Terms Used In Florida Statutes 27.02

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

(1) The state attorney shall appear in the circuit and county courts within his or her judicial circuit and prosecute or defend on behalf of the state all suits, applications, or motions, civil or criminal, in which the state is a party, except as provided in chapters 39, 984, and 985. The intake procedures of chapters 39, 984, and 985 shall apply as provided therein. The state attorney shall appear in the circuit and county courts within his or her judicial circuit for the purpose of prosecuting violations of special laws and county or municipal ordinances punishable by incarceration if the prosecution is ancillary to a state prosecution or if the state attorney has contracted with the county or municipality for reimbursement for services rendered in accordance with s. 27.34(1).
(2) The state attorney, when complying with the discovery obligation pursuant to the applicable rule of procedure, may charge the defendant fees as provided for in s. 119.07(4), not to exceed 15 cents per page for a copy of a noncertified copy of a public record. However, these fees may be deferred if the defendant has been determined to be indigent as provided in s. 27.52.