Florida District Courts of Appeal

The Florida First District Court of Appeal

Jurisdiction of the Florida District Courts of Appeal

The Florida District Courts of Appeal (DCAs) are the intermediate appellate courts in Florida. There are six districts, each encompassing multiple counties. The courts were established in 1957. This marked the first intermediate appellate courts in the state. Prior to their creation, the Florida Supreme Court received all of the appeals from the state trial courts, and the docket was becoming congested.^[1]

There were 71 DCA judges in Florida as of January 2023, up from 64 in 2015. In 1972, there were only 20 (five judges each in districts 1 through 4, while the 5th and 6th districts did not yet exist). When the 5th district was created in 1979, the total number of DCA judges had become 39. The number climbed over the years; there were 46 judges in 1982 and 57 in 1989. From 1999 to 2007, the total was 62. The number of judges in the 3rd district was reduced from 11 to 10 in 2007, bringing the number back to 61.^[1]^[2]^[3] The creation of the 6th district in 2023 added nine judges.^[4]

Cases in the DCA are heard by three-judge panels. Each district court has a chief judge, who is selected by the body of judges. In general, the decisions made in the DCA are viewed as final judgments. Further appeals can be made to the Florida Supreme Court, but the state's highest court is not required to accept a case.^[1]

Districts

Six districts make up the District Courts of Appeal.

District	Number of judges	Location	Jurisdiction
First District Court of Appeal	13	Tallahassee	Circuits 1, 2, 3, 8, and 14
Second District Court of Appeal	15	Lakeland with a branch in Tampa	Circuits 6, 12, and 13
Third District Court of Appeal	10	Miami	Circuits 11 and 16
Fourth District Court of Appeal	12	West Palm Beach	Circuits 15, 17, and 19
Fifth District Court of Appeal	12	Daytona Beach	Circuits 4, 5, 7, and 18
Sixth District Court of Appeal	9	Lakeland	Circuits 9, 10, and 20

Cases

The DCAs take appeals from the lower courts. They also hear administrative law appeals from the executive branch's governmental actions and review decisions from county courts that have overruled the Florida Constitution or state statutes.^[1]^[5]

Number of DCA filings in each case category for fiscal year 2012-2013:

Administrative: 1,084
Civil: 6,102
Criminal: 9,342
Criminal Post Conviction: 5,305
Family: 1,382
Juvenile: 1,185
Probate/Guardianship: 230
Workers’ Compensation: 231^[5]

Budget

According to the 2013-2014 Florida State Courts annual report, the judicial branch accounts for 0.6 percent ($443,416,191) of Florida's total budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year ($74,152,188,260). Of this, the district courts of appeal make up 9.2 percent, or $40,643,599.^[5]

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Florida

The justices of the Florida District Courts of Appeal are selected by a nine-member judicial nominating commission.^[6] The commission screens potential judicial candidates, submitting a list of three to six nominees to the governor. The governor must appoint a judge from this list.^[7]

Newly appointed judges serve for at least one year, after which they appear in a yes-no retention election held during the next general election. If retained, judges serve six-year terms.^[7] Under the Florida constitution, a judge must retire at age 75; however, a judge who reaches 75 after serving at least half of his or her term may complete that term.^[8]

Qualifications

To serve on one of these courts, a judge must be:

a qualified elector;
a resident in the jurisdiction of the court;
admitted to practice law in the state for 10 years before assuming the bench; and
under the age of 75.

Chief justice

The chief justice of the appellate courts is selected by peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for two years.^[7]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

If a midterm vacancy occurs, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends three to six qualified candidates to the governor, and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year before running in a yes-no retention election. If retained, judges serve six-year terms.^[7]

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $218,939, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[9]

Elections

To see results of district court of appeal elections, visit the individual district pages.

For details about Florida's judicial elections, visit the Florida judicial elections page.

2024

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of 24 Florida intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 7, 2025. 23 seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was April 26, 2024.

Candidates and results

First District

Ray's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Stephanie Williams Ray's seat

Stephanie Williams Ray was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 66.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.4	648,575
	No	33.6	327,757
	Total Votes		976,332

It has been certified. Source

Bradford Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Bradford Thomas' seat

Bradford Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 64.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.4	624,580
	No	35.6	345,379
	Total Votes		969,959

It has been certified. Source

M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat

M. Kemmerly Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.0	630,499
	No	35.0	339,850
	Total Votes		970,349

It has been certified. Source

Second District

Black's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Anthony K. Black's seat

Anthony K. Black was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.6	1,182,156
	No	31.4	541,255
	Total Votes		1,723,411

It has been certified. Source

LaRose's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Edward LaRose's seat

Edward LaRose was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 69.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.7	1,194,435
	No	30.3	519,460
	Total Votes		1,713,895

It has been certified. Source

Rothstein-Youakim's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Susan Rothstein-Youakim's seat

Susan Rothstein-Youakim was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.7	1,174,626
	No	31.3	536,249
	Total Votes		1,710,875

It has been certified. Source

Third District

Emas' seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Kevin M. Emas' seat

Kevin M. Emas was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 73.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.7	722,608
	No	26.3	258,095
	Total Votes		980,703

It has been certified. Source

Fernandez's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Ivan F. Fernandez's seat

Ivan F. Fernandez was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 70.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	70.3	687,127
	No	29.7	290,569
	Total Votes		977,696

It has been certified. Source

Lindsey's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Norma S. Lindsey's seat

Norma S. Lindsey was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.3	664,440
	No	31.7	308,092
	Total Votes		972,532

It has been certified. Source

Fourth District

Conner's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Burton C. Conner's seat

Burton C. Conner was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.3	1,111,253
	No	34.7	589,775
	Total Votes		1,701,028

It has been certified. Source

Kuntz's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Jeffrey T. Kuntz's seat

Jeffrey T. Kuntz was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.0	1,064,562
	No	37.0	625,797
	Total Votes		1,690,359

It has been certified. Source

Fifth District

Boatwright's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Joe Boatwright's seat

Joe Boatwright was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.3	1,464,141
	No	34.7	777,500
	Total Votes		2,241,641

It has been certified. Source

Eisnaugle's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Eric Eisnaugle's seat

Eric Eisnaugle was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.8	1,416,215
	No	36.2	804,992
	Total Votes		2,221,207

It has been certified. Source

Jay's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Harvey Jay's seat

Harvey Jay III was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 66.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.1	1,469,464
	No	33.9	752,263
	Total Votes		2,221,727

It has been certified. Source

Kilbane's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Paige Kilbane's seat

Paige Kilbane was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,445,361
	No	34.8	773,146
	Total Votes		2,218,507

It has been certified. Source

MacIver's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, John MacIver's seat

John MacIver was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 64.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.2	1,420,984
	No	35.8	790,866
	Total Votes		2,211,850

It has been certified. Source

Pratt's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Jordan Pratt's seat

Jordan Pratt was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,440,056
	No	34.8	768,806
	Total Votes		2,208,862

It has been certified. Source

Soud's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Adrian Soud's seat

Adrian Soud was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,439,256
	No	34.8	767,844
	Total Votes		2,207,100

It has been certified. Source

Sixth District

Brownlee's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Paetra Brownlee's seat

Paetra Brownlee was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.9	1,044,653
	No	36.1	589,929
	Total Votes		1,634,582

It has been certified. Source

Gannam's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Roger Gannam's seat

Roger Gannam was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 62.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.7	1,018,462
	No	37.3	606,725
	Total Votes		1,625,187

It has been certified. Source

Mize's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Joshua Mize's seat

Joshua Mize was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 62.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.9	1,018,234
	No	37.1	600,039
	Total Votes		1,618,273

It has been certified. Source

Smith's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Jared Smith's seat

Jared Smith was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.7	1,031,040
	No	36.3	587,960
	Total Votes		1,619,000

It has been certified. Source

White's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Keith White's seat

Keith F. White was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.7	1,030,381
	No	36.3	587,310
	Total Votes		1,617,691

It has been certified. Source

Judges not on the ballot

Darryl Casanueva (2nd District)
Scott D. Makar (5th District)

2022

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of 28 Florida intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 2, 2023. The 28 seats were up for retention election on November 8, 2022.

Candidates and results

First District Court of Appeals

Bilbrey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Ross L. Bilbrey's seat

Ross L. Bilbrey was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.9	722,594
	No	35.1	391,324
	Total Votes		1,113,918

It has been certified. Source

Kelsey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Susan Kelsey's seat

Susan Kelsey was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.1	734,444
	No	33.9	377,376
	Total Votes		1,111,820

It has been certified. Source

Long's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Robert Long's seat

Robert E. Long Jr. was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.6	717,180
	No	35.4	393,306
	Total Votes		1,110,486

It has been certified. Source

Rowe's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Lori S. Rowe's seat

Lori S. Rowe was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.4	714,438
	No	35.6	395,027
	Total Votes		1,109,465

It has been certified. Source

Winokur's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Thomas D. Winokur's seat

Thomas D. Winokur was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 62.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.9	694,973
	No	37.1	410,713
	Total Votes		1,105,686

It has been certified. Source

Second District Court of Appeals

Kelly's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Patricia Kelly's seat

Patricia Kelly was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.4	1,335,805
	No	32.6	647,481
	Total Votes		1,983,286

It has been certified. Source

Khouzam's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Nelly Khouzam's seat

Nelly Khouzam was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 68.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.0	1,339,501
	No	32.0	631,170
	Total Votes		1,970,671

It has been certified. Source

Labrit's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Suzanne Labrit's seat

Suzanne Labrit was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.9	1,337,664
	No	32.1	633,342
	Total Votes		1,971,006

It has been certified. Source

Lucas' seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Matthew C. Lucas' seat

Matthew C. Lucas was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.5	1,327,235
	No	32.5	638,331
	Total Votes		1,965,566

It has been certified. Source

Morris' seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Robert J. Morris' seat

Robert J. Morris Jr. was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.6	1,267,672
	No	35.4	694,126
	Total Votes		1,961,798

It has been certified. Source

Northcutt's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Stevan Northcutt's seat

Stevan Northcutt was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.8	1,211,396
	No	38.2	748,273
	Total Votes		1,959,669

It has been certified. Source

=Stargel's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, John Stargel's seat

John K. Stargel was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.3	1,300,035
	No	33.7	660,124
	Total Votes		1,960,159

It has been certified. Source

Villanti's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Craig Villanti's seat

Craig Villanti was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.5	1,254,107
	No	35.5	691,412
	Total Votes		1,945,519

It has been certified. Source

Third District Court of Appeals

Bokor's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Alexander Bokor's seat

Alexander Bokor was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.9	420,454
	No	35.1	227,652
	Total Votes		648,106

It has been certified. Source

Scales' seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Edwin A. Scales' seat

Edwin A. Scales III was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.4	426,005
	No	33.6	215,909
	Total Votes		641,914

It has been certified. Source

Fourth District Court of Appeals

Artau's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Edward Artau's seat

Edward Artau was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.5	750,815
	No	38.5	469,522
	Total Votes		1,220,337

It has been certified. Source

Ciklin's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Cory Ciklin's seat

Cory Ciklin was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 63.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.8	775,702
	No	36.2	440,112
	Total Votes		1,215,814

It has been certified. Source

Damoorgian's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Dorian Damoorgian's seat

Dorian Damoorgian was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 65.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.7	794,293
	No	34.3	415,502
	Total Votes		1,209,795

It has been certified. Source

Gerber's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Jonathan D. Gerber's seat

Jonathan D. Gerber was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.7	844,619
	No	30.3	367,989
	Total Votes		1,212,608

It has been certified. Source

Gross' seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Robert Gross' seat

Robert Gross was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.4	742,462
	No	38.6	466,144
	Total Votes		1,208,606

It has been certified. Source

Levine's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Spencer D. Levine's seat

Spencer D. Levine was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	834,494
	No	30.7	370,387
	Total Votes		1,204,881

It has been certified. Source

May's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Melanie May's seat

Melanie May was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 70.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	70.5	847,728
	No	29.5	354,311
	Total Votes		1,202,039

It has been certified. Source

Fifth District Court of Appeals

Cohen's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Jay Cohen's seat

Jay Cohen was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.7	1,100,786
	No	35.3	600,767
	Total Votes		1,701,553

It has been certified. Source

Edwards' seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, James A. Edwards' seat

James A. Edwards was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	1,172,967
	No	30.7	519,622
	Total Votes		1,692,589

It has been certified. Source

Lambert's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Brian D. Lambert's seat

Brian D. Lambert was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	1,174,128
	No	30.7	519,189
	Total Votes		1,693,317

It has been certified. Source

Nardella's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Mary Alice Nardella's seat

Mary Alice Nardella was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.6	1,128,706
	No	33.4	565,601
	Total Votes		1,694,307

It has been certified. Source

Traver's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Dan Traver's seat

Daniel Traver was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.3	1,136,120
	No	32.7	552,676
	Total Votes		1,688,796

It has been certified. Source

Wozniak's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Carrie Ann Wozniak's seat

Carrie Ann Wozniak was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.9	1,147,273
	No	32.1	543,002
	Total Votes		1,690,275

It has been certified. Source

2020

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of 25 Florida District Courts of Appeal justices expired on January 5, 2021. The 25 seats were up for retention election on November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is six years. Twenty-four judges filed to run for retention in 2020. One judge did not file to run for retention.^[10]

Candidates and results

First District Court of Appeal

First District Court of Appeal
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office	Candidates
Adam Tanenbaum's seat	Adam Tanenbaum (i)
Joseph Lewis' seat	Joseph Lewis (i)
L. Clayton Roberts' seat	L. Clayton Roberts (i)
Rachel Nordby's seat	Rachel Nordby (i)
Scott D. Makar's seat	Scott D. Makar (i)
Timothy D. Osterhaus' seat	Timothy D. Osterhaus (i)

Second District Court of Appeal

Second District Court of Appeal
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office	Candidates
Andrea Teves Smith's seat	Andrea Teves Smith (i)
Daniel H. Sleet's seat	Daniel H. Sleet (i)
J. Andrew Atkinson's seat	J. Andrew Atkinson (i)
Morris Silberman's seat	Morris Silberman (i)

Third District Court of Appeal

Third District Court of Appeal
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office	Candidates
Bronwyn C. Miller's seat	Bronwyn C. Miller (i)
Eric Hendon's seat	Eric Hendon (i)
Fleur J. Lobree's seat	Fleur J. Lobree (i)
Monica Gordo's seat	Monica Gordo (i)
Thomas W. Logue's seat	Thomas W. Logue (i)

Fourth District Court of Appeal

Fourth District Court of Appeal
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name. = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office	Candidates
Alan O. Forst's seat	Alan O. Forst (i)
Mark W. Klingensmith's seat	Mark W. Klingensmith (i)
Martha Warner's seat	Martha Warner (i)

Fifth District Court of Appeal

Fifth District Court of Appeal
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office	Candidates
Frederic Rand Wallis' seat	Frederic Rand Wallis (i)
Jamie Rutland Grosshans' seat	Jamie Rutland Grosshans (i) (unofficially withdrew)
John M. Harris' seat	John M. Harris (i)
Kerry Evander's seat	Kerry Evander (i)
Meredith Sasso's seat	Meredith Sasso (i)
Richard Orfinger's seat	Richard Orfinger (i)

2018

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

The terms of nineteen Florida District Courts of Appeal judges expired on January 7, 2019. Seventeen judges stood for retention by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. Two judges did not file for retention.

Candidates and results

First District

General election candidates

Bradford Thomas (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Stephanie Williams Ray (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Harvey Jay III (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Allen Winsor (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

M. Kemmerly Thomas (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Second District

General election candidates

Darryl Casanueva (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Edward LaRose (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Anthony K. Black (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Susan Rothstein-Youakim (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Third District

General election candidates

Kevin M. Emas (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Ivan F. Fernandez (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Robert J. Luck (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Norma S. Lindsey (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Fourth District

General election candidates

Carole Taylor (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Burton C. Conner (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

General election candidates

Jeffrey T. Kuntz (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Fifth District

General election candidates

Eric Eisnaugle (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Judges not on the ballot

Ethics

The Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Florida. It consists of seven canons:

Canon 1: "A Judge Shall Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary"
Canon 2: "A Judge Shall Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in all of the Judge's Activities"
Canon 3: "A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently"
Canon 4: "A Judge Is Encouraged to Engage in Activities to Improve the Law, the Legal System, and the Administration of Justice"
Canon 5: "A Judge Shall Regulate Extrajudicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict With Judicial Duties"
Canon 6: "Fiscal Matters of a Judge Shall be Conducted in a Manner That Does Not Give the Appearance of Influence or Impropriety; etc."
Canon 7: "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Refrain From Inappropriate Political Activity"^[11]

The full text of the Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Florida may be removed in one of two ways:

By a two-thirds vote of the senate after a two-thirds vote for impeachment by the house of representatives
By the supreme court after a recommendation from the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission^[12]

Jurisdiction

Each county in Florida falls within the jurisdiction of one of the six district courts of appeal.

State profile

Demographic data for Florida
	Florida	U.S.
Total population:	20,244,914	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	53,625	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	76%	73.6%
Black/African American:	16.1%	12.6%
Asian:	2.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	23.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$47,507	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Florida. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Florida

Florida voted Republican in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Florida, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.^[13]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Florida had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respsectively.

More Florida coverage on Ballotpedia

External links

Florida Courts, "District Courts of Appeal"

Footnotes

Florida courts

Federal courts:

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida

State courts:

Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court

State resources:

Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida

v • e

Florida District Courts of Appeal
Judicial selection in Florida • 2024 elections • Florida Supreme Court

First District

Joseph Lewis • L. Clayton Roberts • Ross L. Bilbrey • Lori S. Rowe • Stephanie Williams Ray • Timothy D. Osterhaus • Susan Kelsey • Thomas D. "Bo" Winokur • Robert E. Long Jr. • M. Kemmerly Thomas • Rachel Nordby • Adam Tanenbaum •

Second District

Stevan Northcutt • Nelly Khouzam • Patricia Kelly • Darryl Casanueva • Craig Villanti • Morris Silberman • Edward LaRose • Daniel H. Sleet • Anthony K. Black • Robert J. Morris Jr. (Florida Court of Appeals judge) • Matthew C. Lucas • Andrea Teves Smith • Susan Rothstein-Youakim • J. Andrew Atkinson • Suzanne Labrit •

Third District

Kevin M. Emas • Ivan F. Fernandez • Bronwyn C. Miller • Monica Gordo • Fleur J. Lobree • Thomas W. Logue • Edwin A. Scales, III •

Fourth District

Robert Gross • Cory Ciklin • Martha Warner • Melanie May • Dorian Damoorgian • Burton C. Conner • Jonathan D. Gerber • Spencer D. Levine • Mark W. Klingensmith • Alan O. Forst • Edward Artau • Jeffrey T. Kuntz •

Fifth District

Eric Eisnaugle • Brian D. Lambert • Frederic Rand Wallis • John M. Harris • Norma S. Lindsey • Adrian Soud • Harvey Jay III • Scott D. Makar • James A. Edwards (Florida) • Paige Kilbane • Joe Boatwright • Jordan Pratt • John MacIver •

Sixth District

Jay Cohen • John K. Stargel • Keith F. White • Daniel Traver • Jared Smith • Paetra Brownlee • Mary Alice Nardella • Joshua Mize • Carrie Ann Wozniak •

[courts-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named courts

[2] Florida Courts, "Judges - District Courts of Appeal 1972 Legislative Session through 2013 Legislative Session," accessed April 30, 2014

[recommissioning-3] Butler Meihmuller Katz Craig, "FLORIDIANS WILL SOON EXPERIENCE SWIFTER JUSTICE: COME JANUARY 1, 2023, FLORIDA WILL GET A SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL," July 7, 2022

[4] Florida Courts, "6DCA Organization," accessed January 18, 2023

[report-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Florida Courts, "Florida State Courts Annual Report 2013-2014," accessed August 29, 2015pages 55-59

[nom-6] American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012

[flajs-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014

[flconst-8] Florida Constitution, "Article V, Section 8," accessed September 10, 2021

[9] National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024

[10] Florida Division of Elections, "Candidate Listing for 2020 General Election," accessed April 28, 2020

[11] Florida Supreme Court, "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed September 13, 2021

[12] Florida Supreme Court, "Judicial Qualifications Commission Cases Pending in the Florida Supreme Court," accessed July 17, 2023

[13] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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