Florida Statute 318.32 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 318
DISPOSITION OF TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS

View Entire Chapter

318.32 Jurisdiction; limitations.—

(1) Hearing officers shall be empowered to accept pleas from and decide the guilt or innocence of any person, adult or juvenile, charged with any civil traffic infraction and shall be empowered to adjudicate or withhold adjudication of guilt in the same manner as a county court judge under the statutes, rules, and procedures presently existing or as subsequently amended, except that hearing officers shall not:

(a) Have the power to hold a defendant in contempt of court, but shall be permitted to file a motion for order of contempt with the appropriate state trial court judge;

(b) Hear a case involving a crash resulting in injury or death;

(c) Hear a criminal traffic offense case or a case involving a civil traffic infraction issued in conjunction with a criminal traffic offense; or

(d) Have the power to suspend or revoke a defendant’s driver license pursuant to s. 316.655(2).

(2) This section does not prohibit a county court judge from exercising concurrent jurisdiction with a civil traffic hearing officer.

(3) Upon the request of the defendant contained in a Notice of Appearance or a written plea, the case shall be assigned to a county court judge regularly assigned to hear traffic matters.

History.—s. 3, ch. 89-337; s. 1, ch. 91-152; s. 4, ch. 94-202; s. 255, ch. 99-248; s. 51, ch. 2005-236; s. 26, ch. 2006-290.

F.S. 318.32 on Google Scholar

F.S. 318.32 on CourtListener

Amendments to 318.32

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 318.32

Total Results: 3 | Sort by: Relevance | Newest First

Copy

City of Aventura v. Masone, 89 So. 3d 233 (Fla. 3d DCA 2011).

Cited 1 times | Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2011 WL 5964359, 2011 Fla. App. LEXIS 19039

determination (as opposed to a hearing officer), see § 318.32(3) (providing that “[u]pon request of the defendant

Copy

Ago (Fla. Att'y Gen. 2002).

Published | Florida Attorney General Reports

...rogram is responsible for providing the funds necessary to operate the program. 3 As lawyers, these hearing officers are subject to The Florida Bar Code of Professional Responsibility but are not subject to the Judicial Code of Ethics. 4 Pursuant to section 318.32 , Florida Statutes, "Hearing officers shall be empowered to accept pleas from and decide the guilt or innocence of any person, adult or juvenile, charged with any civil traffic infraction and shall be empowered to adjudicate or withhol...

...Butterworth Attorney General RAB/tgh 1 See, Rule 6.630(c), Fla. R. Traf. Ct. 2 See, s. 318.35 , Fla. Stat., and s. 318.37, Fla. Stat., which caps the hourly rate of pay for civil traffic infraction hearing officers at $50 per hour. 3 See, s. 318.37, Fla. Stat. 4 Section 318.36 , Fla. Stat. 5 Section 318.32 (1), Fla. Stat. 6 Section 318.32 (1)(a)-(c), Fla....

...10 See, Art. I , s. 22 , Fla. Const. 11 Brouwer v. Metropolitan Dade County, 139 F.2d 817 , 819 (C.A. 11th Fla. 1998), citing Thiel v. Southern Pacific Company, 328 U.S. 217 , 222-224 , 66 S.Ct. 984 , 987 , 90 L.Ed. 1181 (1946). 12 Sections 318.34 and 318.32 , Fla....

Copy

James Nelson Obo Minor Child, N.N. v. The State of Florida (Fla. 3d DCA 2021).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal

...4 3 “Hearing officers” are also “empowered to accept pleas from and decide the guilt or innocence of any person, adult or juvenile, charged with any civil traffic infraction and shall be empowered to adjudicate or withhold adjudication of guilt in the same manner as a county court judge . . . .” § 318.32(1), Fla....

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.