The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title V
JUDICIAL BRANCH

Chapter 34
COUNTY COURTS

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F.S. 34.021

34.021 Qualifications of county court judges.—

(1) No person is eligible for election or appointment to the office of county court judge unless the person is, and has been for the preceding 5 years, a member in good standing of the bar of Florida prior to qualifying for election to such office or submitting his or her name to the appropriate judicial nominating commission for appointment. However, a person is eligible for election or appointment to the office of county court judge in a county having a population of 40,000 or less if he or she is a member in good standing of the bar of Florida.

(2) A county court judge is eligible to seek reelection or retention, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), if, on the first day of the qualification period for election to such office or a retention vote, such judge is actively serving in such office and is not under suspension or disqualification.

(3) Any person who was a county court judge prior to July 1, 1978, in any county having a population of 40,000 or less, according to the last decennial census, and who has successfully completed a 3-year law training program approved by the Supreme Court for the training of county court judges who are not members of The Florida Bar is eligible to seek election or retention and to serve as a county court judge in any county having a population of 40,000 or less, the provisions of subsection (1) to the contrary notwithstanding.

(4) Any county judge who is not a member of the bar, in any county having a population of 40,000 or less, according to the last decennial census, and who has successfully completed a law training program approved by the Supreme Court for the training of county court judges who are not members of The Florida Bar is entitled to serve as a county court judge in any county encompassed in the circuit in which the judge has been elected or retained in a retention vote, when assigned thereto.

History.—s. 10, ch. 72-404; s. 1, ch. 78-346; s. 1, ch. 79-411; s. 1, ch. 83-166; s. 1, ch. 84-303; s. 194, ch. 95-147; s. 1, ch. 99-355.

F.S. 34.021 on Google Scholar

F.S. 34.021 on Casetext

Amendments to 34.021

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 34.021

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 34.021.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases from cite.case.law:

MILLER, v. GROSS, 788 So. 2d 256 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000)

. . . Section 34.021(1), Florida Statutes (1999), makes it clear that the time for measuring the five-year . . .

NEWMAN, v. STATE C. J., 602 So. 2d 1351 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1992)

. . . Edward Newman appeals an order of the trial court which held that section 34.021, Florida Statutes (1991 . . . Under section 34.021, Florida Statutes (1991), a candidate for county court judge must have been a member . . . If section 34.021 is controlling, then Newman is not eligible to be a candidate for county court judge . . . The court gave an expedited ruling, holding that section 34.021 is constitutional. . . . )(1), (d)(7) (1972). .For simplicity, other provisions of this and subsequent amendments to section 34.021 . . .

A. DAMRON, In CITRUS COUNTY, v. WEHAUSEN,, 435 So. 2d 416 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1983)

. . . The writ of prohibition was based on the fact that section 34.021(3), Florida Statutes (1981), provides . . . unnecessary to determine whether a non-lawyer county court judge who is elected pursuant to section 34.021 . . . Subsection (2) of section 34.021 contains no limitation or qualification as to county population. . . . We realize that except for the reference in subsection (3) of section 34.021, all of section 34.021 relates . . . Judge Damron was qualified to seek reelection as county court judge under section 34.021(2) and that . . .

W. TREIMAN, v. STATE MINER, Jr., 343 So. 2d 819 (Fla. 1977)

. . . Section 34.021, Florida Statutes (1975). . . . no difficulty concluding that the division of county courts into two classes effectuated by Section 34.021 . . .