Posted on 12/06/2016 2:40:07 PM PST by nickcarraway
Newly installed Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran on Monday directed a torrent of criticism at the state's Supreme Court, going so far as to declare the seven justices an "enemy" of free markets and a good business climate.
Corcoran, an attorney who has risen to one of the most powerful posts in state government, has been critical of the high court in the past, but he struck a more defiant and strident tone when speaking before a business organization that lobbies in Tallahassee.
"The enemy is not the House of Representatives, the enemy is not the state Senate, the enemy is not a governor," Corcoran said during the annual conference of the Associated Industries of Florida. "The enemy are basically seven individuals who meet in private in black robes."
Corcoran insisted that the high court - and, particularly, three of the court's most experienced justices - flouted the separation of powers and "over and over again" used rulings to rewrite Florida law.
He said that he tried unsuccessfully in 2012 to raise money in an effort to block those justices from earning new six-year terms on the court.
Among the decisions Corcoran cited was one that required state legislators to testify in a court challenge to congressional and legislative maps that ultimately resulted in new districts being drawn by the courts. He also cited decisions earlier this year that struck down portions of the law that deals with worker's compensation insurance for injured workers.
Insurance rates are coming up in the wake of that ruling, and now business groups are asking legislators to change the law. He also cited a decision that struck down a private school voucher law pushed by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
The remarks by Corcoran, once a top aide to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio when he was in the Legislature, could be seen as a prelude in his push to make sweeping changes to Florida's judicial branch. One of the biggest changes Corcoran wants is a mandatory 12-year term limit for all judges. That would require a constitutional amendment that must be approved by voters.
Corcoran's swing at the Florida Supreme Court came on the same day that he met privately with Chief Justice Jorge Labarga. He said Labarga explained to him why he opposes Corcoran's push for judicial term limits.
Five of those seven should have been impeached, convicted and removed after their scofflaw tactics in the Florida recount in 2000. Time to take out the trash.
It is the State Legislature’s JOB to remove these recalcitrant judges for their bad behavior. START REMOVING!
Larbarga is one of those who I voted t o not keep in this election, sadly it seems he got to keep his job.
Saying that there are a good couple of decent conservatives on the bench, but we need to get rid of the Crist appointments.
Please, please get it on the ballot. Every time there are the retention of Judges on the ballot, it is all no where my pen lands.
I voted last month to remove all that were on the ballot.
These sleazy black robes took monies from the electric utilities and tried to trick the voters into cementing utility monopoly over solar power in Florida. The voters saw the trickery and that measure DID get defeated but the supremes were doing all they could to placate their big $$$ donors.
Making impeachment easier would be a good judicial reform. Also, add 2 justices to the court, make it 9.
Corcoran is a great guy, he is a firebrand...
And as a result of a 2012 constitutional referendum, the FL supremes will draw federal congressional districts after every census. Free government is slipping away on all fronts.
The problem is that the Florida bar controls the judicial nomonation process in Florida. Either let the governor make appointments, or let there be opposition candidates who can run against incumbents rather than just having retenion elections.
I voted against every one of them who was up for retention.
So did I.But the people got what they wanted. Let them live with it.
Perhaps if Jeb! had done that, he would have had some respect as a conservative/Republican.
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