At the direction of the Legislature, the Florida Supreme Court's Office of the State Courts Administrator has developed a weighted caseload system to determine judicial workload and assess the need for additional judges. The new system is reasonable, and the Court should be commended for its efforts.
We recommend that the Legislature consider requiring the Florida Supreme Court to study the impact of using supplemental resources such as special masters, hearing officers, and mediators, on judicial workload. This information will be critical as the state defines and assumes funding for the state court system.

Information Brief on Weighted Caseload Methods of Assessing Judicial Workload and Certifying the Need for Additional Judges
Report 97-67 March 1998
Review of the Efficiency of the Two-Tiered Trial Court System and the Process for Certifying Judges
Report 97-36 January 1998

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.