A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO ALL TRIAL AND APPELLATE JUDGES IN FLORIDA DURING THE SUMMER OF 1975. THE ITEMS ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE SOLICITED INFORMATION CONCERNING EACH RESPONDENT'S BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS, VIEWS ON THE CURRENT SELECTION SYSTEM IN FLORIDA, COMPARISON OF THE FLORIDA SYSTEM WITH OTHER SELECTION METHODS, AND THEIR VIEWS ON SEVERAL SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF EXTENDING THE LIMITED MERIT PLAN ALREADY IN USE IN FLORIDA. THE QUESTIONS WERE GEARED TOWARD DETERMINING THE JUDGES' ATTITUDES TOWARD FIVE RECRUITMENT SYSTEMS USED BY VARIOUS STATES - PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN ELECTION, GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENT, LEGISLATIVE ELECTION, OR MERIT SELECTION. THE TWO SYSTEMS RECEIVING MOST SUPPORT WERE NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS AND THE MERIT SELECTION PLAN. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE BENEFITS TO BE GAINED FROM IMPLEMENTING MERIT SELECTION WOULD OFFSET DAMAGES THAT OCCUR TO DEMOCRATIC VALUES WHEN THE TIE BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS IS MADE MORE INDIRECT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...EB