Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Justice Administrative Commission

What is the purpose of the commission?

The Justice Administrative Commission was created in 1965 and provides administrative services on behalf of 49 judicial related entities, including Florida's state attorneys, public defenders, the capital collateral regional counsels, the criminal conflict and civil regional counsels, and the Guardian ad Litem Program. The commission also provides review of billings for services provided by private court-appointed attorneys representing indigent citizens and associated due process vendors.

What is the composition of the commission?

The commission is comprised of two state attorneys and two public defenders, who are appointed by their respective professional associations, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, and the Florida Public Defender Association. The commissioners appoint the executive director. 

What services does the commission provide?

The commission provides administrative services to the 49 judicial related entities primarily in the areas of accounting, budget, financial services, and human resources. The commission contracts with private court-appointed attorneys, indigent for cost attorneys, and due process service providers and reviews their billings for completeness and compliance with statutory and contractual requirements.

The commission is also charged with maintaining a registry of mental health and other experts who are available and willing to provide examinations and expert testimony in proceedings relating to the civil commitment of sexually violent predators. While the commission does not verify the professional qualifications of persons listed on the registry, s. 394.932, Florida Statutes, requires the commission to list the name and contact information of all persons holding themselves out to be qualified to provide examinations and expert testimony upon request.

The commission also holds regular public meetings.

What is the commission's workload and performance?

In Fiscal Year 2019-20, the commission processed 397,210 accounting transactions and 58,897 court-appointed attorney and due process vendor invoices. The commission processed 97.13% of invoices within statutory time frames (the legislative performance standard was 95.00%).

How are these activities funded?

Fiscal Year: 2021-22
Fund Dollars Positions
JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION
CAPITAL COLLATERAL REGIONAL COUNSELS
PROGRAM: MIDDLE REGIONAL COUNSEL
CAPITAL JUSTICE REPRESENTATION - MIDDLE REGIONAL COUNSEL
5,458,315
42.00
PROGRAM: NORTHERN REGIONAL COUNSEL
CAPITAL JUSTICE REPRESENTATION - NORTHERN REGIONAL COUNSEL
2,893,651
20.00
PROGRAM: SOUTHERN REGIONAL COUNSEL
CAPITAL JUSTICE REPRESENTATION - SOUTHERN REGIONAL COUNSEL
4,539,878
34.00
CRIMINAL CONFLICT AND CIVIL REGIONAL COUNSELS
01-PROGRAM: REGIONAL CONFLICT COUNSEL - FIRST
14,865,259
137.00
02-PROGRAM: REGIONAL CONFLICT COUNSEL - SECOND
13,220,974
127.50
03-PROGRAM: REGIONAL CONFLICT COUNSEL - THIRD
8,788,458
76.50
04-PROGRAM: REGIONAL CONFLICT COUNSEL - FOURTH
14,133,447
127.00
05-PROGRAM: REGIONAL CONFLICT COUNSEL - FIFTH
10,337,537
104.00
PROGRAM: JUSTICE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES
150,284,514
94.50
PROGRAM: STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE
56,108,227
747.50
PUBLIC DEFENDERS
PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE DIVISION
02-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE - SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
3,363,378
35.00
07-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE - SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
3,349,835
33.00
10-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE - TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
5,124,411
50.00
11-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE - ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
1,891,583
18.00
15-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS APPELLATE - FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
4,326,275
37.00
01-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
10,890,041
126.00
02-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
7,300,183
86.00
03-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
3,535,460
33.00
04-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
14,040,619
156.00
05-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
11,339,924
127.50
06-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
19,800,439
238.50
07-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
10,235,173
117.00
08-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - EIGHTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
6,800,511
75.00
09-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
18,699,678
220.00
10-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
9,739,121
116.00
11-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
33,851,948
390.00
12-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
9,378,385
95.50
13-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
19,660,838
217.00
14-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
6,535,544
67.00
15-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
16,877,835
189.00
16-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
3,485,288
39.00
17-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - SEVENTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
20,803,701
223.00
18-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
11,065,294
113.00
19-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
7,968,446
86.00
20-PROGRAM: PUBLIC DEFENDERS - TWENTIETH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
13,440,204
141.00
STATE ATTORNEYS
01-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
18,659,891
230.00
02-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
11,211,014
114.00
03-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
6,359,326
70.00
04-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
31,746,450
364.00
05-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
23,604,708
248.00
06-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
40,614,944
463.00
07-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
20,355,255
238.00
08-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - EIGHTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
11,461,434
135.00
09-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
32,996,381
385.50
10-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - TENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
22,046,625
234.00
11-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
96,243,573
1,268.00
12-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - TWELFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
16,981,335
192.00
13-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
30,009,557
332.00
14-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
10,795,832
122.00
15-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
28,917,581
333.00
16-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
5,554,531
62.00
17-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - SEVENTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
44,010,107
511.50
18-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
24,144,278
285.00
19-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
14,180,759
165.00
20-PROGRAM: STATE ATTORNEYS - TWENTIETH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
26,166,403
303.00
TOTAL
1,070,194,358
10,593.50

Where can I find related OPPAGA reports?


A complete list of related OPPAGA reports is available on our website.

Where can I get more information?

Other Reports

Due Process Services, OPPAGA Report 19-18, December 2019

Justice Administrative Commission, Statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office, and Selected Offices of State Attorneys, Public Defenders, Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsels, and Capital Collateral Regional Counsels - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report No. 2020-008, July 2019. 

Justice Administrative Commission - Offices of the State Attorneys - Third Judicial Circuit - Fifth Judicial Circuit - Sixth Judicial Circuit - Offices of the Public Defenders - Third Judicial Circuit - Sixteenth Judicial Circuit - and - Offices of the Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel - Operational Audit, Auditor General Report No. 2015-061, December 2014.

The Auditor General reports on the Justice Administration Commission operations are available on its website.


Websites of Interest
Capital Collateral Regional Counsels
Guardian ad Litem
Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, First District
Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Second District
Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Third District
Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Fourth District
Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, Fifth District

Performance Information


Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

What are the applicable statutes?

Sections 27.511, 39.8296, 40.29, 43.16, and 394.932, Florida Statutes.

Whom do I contact for help?

Alton L. "Rip" Colvin, Jr., Executive Director, 850-488-2415

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