A 2007 state law created five regional legal offices to handle criminal and certain civil cases that public defenders could not handle because of conflict of interest issues, such as representation of co-defendants. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers challenged the law in trial court, arguing it violated the state constitution by essentially creating a category of regional public defenders that would be appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate. The trial court agreed, ruling that the law violated the state constitutional requirement that public defenders be elected. Gov. Crist appealed and the First District Court of Appeal certified the case directly to this Court as one requiring immediate resolution.