"Justice for all Floridians," an educational tool kit.

As the Florida Legislature faces the challenge of funding the judicial branch of government to comply with Revision 7, which calls for the state to take over more funding of the trial courts from counties, the Supreme Court Article V Communication Advisory Group is confronting the task of enlightening Florida's citizens about the work of the courts.

Under the capable leadership of its chair, Judge Belvin Perry of the Ninth Circuit, the group studied the amendment and related legislation to develop a message intended to:

* Define the role of our courts;

* Explain the concerns surrounding implementation of Revision 7;

* Question what the future holds for Florida's judiciary; and

* Call for people to become involved.

From its study comes "Justice for all Floridians," an educational tool kit for judges, court staff, and attorneys to use in educating the public about the critical role of our courts.

"The tool kit consists of PowerPoint presentations, printed materials, and videos that allow us to tell our story and explain, in a consistent voice, why continued and adequate funding of our courts is important to all Floridians," said Judge Perry.

To emphasize the impact of the work of the courts on public safety, business and commerce, and the welfare of families and children, the slide presentation observes: "You may have been a victim of crime; you may have been sued; you may have been involved in a property dispute; you may know somebody who is in a court-ordered drug treatment program; you may have had a family member involved in a child custody dispute.... Simply put, the court system touches all our lives."

While Florida Bar members are cognizant of court statistics, most people outside the legal profession are unaware that 2.8 million new cases are filed each year and that over one million criminal cases were filed in this state last year. "Reaching out to citizens is important because the only support network (for the courts) is the lawyers who are involved in the system," said Brenda Johnson, director of community affairs and intergovernmental relations at the Office of the State Courts Administrator. The advisory group's slide presentation provides other statistics to draw attention to the message that inadequate court funding affects all of us.

Judge Perry notes that the presentation, which may be previewed on the Florida Courts Web site, www.flcourts.org, is "positive but to the point. It does not speculate on the future of our courts, but instead draws attention to previous effects of budget reductions in other states. It is a message that appeals to everyone, including the small business owner, corporate CEO, legal professional, or John Q. Public."

Joining Judge Perry on the Article V Communication Advisory Group are Judge Jeffrey Arnold, Tod Aronovitz, Judge Beth Bloom, Mike Bridenback, Chief Judge Joe Farina, Judge Gary Farmer, Judge Paul Hawkes, Judge Nelly Khouzam, Judge A.B. Majeed, Miles McGrane, Kelly Overstreet Johnson, Judge Susan Schaeffer, Judge Frederick Tygart, and myself.

If you have questions about the tool kit, please call Brenda Johnson in the Office of the State Courts Administrator at [phone], or e-mail her at [e-mail].