Foster v. Stein

SCHWARTZ, Chief Judge.

The issue in this case concerns the viability of a final judgment of adoption and the agreed order regarding paternity upon which it was based. A careful review of the pertinent orders of the Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit clearly reveals that the county judge who executed the order and judgment was never appropriately assigned to the cause as an acting circuit judge. Since only the circuit court, acting through a duly qualified circuit judge, has jurisdiction in paternity and adoption proceedings, Art. Y, § 5(b), Fla. Const., the order and judgment were entered…