Populations, circuit courts, and plum assignments

By JUDGE J. LAYNE SMITH
Wakulla Circuit Judge

As of June 30, 2025, I have served three years as your circuit judge, and I deeply care about the people of Wakulla County. As I constantly say, it’s my privilege to serve here!
Both Wakulla County and our State are not just growing, but thriving. Every day, more people move into our State and county than move out. No doubt, Wakulla County is a great place to live and raise a family.
Florida divides itself into 67 counties. Its most populated county, Miami-Dade, has 2,686,867 residents. Liberty County, the least populated, has only 7,706 residents. Wakulla County, ranked 48th, has a population of 36,449 residents.
Florida divides its trial courts into 20 judicial circuits. You live and vote in Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, which covers Leon (296,913 people), Gadsden (43,833 People), Wakulla (36,449), Jefferson (15,450 people), Franklin (12,594 people), and Liberty (7,706) Counties. Leon County accounts for 69 percent of the circuit’s population. The other five counties, combined, account for the remaining 31 percent.
As for size, the Second Judicial Circuit covers 3,758 square miles, which is larger than two states–Delaware (2,489 square miles) and Rhode Island (1,545 square miles).
Our circuit consists of 16 circuit judges and 10 county judges. However, two circuit judge seats are vacant due to the retirement of one judge and the death of another. We are still grieving the passing of Judge Dawn Caloca-Johnson. In December, a circuit judge will retire on his 75th birthday. Additionally, the state legislature just approved adding a 17th circuit judge.
Gov. DeSantis will appoint four new circuit judges over the next six to eight months. Until then, your sitting circuit judges will double up to cover the workloads assigned to the empty seats.
The judges in the Second Judicial Circuit elect a Chief Judge, who assigns judges their duties for two-year stretches. We are fortunate to have the Honorable Frank Allman serving us and you in that capacity. He has a demanding job, and we judges do our best to support him.
Wakulla County is a plum assignment! Thus, my preference is to remain the sole circuit judge for Wakulla County. However, given the circuit’s expected turnover, the Chief Judge may need to reassign me to another county. Time will tell.
Over the last three years, my judicial assistant and I have significantly reduced the number of old and pending circuit court cases. We will stay vigilant. Thus, whenever it is my time to go, my dockets will be in excellent shape for the transition.

The Honorable J. Layne Smith is the Circuit Judge for Wakulla County, Florida, a bestselling author, and a public speaker. The population numbers contained in this column were good as of December 17, 2024.