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Florida Amendment 1, Judicial Circuit Amendment (1934)
| Florida Amendment 1 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State judicial authority and State judiciary structure |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Florida Amendment 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Florida on November 6, 1934. It was approved.
A “yes” vote supported providing for 15 judicial circuits and the number of judges within each. |
A “no” vote opposed providing for 15 judicial circuits and the number of judges within each. |
Election results
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Florida Amendment 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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101,086 | 78.42% | ||
| No | 27,813 | 21.58% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Amendment 1 was as follows:
| “ | NO. ONE Proposing to Amend Article V of the Constitution of Florida Relating to the Judiciary by Adding Thereto an Additional Section to be Known as Section 45. Providing that there Shall Be No More than Fifteen Judicial Circuits of the State of Florida, the Same to be Designated, Numbered and Defined by Act of the Legislature; Provided, that no Such Judicial Circuit Shall Embrace Less than Fifty Thousand Inhabitants According to the Last Preceding State or Federal Census; and Provided Further, that No Existing Judicial Circuit Shall be Affected Except by Act of the Legislature Under this Amendment; Nor Shall Any Existing Circuit Judge or State Attorney be Disturbed in the Tenure of his Office Until the Expiration of his Present Commission; making it the Duty of the Legislature at its Next Regular Session to Pass Suitable Laws to Effect this Amendment, and Providing that There Shall Be One Circuit Judge to Each Judicial Circuit, but Additional Circuit Judges May be Provided for by Law as Now Authorized, But the Total Number of Circuit Judges in any One Circuit Shall Not Exceed One for Every Fifty Thousand Inhabitants or Major Fraction Thereof; and Providing that in Circuits Having More than One Judge, the Legislature May Designate the Place of Residence of Any such Additional Judge or Judges. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Constitutional changes
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Section 45. (a) There shall be no more than fifteen judicial circuits of the State of Florida to be appropriately designated, numbered and defined by a suitable law enacted by the Legislature for that purpose in accordance with the amendment; Provided that no judicial circuit as defined by law hereunder shall embrace less than fifty thousand inhabitants according to the last preceding State or Federal census; and provided further, that no judicial circuit existing at the time of the ratification of this amendment shall be affected, altered, or abolished, except in the manner provided in this amendment for carrying the same into execution, nor shall any existing Circuit Judge or State Attorney be disturbed in the tenure of his office until the expiration of any commission held by him on the date this amendment is ratified. (b) It shall be the duty of the Legislature at its next regular session after the amendment shall have been ratified to pass suitable laws to carry this amendment into effect, and to make effective the reapportionment and reduction of judicial circuits and Circuit Judges hereby contemplated. (c) There shall be one Circuit Judge to each Judicial Circuit but additional Circuit Judges for judicial Circuit may be provided for by law as authorized by Section 43 of Amended Article V of this Constitution, but the total number of Circuit Judges apportioned to any one judicial circuit shall not exceed one Circuit Judge for every fifty thousand inhabitants, or major fraction thereof, after this amendment shall have been put into effect. (d) In Circuits having more than one Judge the Legislature may designate the place of residence of any such additional Judge or Judges. (e) The re-apportionment of Circuits and Judges thereof hereby provided for shall become effective sixty days after the act providing for same shall have become law. |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Florida Constitution
A 60% vote was required during one legislative session for the Florida State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounted to a minimum of 51 votes in the Florida House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Florida State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments did not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments on the ballot required a simple majority vote in this year.
See also
External links
- Florida Constitution Revision Commission, "Florida's Constitutions: The Documentary History"
- The Palm Beach Post Times, "Educational Ballot --- General Election, Palm Beach County, November 6, 1934," November 4, 1934
Footnotes
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State of Florida Tallahassee (capital) |
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