HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution_26-81/82_09/28/1982 N
RESOLUTION O 2h -&L4a2
A RESOLUTION BY THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA CALLING FOR
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ALLOW LOCAL MUNICIPAL COURTS
WHEREAS, the elimination of a local municipal court in Tequesta
severely handicaps law enforcement by requiring our: - police officers
to travel repeatedly to County Court in West Palm Beach, averaging
about 50 miles per round trip, and
WHEREAS, our citizens, witnesses, police officers, and other municipal
officials must waste valuable time and travel expense driving such
an unreasonable distance to reach County Court in lieu of a local
municipal court, and
WHEREAS, im forcement of our local ordinances, particularly the prosecution
of traffic violations, is delayed and encumbered by the overcrowding
and clogging of County Court calendars. and
WHEREAS, a single arrest often requires the presence of several police
officers in County Court, taking them out of Tequesta for long hours
while they are needed locally for crime prevention, and
WHEREAS, an exhorbitant amount of lost police hours and extra police car
mileage, caused by lack of a municipal court, multiplied by hundreds
of arrests annually, adds materially to the cost of local law enforcement, and
WHEREAS, such loss of police hours and patrol car time periodically
deprives our community of adequate police protection for the safety of
our citizens, and
WHEREAS, enforcement of numerous local ordinances is made difficult by
the absence of our police officers while they wait in the corridors of
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County Court, and
WHEREAS, the County Court is understaffed, is not as familiar with
our ordinances as a local municipal ,judge, and adjudication of cases
is often delayed or postponed, requiring repeated trips back to
County Court,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE
OF TEQUESTA, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That the Florida Legislature, the Governor, and his Cabinet
are hereby urged to initiate a referendum enabling the people of
Florida to decide if they would be better served by reinstatement of
local municipal courts where needed, on a local option basis,
locally funded.
Section 2. That copies of this Resolution be sent to the Governor,
members of his Cabinet, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House,
the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation; Mr. Robert Butterworth,
Florida Director of Highway Safety; Mr, Robert Dempsey, Director of
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Palm Beach County
Municipal League, the Florida League of Cities, and other public
officials as may be deemed appropriate.
THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION was offered by Councilmember Stoddard , who
moved its adoption. The Resolution was seconded by Councilmember Little
and upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows:
FOR ADOPTION AGAINST ADOPTION
ThnloaG J- RPddnw
T,aa M Rrnwn
Thomas J. Little
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W.H. Mapes. Jr.
Carlton D. Stoddard
The Mayor thereupon declared the Resolution duly passed and
adopted the 28 day of September , 1982•
?MAYOR OF TEQUESTA
W. H. Mapes, Jr.
ATTEST:
Village Clerk