In Florida, there’s a government organization called the Division of Administrative Hearings that helps resolve disputes between people and government agencies. It’s important for making sure everyone gets a fair chance to be heard. It’s not always the fastest way to solve problems, but it’s necessary to keep the government from becoming too powerful. This organization is set up to be fair and impartial, just like the courts, and it’s an important part of our system of government. In the past, Florida had a simple process for handling administrative issues within government agencies. But, things changed in 1974 when the Division of Administrative Hearings was created to handle these matters. This division is not part of any specific government department, but instead reports directly to the Governor and Cabinet. It has its own budget and is funded by the work it does for government agencies. The division’s budget is approved by the legislature. The director can appeal budget decisions made by the Executive Office of the Governor to the Administration Commission. The Division is supported by the Department of Management Services, but it is not controlled by them. Administrative law judges are experienced lawyers who work for the Division. They tend to stay in their jobs for a long time. Currently, there are 39 administrative law judges, and since 1974, there have only been 69 people who have worked in this role. In the division, most of the cases are from nine agencies, with the Health Care Administration being the busiest. Local agencies also use the administrative law judges a lot. In 1998-99, judges handled 175 new cases on average, with over half of them going to a hearing. This is a lot compared to the U.S. District Court, where most cases end before a trial. The Florida legislature made some changes to the Administrative Procedure Act, giving administrative law judges more authority in rule challenges and adjudicatory cases. This means they have the final say in some important decisions. Having a central panel of judges, like the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, helps make sure the judges are fair and unbiased. This panel also helps the judges stay independent and free from pressure. When judges make decisions in legal cases, it’s important for them to remain fair and independent. Having a central location for administrative law judges helps to prevent unfair contacts that could influence their decisions. This also helps them to be more consistent in how they make decisions. The judges are held accountable for being productive and efficient, but they are also protected from political interference. This system helps to ensure that the judges can do their jobs fairly and independently. The division is a group created by law that helps resolve disputes. It follows specific rules to be efficient, like holding hearings within a certain time period. It also provides unbiased information about how well government agencies are doing their job. The division is made up of judges who are experts in the law and make sure everyone gets a fair process. Having offices in a central building allows for informal interaction and peer review among colleagues, which helps improve the quality of work. This also saves money and makes processes more efficient. The division has upgraded its computer system to save time and money, and they are moving to a completely online docket so that all case documents can be accessed and printed from their website. The Florida division started using video teleconferencing for hearings in 1994. They have 11 sites across the state for these video hearings. In the year 1998-99, they scheduled 129 video hearings, which saved a lot of money on travel costs. As technology improves, they plan to have even more hearings done through video. This is especially helpful for administrative hearings, where the evidence is usually already written down and the credibility of witnesses is not as important. The Florida Division of Administrative Hearings has been providing due process for over 25 years, following the state’s commitment to this important function. They have a number of administrative law judges and are located in Florida. They handle cases efficiently and have a reliable system in place. It is important for the state to provide due process within the executive branch, and the Division of Administrative Hearings has been successful in fulfilling this duty.
Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/the-florida-division-of-administrative-hearings/
Leave a Reply