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January 24, 2001
Honorable Stephen H. Grimes Re: The Supreme Court Workload Study Commission Dear Justice Grimes: My husband and I believe that the following issue relates directly to The Supreme Court Workload Study Commission’s purpose. It is very likely that a failure in justice has occurred because the workload of the Justices of The Supreme Court of Florida has made it impossible for them to impart justice to all who seek it. In addition, it has caused them to fail to address a myriad of unethical conduct of lower court lawyers and judges. My husband and I filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus with The Supreme Court of Florida on January 16, 2001. We filed this Writ because there is a failure in justice in the system. The laws of the State of Florida provide no remedy for mistakes made by The Florida Bar personnel in handling their duties on behalf of the citizens of Florida. Everyone answers to a higher authority; The Florida Bar cannot and must not be an exception. This form of Writ was introduced to prevent disorders from a failure of justice, to be used when the law has established no other specific remedy, and where in justice and good government, there ought to be one. On January 20, 2001, my husband and I received a letter from the Chief Deputy Clerk of The Supreme Court of Florida, which is supposed to be in response to our Petition for Writ of Mandamus. A copy of this letter is enclosed. This letter clearly supports our belief that The Supreme Court of Florida’s workload is so burdensome, that even when taking the only course of action remaining to us as citizens of Florida, The Supreme Court of Florida Justices are incapable of proper review and procedural conduct, relying instead on the Chief Deputy Clerk to respond to our detailed, documented and procedurally correct Writ as presented just four days earlier. I am enclosing a copy of the Petition for Writ of Mandamus, for your committee, to have as evidence of the failure in justice which my husband and I have suffered. It is incredible that a Petition for Writ of Mandamus has been treated with such disrespect by such an august and venerable body. Very truly yours,
Meryl M. Lanson Enclosures cc: Mr. H. Scott Bates Senate Committee on Judiciary - Members Senator Buddy Dyer, Vice ChairmanSenator Walter "Skip" Campbell Senator Rudy Garcia Senator Jim Horne Senator Daryl L. Jones Senator Durell Peaden, Jr. Senator Jim Sebesta Senator Ronald A. Silver Senator J. Alex Villalobos Senator Daniel Webster Judicial Oversight Committee Members Representative Larry Crow, Chair |