, Accessories, System Tools;
click ScanDisk;
select the "Automatically fix errors" and the "Standard" options (note: select the thorough option once-a-month);
click Start. Running ScanDisk on a regular basis will eliminate many service calls.
Accept things you cannot change, have the courage to change things you can and have the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebur
Completed
On 2-22-97, Judge Kirkland conducted the first video hearings between the Orange Co. Video Court Room and the Osceola Co. Jail. Video networking allowed Orange Co. Trial Clerks to be sworn in as Osceola Trial Clerks. This ceremony was conducted by Osceola Clerk of Court Larry Whaley. The technology eliminated transportation and time constraints which would have otherwise been encountered. The improved system also provides video conferencing for meetings between judges and staff in both counties and adjunct hearings with inmates in either jail on short notice.
In Progress:
Information Systems has installed a Window NT computer network. Currently, Circuit and County Civil, Court Administration & Information Systems are connected to the network. In the very near future, Juvenile Court and selected users in the Criminal Courts Building will be added to the network. The computer system includes Exchange Email, Schedule+, Outlook Groupware, Premis Legal Research, Shepard's Citations, Internet access and file sharing functions.
Future plans include connecting all of the Ninth Circuit Orange Co. Users and implementing additional Court applications. Exact target dates are dependant upon the capacity of the existing network configuration and completion of the new courthouse.
The Centralized Court Reporting system has been successfully installed at Juvenile Court. The Electronic Court Reporting staff assigned to Juvenile completed their initial training on the system. Enhanced use of this system will occur in the near future.
Osceola County's Integrated Court Information System has been activated in the Traffic, Domestic and Civil Divisions and plans are underway to go on-line in the Criminal Division in the near future.
In Planning:
A New Judge Training Manual is being developed by Judges Lauten and Kirkwood. It will provide general information about the Court, role playing, media relations and various aspects of judicial procedure.
Judges Carter and Cohen are leading the effort for a Judicial Speaking Bureau. Judges will speak to civic and community groups periodically on a wide range of topics.
A Guide to Understanding the Court System is being coordinated by Judges Brewer and Prather. It will provide elementary information on how the court system operates, where offices are located and who is responsible for various matters.
The Orlando Law School has been approached by Judges Grincewicz, Halker and Roche to foster an enhanced relationship with the Court. Initial discussions have focused on a legal extern program for 2nd and 3rd year law students.
The following is a synopsis of state-wide events concerning the judiciary and Ninth Circuit Court staff.
The Court will be closed on 5/26/97 in observance of Memorial Day.
The Second Annual Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Retreat will be held on May 2-4, 1997 at the Sheraton Harbortown Resort in Palm Coast, Florida. Participants from both the Orange and Osceola Judiciary, Court Administration and both Clerk of Court Offices will focus on current topics affecting the Court and pursue new issues which will enhance the efficiency of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Court.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Picnic will be held on May 17, 1997 at 1:00 p.m. The fun and festivities will be at the Moss Park Recreation Facility. It is located 4 miles southeast of State Route 15 (Narcoossee Road) on Moss Park Road. There is a $1 parking fee per vehicle. We will have a catered lunch ($5) provided by Fat Boy's B-B-Q, games and sporting events. Each office can form their own team to compete against others in softball, volleyball, tennis or tug-of war. Please submit your payment to one of the following people located in your building by May 9, 1997:
Karen Levey (Suite 1130, Civil Court Building)
Gay Aaron (Rm 445 Main Courthouse)
Dee McClendon (Rm 230 Traffic Court)
Diana Steele (Juvenile Court) and Dottie Richardson (Osceola Courthouse).
We look forward to seeing you there rain or shine.
Judges Premis Class at OSCA, Tallahassee, 4/16, 6/4, 1997
Judges WordPerfect/Intermediate Class, OSCA, Tallahassee, 4/17-18, 6/5-6, 1997
Judges WordPerfect 6.1 beginner class, OSCA, Tallahassee, 4/14-15 and June 2-3, 1997
Conference of County Court Judges Spring Meeting, Radisson, Tallahassee, 4/23-25, 1997
Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, Annual Business Meeting, PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach Gardens, 6/15-18, 1997 The Florida Bar Annual Meeting, Walt Disney World Dolphin, Orlando, 6/25-28, 1997
Prudential HealthCare has announced their arrival on the Internet. Their site is at http://prudential.com/healthcare. You can browse and find information on the following areas: Provider Directory, Interactive Health Assessment and Quizzes, Products and Services Overview, Health Tips and The Prudential Center for Health Care Research. The site will allow you to evaluate the quality of their plans and provides status summaries.
As a reminder, you are must report all accidents/injuries to your supervisor as soon as possible. Section 284.385
Fl Statute requires employers to immediately report all worker's compensation claims for handling. The First Report of Injury must now be completed and mailed within 24 hours of the supervisor's knowledge of the worker's compensation injury.
Except in a medical emergency, failure to make arrangements for necessary medical care through the appropriate managed care network could result in the employee becoming responsible for any medical care provided outside of the managed care network. Your questions concerns should be directed to Human Resources at 836-2050.
An Office Incident/Theft Report is now available to all court personnel from Court Administration. Anyone who wishes to report an incident or theft of property should contact Karen Levey or Crissy Lewis at 836-2050. A form will be sent to you for completion. Please return it to Crissy Lewis and it will be routed to the O.C.S.O. Court Security Unit/Orlando Police Dept.
The Court Security Unit was called upon to handle the highly publicized Pedro Medina case. The Sheriff's Office assumed responsibility for six Death Row inmates who testified on Medina's competency. During the four days of testimony before Judge Conrad, no complications were encountered.
Judge Kirkland has completed six marathons including the 100th running of the Boston Marathon.
Assistant Court Administrator Ron Johnson was an Army paratrooper in the XVIII Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division. He made over 60 military jumps in four years. As a Legal Administrator, he served in the Army JAGC Corps for over 20 years in numerous assignments including Korea and Alaska.
J.A. Linda Gentry was a licensed Emergency Medical Technician with the Polk County EMS Unit. Now, her children and husband rely heavily on her expertise due to their numerous cuts, bruises and such.
HBO Productions will be filming "From the Earth to the Moon" in and around the Orange County Courthouse during the month of July. It will be directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption).
In Osceola County, planning for the new courthouse is going forward. The OMNI organization recently completed Phase I of a space survey on behalf of HLM Architects. The County Commissioners approved their initial recommendations which estimated future needs at:
13-15 new Judges by 2007
20-24 new judges by 2017
In approximately two weeks the expected square footage and specific space requirements will be presented to the Osceola Board of County Commissioners. The BCC's final approved report should be sent to HLM by early summer.
Orange County's new courthouse will see activity this fall. Following are anticipated time frames for departmental moves: State Attorney (end of August),
Public Defender (end of September), Circuit Court (end of October thru December). The final schedule is subject to change, but is anticipated to be completed by the end of 1997.
The Sound Block is a quarterly publication
courtesy of the:
Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Court Administrator's Office
Orange Co. Civil Court Building,
Suite 1130
37 North Orange Avenue
Orlando, Florida 32801
(407) 836-2050
Edited & Published By:
Charles L. Hydovitz
Deputy Court Administrator
Under the Direction of:
The Hon. Belvin Perry, Jr.
Chief Judge, and
Matt Benefiel,
Court Administrator
