Florida 6th Circuit Court

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The Florida 6th Circuit Court resides in Florida in Pasco and Pinellas counties. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...

Jurisdiction

This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]

(1) Circuit courts shall have jurisdiction of appeals from final administrative orders of local government code enforcement boards and of reviews and appeals as otherwise expressly provided by law.

(2) Circuit courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction:
(a) In all actions at law not cognizable by the county courts;
(b) Of proceedings relating to the settlement of the estates of decedents and minors, the granting of letters testamentary, guardianship, involuntary hospitalization, the determination of incompetency, and other jurisdiction usually pertaining to courts of probate;
(c) In all cases in equity including all cases relating to juveniles except traffic offenses as provided in chapters 316 and 985;
(d) Of all felonies and of all misdemeanors arising out of the same circumstances as a felony which is also charged;
(e) In all cases involving legality of any tax assessment or toll or denial of refund, except as provided in s. 72.011;
(f) In actions of ejectment; and
(g) In all actions involving the title and boundaries of real property.
(3) The circuit court may issue injunctions.
(4) The chief judge of a circuit may authorize a county court judge to order emergency hospitalizations pursuant to part I of chapter 394 in the absence from the county of the circuit judge; and the county court judge shall have the power to issue all temporary orders and temporary injunctions necessary or proper to the complete exercise of such jurisdiction.
(5) A circuit court is a trial court.[2]

Judges


Office Name Party Date assumed office
Florida 6th Circuit Court Dustin Anderson Nonpartisan 2022
Florida 6th Circuit Court Michael F. Andrews Nonpartisan 2003
Florida 6th Circuit Court Linda Babb Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Steve Berlin Nonpartisan 2020
Florida 6th Circuit Court Joseph A. Bulone Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Bill Burgess Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Kim Campbell Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Pamela A.M. Campbell Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Sherwood S. Coleman Nonpartisan 2013
Florida 6th Circuit Court Shawn Crane Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Daniel D. Diskey Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Jenn Dubbeld Nonpartisan January 7, 2025
Florida 6th Circuit Court Dave Ellis Nonpartisan 2019
Florida 6th Circuit Court Philip J. Federico Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Evan Frayman Nonpartisan January 5, 2021
Florida 6th Circuit Court Susan Gardner Barthle Nonpartisan January 6, 2009
Florida 6th Circuit Court Brian Gnage Nonpartisan January 11, 2022
Florida 6th Circuit Court Gregory Groger Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Rebecca Hamilton Nonpartisan 2019
Florida 6th Circuit Court Mary M. Handsel Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Jack Helinger Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Elizabeth Jack Nonpartisan January 5, 2021
Florida 6th Circuit Court George M. Jirotka Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Christopher LaBruzzo Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Kemba Lewis Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Doneene Loar Nonpartisan 2019
Florida 6th Circuit Court Phil Matthey Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Keith Meyer Nonpartisan 2011
Florida 6th Circuit Court Patrice Moore Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Patricia Muscarella Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Cynthia J. Newton Nonpartisan 2005
Florida 6th Circuit Court Nicole Pearlman Nonpartisan January 7, 2025
Florida 6th Circuit Court Alicia Polk Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Frederick Pollack Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Thomas M. Ramsberger Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Joshua Riba Nonpartisan August 1, 2020
Florida 6th Circuit Court Julie Sercus Nonpartisan January 1, 2021
Florida 6th Circuit Court Kimberly Sharpe Byrd Nonpartisan January 6, 2015
Florida 6th Circuit Court Pat Siracusa Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Susan St. John Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Jim Stearns Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Benjamin Thomas
Florida 6th Circuit Court Kimberly Phillips Todd Nonpartisan 2011
Florida 6th Circuit Court Lauralee Westine Nonpartisan
Florida 6th Circuit Court Amy M. Williams Nonpartisan


Elections

Florida is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Florida, click here.

Selection method

See also: Judicial selection in the states
See also: Nonpartisan elections

There are 597 judges on the Florida Circuit Court, each elected via nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seat.[3]

The chief judge is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for two years.

Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[3]

  • a qualified elector;
  • a state resident;
  • admitted to practice law in the state for five years; and
  • under the age of 75 (retirement at 75 is mandatory).

Judicial elections in Florida

See also: Florida judicial elections

Florida is one of four states that use nonpartisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

Primary election

To get on the ballot, candidates for judicial office are required to obtain signatures equal to at least one percent of the number of registered electors in the geographic boundary of the district.[4] Trial court judicial candidates compete in nonpartisan primaries designed to narrow the field to two candidates for the general election. Candidates who receive a simple majority (fifty percent plus one vote) of the vote in the primary are considered winners and are not on the ballot in the general election unless a write-in candidate qualifies for the same office. Candidates who are unopposed for any office do not appear on the ballot and are considered automatically elected.[5][6]

General election

In the general election, trial court candidates compete in nonpartisan elections. Partisan organizations and political parties are forbidden from endorsing, supporting, or opposing candidates for office.[7]

Retention election

Retention elections for appellate judges ask voters a "yes" or "no" question of whether or not to retain a judge to another term. The judges do not face competition on the ballot. If a majority of votes are in favor of a particular judge, that judge will be retained to a new term.[8]

See also

External links

Footnotes