Court Administration

Twelfth Judicial Circuit: Our mission, vision and values

Mission

To attain justice for the individual and society through the rule of law, while providing equal access for all.

Vision

Maintain the independence of the judiciary while strengthening relations with the public, the bar, and the other branches of government.

Values

The Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court strives to continuously improve, to meet or exceed public expectations, and to ensure that all persons are treated with courtesy, dignity and respect.

Florida State Courts System: Mission and vision

Mission

To protect rights and liberties, uphold and interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Vision

Justice in Florida will be accessible, fair, effective, responsive and accountable.

To be accessible, the Florida justice system will be convenient, understandable, timely, and affordable to everyone.
To be fair, the Florida justice system will respect the dignity of every person, regardless of race, class, gender or other characteristic, apply the law appropriately to the circumstances of individual cases, and include judges and court staff who reflect the community’s diversity.
To be effective, the Florida justice system will uphold the law and apply rules and procedures consistently and in a timely manner, resolve cases with finality, and provide enforceable decisions.
To be responsive, the Florida justice system will anticipate and respond to the needs of all members of society, and provide a variety of dispute resolution methods.
To be accountable, the Florida justice system will use public resources efficiently and in a way that the public can understand.

Whatever it Takes!

The Court Administration motto is, "Whatever it takes!" Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court staff, judges and judicial assistants have a can-do attitude and strive to do whatever it takes to serve the public and ensure everyone receives fair treatment and is treated with dignity and respect.

Functions of Court Administration

Court Administration, through the Trial Court Administrator, Kim Miller, provides professional staff support to judges, manages the Court's business needs, and provides essential court resources for the general public.

Planning and budgeting: Prepare court budgets and guide those budgets through three local government review processes; purchase items essential to conduct business; acquire and oversee grants
Personnel management and succession planning: Recruit, hire, train, and mentor court employees; establish ethical standards and ensure impartial diversity practices; conduct performance appraisals
Facility management and space planning: Schedule courtrooms/hearing rooms and other physical spaces to ensure everyone has access and adequate room to work and circulate; partner with facility planners and architects to assess needs for court renovation, remodel or construction
Technology management: Seek opportunities to expand court services; provide electronic access to data, images, automated records management; assess emerging technologies for video and telecommunications, multimedia tools for education, training and information delivery; oversee courtroom technology and evidence presentation during court proceedings; implement computer-assisted systems that can improve court performance
Information management: Provide electronic access to court information for attorneys, litigants, governmental agencies, and the public
Community relations and public information: Serve as a point of contact for the release of information to the media and the public; collect and publish data on completed judicial business and the court system; facilitate or develop community outreach programs
Security management: Maintain practical standards for a secure court facility while working collaboratively with community stakeholders and criminal justice system partners
Intergovernmental liaison: Interact with other government agencies to promote collaboration while maintaining the integrity of the court as a separate but equal branch of government
Emergency preparedness and business continuity: Ensure that leadership and governance, as well as processes and protocols are in place to prevent or prepare for, respond to and recover from any threat, emergency or disaster, to ensure critical court operations can occur
Keeping the record: Ensure that the record of court actions, proceedings and outcomes, whether through official court reporters or digital court recording, are maintained, secured and accessible
Performance management and accountability: Review reports and statistics to measure court system performance, ensure timely case dispositions and balance efficient, cost-effective operations with service demands and the fair administration of justice