WHEREAS, an automated blind filing system to assign non-indictment felony cases to Circuit Court felony divisions is necessary;

NOW THEREFORE, I, TERENCE R. PERKINS, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order that the Clerk of Circuit Court in Volusia County institute an automated blind filing system to assign non-indictment felony cases to selected divisions in Volusia County in accordance with the terms of this Order.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the following criteria (listed in priority order) are to be followed when assigning cases to divisions:

1. (Open Cases)
   If a new case is filed in which the defendant in said case already has an open, pending case in a division, said newly filed case is to be assigned to the division to which the “open” case is assigned.
2. (Co-Defendants)
   If a new case or cases involving more than one defendant are filed, said newly filed cases involving all defendants are to be assigned to the same division.
3. (Closed Cases)
   If a defendant is currently on probation, is participating in a pretrial diversion program, or is committed to a state hospital, a newly filed case involving the same defendant is to be assigned to the division to which the “closed” case is assigned.
4. (Location of Offense)
   If a new case is filed in which criteria 1 – 3 are not applicable, said newly filed case is to be assigned to a division based on the geographic location of the offense.  Administrative Orders governing geographic assignments and the distribution of cases among divisions are to be followed.
5. (Reopened Cases)
   If a previously disposed case is reopened, said case is to be assigned to the same division in which the previously disposed case was assigned.  If said division cannot be reasonably ascertained, said case is to be assigned to a division utilizing criteria 1– 4.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that after the initial assignment of a case to a division pursuant to the above referenced criteria is accomplished, any subsequent assignment or reassignment of the case to a different division is not to occur absent a court order.

TO BE RECORDED in Volusia County, Florida.

DONE AND ORDERED in Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida, this 30th day of June 2017.