HISTORY OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
by Judge O. H. Eaton, Jr.
The Eighteenth
Judicial Circuit was created by the legislature in 1967 and is composed of
Brevard and Seminole Counties. Prior to that time, Brevard
and Seminole
were part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit along with Indian River, Martin,
Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, and St. Lucie Counties.
Prior to the organizational change in the court system which occurred in
1972, the Eighteenth Circuit had a variety of courts including the Circuit
Court, the
Court of Record of Brevard County, the Brevard County Magistrate's Court,
County Judge's Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts and a Small Claims Court.
Additionally,
each municipality had a Municipal Court.
The Circuit Court in Brevard County had jurisdiction
to try capital cases and civil actions not cognizable in the County Judge's
Court or the Magistrate's
Court. In Seminole County the Circuit Court had jurisdiction to try all
felony cases, including capital cases, and civil actions not cognizable in
the County
Court or the Small Claims Court. The Court of Record in Brevard County was a criminal court that tried all
criminal cases except capital cases.
The reorganization of the court system in Florida in 1972 caused many of
the courts to be abolished and resulted in statewide uniformity. The only
trial courts
remaining after the reorganization were the Circuit Court and the County
Court. The judges of the abolished courts in Brevard County became Circuit
Judges.
The population of the Circuit has grown substantially since 1972 due to the
influence of the space program in Brevard County and the effects Disney World
has had in
Seminole County. In 1973 there were a total of 13 Circuit Judges. In 2004
there are 24. The number of County Court Judges has grown from 5 to 13.
Presently, the County Court has jurisdiction to try
criminal cases classified as misdemeanors, civil actions where the amount
in controversy is less than
$15,000, small claims cases, landlord and tenant disputes and other
miscellaneous actions. The Circuit Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction. It
has jurisdiction to try criminal cases which are classified as felonies,
including
capital cases;
civil actions where the amount in controversy is $15,000 or greater
and cases which do not traditionally involve juries such as probate of
estates, mortgage
foreclosures, juvenile cases, injunctions, dissolution of marriage
actions and adoptions.
The 18th Circuit has a large geographical area with over eighty miles between the main courthouse in Viera (Melbourne) and the Criminal Justice Center in Sanford. There are a total of six courthouses in the circuit with main facilities located at Viera and Sanford. Information about the judges in the circuit is located within the individual biographies.
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