by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The latest speaker at the Meninak Club has spent most of his life working in a courthouse, so he felt qualified to explain the necessity of such a building as Jacksonville awaits a new Duval County Courthouse.
Fourth Circuit Court Judge Fred Tygart was originally scheduled to give a presentation titled “Judiciary- Yesterday and Today” but decided to take a different angle with his speech at the monthly Meninak meeting last week.
“People can’t really grasp the importance of a courthouse unless they know what goes on inside it,” said Tygart. “I found a program from the opening of the current courthouse and it lists all the offices that would be located in the building.”
The list of County offices located in the building in 1958 included the clerk of court, tax collector, tax assessor, supervisor of registration (now elections), county solicitor, state attorney, probation officer, board of county commissioners, grand jury functions, health department and plumbing inspector. The Board of Public Education was located on the fifth floor prior to residing in its own building on the Southbank.
The court system included eight circuit courts, one civil court of record, two criminal courts of record, one county court and one small claims court.
The current court system includes 29 circuit courts and 17 county courts. Circuit courts are split into civil, criminal, family, magistrate, juvenile and probate. The county courts handle cases involving criminal misdemeanor, civil matters involving matters $15,000 or less, DUI, speeding and worthless checks.
The courthouse also houses court services including Guardian ad Litem which provides legal representation for abused, abandoned and neglected children. The office employs a staff of 17 and oversees about 300 volunteers. Family court services provides people who can’t afford an attorney with representation to process divorces or other family matters.
Another program hosted by the courthouse is the Drug Court. This diversionary program provides a treatment option as opposed to traditional court penalties.
“I’d be willing to bet you or a member of your family will use one of the services at the courthouse within the next 30 days,” said Tygart to the Meninak members and their guests.
The presentation closed with questions from the crowd and one of the members wanted to know what happened to the Justice of the Peace system.
Justices of the Peace were judges with limited jurisdiction who handled minor criminal offenses.
“Some were very good. They were elected from the area where they lived and knew the community and the families,” said Tygart. “It didn’t work well when some justices of the peace decided to supplement their incomes in a way that wasn’t legally acceptable.”
The positions were eliminated in the ‘70s when the two court system, circuit and county, was established.
Tygart was also asked his opinion on the biggest change he has seen in society while serving on the bench.
“The business the judiciary receives is a direct reflection of society,” said Tygart. “We’ve got plenty of business right now.”
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