Florida District Courts of Appeal: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:55, 18 December 2025

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]

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

See also: Florida court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $223,318, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[9]

Elections

To see results from district court of appeal elections, visit the individual district pages. For details about Florida's judicial elections, click here.

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"^[10]

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^[11]

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.^[12]

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

↑ ^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
↑ Florida Courts, "Judges - District Courts of Appeal 1972 Legislative Session through 2013 Legislative Session," accessed April 30, 2014
↑ 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
↑ Florida Courts, "6DCA Organization," accessed January 18, 2023
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Florida Courts, "Florida State Courts Annual Report 2013-2014," accessed August 29, 2015pages 55-59
↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014
↑ Florida Constitution, "Article V, Section 8," accessed September 10, 2021
↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
↑ Florida Supreme Court, "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed September 13, 2021
↑ Florida Supreme Court, "Judicial Qualifications Commission Cases Pending in the Florida Supreme Court," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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 • 2026 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

Linda Ann Wells • Vance Salter • 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 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, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025

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

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

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

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@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 * [[#Ethics|'''Ethics''']]
 * [[#State profile|'''State profile''']]
-* [[#Recent news|'''Recent news''']]
 * [[#See also|'''See also''']]
 </div>
 [[File:Florida_1dca.jpg|right|450px|thumb|The Florida First District Court of Appeal]]
-[[File:FloridaDistrictCourts.png|right|350px|thumb|Jurisdiction of the Florida District Courts of Appeal]]
+[[File:FloridaDistrictcourts23.png|right|350px|thumb|Jurisdiction of the Florida District Courts of Appeal]]
 {{IACbadge}}
-The '''Florida District Courts of Appeal''' (DCAs) are the [[intermediate appellate courts]] in [[Florida]]. There are five [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Districts|districts]], each encompassing multiple [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Jurisdiction|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.<ref name=courts/>
+The '''Florida District Courts of Appeal''' (DCAs) are the [[intermediate appellate courts]] in [[Florida]]. There are six [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Districts|districts]], each encompassing multiple [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Jurisdiction|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.<ref name=courts/>
-There are 64 DCA judges in Florida as of 2015, up from 61 in 2013. In 1972, there were only 20 (five judges each in districts 1 through 4, while the 5th district 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.<ref>[http://www.flcourts.org/core/fileparse.php/250/urlt/DCAJudgesMay2013.pdf ''Florida Courts'', "Judges - District Courts of Appeal 1972 Legislative Session through 2013 Legislative Session," accessed April 30, 2014]</ref><ref name=courts/>
+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.<ref name=courts/><ref>[http://www.flcourts.org/core/fileparse.php/250/urlt/DCAJudgesMay2013.pdf ''Florida Courts'', "Judges - District Courts of Appeal 1972 Legislative Session through 2013 Legislative Session," accessed April 30, 2014]</ref><ref name=recommissioning>[https://www.butler.legal/floridians-will-soon-experience-swifter-justice-come-january-1-2023-florida-will-get-a-sixth-district-court-of-appeal/ ''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]</ref> The creation of the 6th district in 2023 added nine judges.<ref>[https://www.flcourts.gov/6DCA ''Florida Courts'', "6DCA Organization," accessed January 18, 2023]</ref>
 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.<ref name=courts/>
 ==Districts==
-Five districts make up the District Courts of Appeal.
+Six districts make up the District Courts of Appeal.
 {| class="bptable blue"
@@ Line 32: / Line 31: @@
 |-
 | [[Florida First District Court of Appeal|First District Court of Appeal]]
-| text align="center"| 15
+| text align="center"| 13
 | Tallahassee
-| Circuits [[Florida 1st Circuit Court|1]], [[Florida 2nd Circuit Court|2]], [[Florida 3rd Circuit Court|3]], [[Florida 4th Circuit Court|4]], [[Florida 8th Circuit Court|8]], and [[Florida 14th Circuit Court|14]]
+| Circuits [[Florida 1st Circuit Court|1]], [[Florida 2nd Circuit Court|2]], [[Florida 3rd Circuit Court|3]], [[Florida 8th Circuit Court|8]], and [[Florida 14th Circuit Court|14]]
 |-
 | [[Florida Second District Court of Appeal|Second District Court of Appeal]]
-| text align="center"| 16
+| text align="center"| 15
 | Lakeland with a branch in Tampa
-| Circuits [[Florida 6th Circuit Court|6]], [[Florida 10th Circuit Court|10]], [[Florida 12th Circuit Court|12]], [[Florida 13th Circuit Court|13]], and [[Florida 20th Circuit Court|20]]
+| Circuits [[Florida 6th Circuit Court|6]], [[Florida 12th Circuit Court|12]], and [[Florida 13th Circuit Court|13]]
 |-
@@ Line 56: / Line 55: @@
 |-
 | [[Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal|Fifth District Court of Appeal]]
-| text align="center"| 11
+| text align="center"| 12
 | Daytona Beach
-| Circuits [[Florida 5th Circuit Court|5]], [[Florida 7th Circuit Court|7]], [[Florida 9th Circuit Court|9]], and [[Florida 18th Circuit Court|18]]
+| Circuits [[Florida 4th Circuit Court|4]], [[Florida 5th Circuit Court|5]], [[Florida 7th Circuit Court|7]], and [[Florida 18th Circuit Court|18]]
+|-
+| [[Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal|Sixth District Court of Appeal]]
+| text align="center"| 9
+| Lakeland
+| Circuits [[Florida 9th Circuit Court|9]], [[Florida 10th Circuit Court|10]], and [[Florida 20th Circuit Court|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.<ref name=courts/><ref name=report/>
+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.<ref name=courts/><ref name=report>[http://www.flcourts.org/core/fileparse.php/248/urlt/annual_report1314.pdf ''Florida Courts'', "Florida State Courts Annual Report 2013-2014," accessed August 29, 2015]''pages 55-59''</ref>
 '''Number of DCA filings in each case category for fiscal year 2012-2013:'''
@@ Line 74: / Line 79: @@
 * <span>Probate/Guardianship: 230</span>
 * <span>Workers’ Compensation: 231</span><ref name=report/>
-==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.<ref name=report>[http://www.flcourts.org/core/fileparse.php/248/urlt/annual_report1314.pdf ''Florida Courts'', "Florida State Courts Annual Report 2013-2014," accessed August 29, 2015]''pages 55-59''</ref>
-''See also: [[Florida salaries and budgets]]''
 ==Judicial selection==
-Like Florida's supreme court justices, judges of the district courts of appeal are [[Commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection|nominated by the state's judicial nominating commission]] and then appointed by the governor. They serve six-year terms and are re-elected through [[retention elections]].<ref name=courts>[http://www.flcourts.org/courts/dca/dca.shtml ''Florida Courts'', "District Courts of Appeal," accessed April 24, 2014]</ref>
+::''See also: [[Judicial selection in Florida]]''
-''See also: [[Judicial selection in Florida]]''
-===Qualifications===
-To be considered for appointment, a candidate must be:
-*a qualified elector;
-*a Florida resident;
-*admitted to practice law in Florida for at least 10 years;
-*[[mandatory retirement age|no more than]] 75<ref>[http://www.judicialselection.com/judicial_selection/methods/selection_of_judges.cfm?state=FL ''American Judicature Society'', "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida," accessed August 29, 2015]</ref>
+{{#section:Judicial selection in Florida|coa}}
 ===Salary===
-The annual salary for judges of the [[Florida District Courts of Appeal]] has been $154,140 since 2013.<ref>[http://www.ncsc.org/FlashMicrosites/JudicialSalaryReview/2015/home.html ''National Center for State Courts'', "Judicial Salary Tracker," accessed August 29, 2015]</ref>
+::''See also: [[Florida court salaries and budgets]]''
+{{StateCourtSalaryText|Florida/IAC}}
 ==Elections==
-To see results of district court of appeal elections, visit the [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Districts|individual district pages]].
+To see results from district court of appeal elections, visit the [[Florida District Courts of Appeal#Districts|individual district pages]]. For details about Florida's judicial elections, [[Florida judicial elections|click here]].
+*[[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2026]]
-''For details about [[Florida]]'s judicial elections, visit the [[Florida judicial elections]] page.''
+*[[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2024]]
-===2020===
+*[[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2022]]
-::''See also: [[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2020]]''
+*[[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2020]]
-The terms of 25 [[Florida District Courts of Appeal]] justices {{Greener | start=01/04/2021 9:00pm CST | before=will expire | after=expired}} on January 4, 2021. The 25 seats {{Greener | start=11/03/2020 9:00pm CST | before=are | after=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.<ref>[https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/CanList.asp ''Florida Division of Elections'', "Candidate Listing for 2020 General Election," accessed April 28, 2020]</ref>
+*[[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2018]]
-===2018===
-:''See also: [[Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2018]]''
-The terms of nineteen [[Florida District Courts of Appeal]] judges {{Greener|start=January 7, 2019 11am EST|before=will expire|after=expired}} on January 7, 2019. All {{Greener| start=November 6, 2018|before=must stand| after=stood}} for [[Retention election|retention]] by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench.
 ==Ethics==
+<section begin=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:
@@ Line 116: / Line 106: @@
 *'''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"<ref>[http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/ethics/index.shtml ''Florida Supreme Court'', "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed August 28, 2015]</ref>
+*'''Canon 7:''' "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Refrain From Inappropriate Political Activity"<ref>[https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/Opinions/Judicial-Ethics-Advisory-Committee/Code-of-Judicial-Conduct ''Florida Supreme Court'', "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed September 13, 2021]</ref>
-The full text of the '''Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida''' can be found [http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/ethics/index.shtml here].
+The full text of the '''Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida''' can be found [https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/Opinions/Judicial-Ethics-Advisory-Committee/Code-of-Judicial-Conduct here].
 ===Removal of judges===
@@ Line 124: / Line 114: @@
 *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]]<ref>[http://www.judicialselection.com/judicial_selection/methods/removal_of_judges.cfm?state=FL ''American Judicature Society'', "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida, Removal of Judges," accessed August 28, 2015]</ref>
+*By the supreme court after a recommendation from the [[Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission]]<ref>[https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/News-Media/Judicial-Discipline-JQC-Cases#:~:text=Judges%20are%20removed%20from%20office,by%20the%20Florida%20Supreme%20Court. ''Florida Supreme Court'', "Judicial Qualifications Commission Cases Pending in the Florida Supreme Court," accessed July 17, 2023]</ref>
+<section end=Ethics/>
 ==Jurisdiction==
-Each county in Florida falls within the jurisdiction of one of the five district courts of appeal.
+Each county in Florida falls within the jurisdiction of one of the six district courts of appeal.
 ===[[Florida First District Court of Appeal|First District Court of Appeal]]===
 *'''[[Florida 1st Circuit Court|First Circuit]]:''' [[Escambia County, Florida (Judicial)|Escambia]], [[Santa Rosa County, Florida (Judicial)|Santa Rosa]], [[Okaloosa County, Florida (Judicial)|Okaloosa]] and [[Walton County, Florida (Judicial)|Walton]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 2nd Circuit Court|Second Circuit]]:''' [[Franklin County, Florida (Judicial)|Franklin]], [[Gadsden County, Florida (Judicial)|Gadsden]], [[Jefferson County, Florida (Judicial)|Jefferson]], [[Leon County, Florida (Judicial)|Leon]], [[Liberty County, Florida (Judicial)|Liberty]] and [[Wakulla County, Florida (Judicial)|Wakulla]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 3rd Circuit Court|Third Circuit]]:''' [[Columbia County, Florida (Judicial)|Columbia]], [[Dixie County, Florida (Judicial)|Dixie]], [[Hamilton County, Florida (Judicial)|Hamilton]], [[Lafayette County, Florida (Judicial)|Lafayette]], [[Madison County, Florida (Judicial)|Madison]], [[Suwannee County, Florida (Judicial)|Suwannee]] and [[Taylor County, Florida (Judicial)|Taylor]] counties
-*'''[[Florida 4th Circuit Court|Fourth Circuit]]:''' [[Clay County, Florida (Judicial)|Clay]], [[Duval County, Florida (Judicial)|Duval]] and [[Nassau County, Florida (Judicial)|Nassau]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 8th Circuit Court|Eighth Circuit]]:''' [[Alachua County, Florida (Judicial)|Alachua]], [[Baker County, Florida (Judicial)|Baker]], [[Bradford County, Florida (Judicial)|Bradford]], [[Gilchrist County, Florida (Judicial)|Gilchrist]], [[Levy County, Florida (Judicial)|Levy]] and [[Union County, Florida (Judicial)|Union]] counties
-*'''[[Florida 14th Circuit Court|Fourteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Bay County, Florida (Judicial)|Bay]], [[Calhoun County, Florida (Judicial)|Calhoun]], [[Gulf County, Florida (Judicial)|Gulf]], [[Holmes County, Florida (Judicial)|Holmes]], [[Jackson County, Florida (Judicial)|Jackson]] and [[Washington County, Florida (Judicial)|Washington]] counties
+*'''[[Florida 14th Circuit Court|Fourteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Bay County, Florida (Judicial)|Bay]], [[Calhoun County, Florida (Judicial)|Calhoun]], [[Gulf County, Florida (Judicial)|Gulf]], [[Holmes County, Florida (Judicial)|Holmes]], [[Jackson County, Florida (Judicial)|Jackson]] and [[Washington County, Florida (Judicial)|Washington]] counties<ref name=courts/>
 ===[[Florida Second District Court of Appeal|Second District Court of Appeal]]===
 *'''[[Florida 6th Circuit Court|Sixth Circuit]]:''' [[Pasco County, Florida (Judicial)|Pasco]] and [[Pinellas County, Florida (Judicial)|Pinellas]] counties
-*'''[[Florida 10th Circuit Court|Tenth Circuit]]:''' [[Hardee County, Florida (Judicial)|Hardee]], [[Highlands County, Florida (Judicial)|Highlands]] and [[Polk County, Florida (Judicial)|Polk]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 12th Circuit Court|Twelfth Circuit]]:''' [[DeSoto County, Florida (Judicial)|DeSoto]], [[Manatee County, Florida (Judicial)|Manatee]] and [[Sarasota County, Florida (Judicial)|Sarasota]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 13th Circuit Court|Thirteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Hillsborough County, Florida (Judicial)|Hillsborough]]
-*'''[[Florida 20th Circuit Court|Twentieth Circuit]]:''' [[Charlotte County, Florida (Judicial)|Charlotte]], [[Collier County, Florida (Judicial)|Collier]], [[Glades County, Florida (Judicial)|Glades]], [[Hendry County, Florida (Judicial)|Hendry]] and [[Lee County, Florida (Judicial)|Lee]] counties
 ===[[Florida Third District Court of Appeal|Third District Court of Appeal]]===
 *'''[[Florida 11th Circuit Court|Eleventh Circuit]]:''' [[Miami-Dade County, Florida (Judicial)|Miami-Dade]] County
@@ Line 149: / Line 137: @@
 *'''[[Florida 19th Circuit Court|Nineteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Indian River County, Florida (Judicial)|Indian River]], [[Martin County, Florida (Judicial)|Martin]], [[Okeechobee County, Florida (Judicial)|Okeechobee]] and [[St. Lucie County, Florida (Judicial)|St. Lucie]]
 ===[[Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal|Fifth District Court of Appeal]]===
+*'''[[Florida 4th Circuit Court|Fourth Circuit]]:''' [[Clay County, Florida (Judicial)|Clay]], [[Duval County, Florida (Judicial)|Duval]] and [[Nassau County, Florida (Judicial)|Nassau]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 5th Circuit Court|Fifth Circuit]]:''' [[Citrus County, Florida (Judicial)|Citrus]], [[Hernando County, Florida (Judicial)|Hernando]], [[Lake County, Florida (Judicial)|Lake]], [[Marion County, Florida (Judicial)|Marion]] and [[Sumter County, Florida (Judicial)|Sumter]] counties
 *'''[[Florida 7th Circuit Court|Seventh Circuit]]:''' [[Flagler County, Florida (Judicial)|Flagler]], [[Putnam County, Florida (Judicial)|Putnam]], [[St. Johns County, Florida (Judicial)|St. Johns]] and [[Volusia County, Florida (Judicial)|Volusia]] counties
+*'''[[Florida 18th Circuit Court|Eighteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Brevard County, Florida (Judicial)|Brevard]] and [[Seminole County, Florida (Judicial)|Seminole]] counties<ref name=courts/>
+===[[Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal|Sixth District Court of Appeal]]===
 *'''[[Florida 9th Circuit Court|Ninth Circuit]]:''' [[Orange County, Florida (Judicial)|Orange]] and [[Osceola County, Florida (Judicial)|Osceola]] counties
-*'''[[Florida 18th Circuit Court|Eighteenth Circuit]]:''' [[Brevard County, Florida (Judicial)|Brevard]] and [[Seminole County, Florida (Judicial)|Seminole]] counties
+*'''[[Florida 10th Circuit Court|Tenth Circuit]]:''' [[Hardee County, Florida (Judicial)|Hardee]], [[Highlands County, Florida (Judicial)|Highlands]] and [[Polk County, Florida (Judicial)|Polk]] counties
+*'''[[Florida 20th Circuit Court|Twentieth Circuit]]:''' [[Charlotte County, Florida (Judicial)|Charlotte]], [[Collier County, Florida (Judicial)|Collier]], [[Glades County, Florida (Judicial)|Glades]], [[Hendry County, Florida (Judicial)|Hendry]] and [[Lee County, Florida (Judicial)|Lee]] counties
 {{Florida state profile}}
-==Recent news==
-{{News feed form
-|Term1=Florida
-|Term2=District
-|Term3=Courts
-|Term4=Appeal
-}}
 ==See also==
-*[[Courts in Florida]]
+{{SCP See Also|State=Florida}}
-*[[List of state intermediate appellate courts]]
 ==External links==
 *[http://www.flcourts.org/courts/dca/dca.shtml ''Florida Courts'', "District Courts of Appeal"]
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.floridabar.org/TFB/TFBResources.nsf/Attachments/830A6BC6B90DA05685256B29004BFAC0/$FILE/Appellate%20Rules.pdf?OpenElement ''Florida Bar'', "Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure"]
-*[http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0035/0035ContentsIndex.html&StatuteYear=2013&Title=-%3E2013-%3EChapter%2035 ''Online Sunshine'', "Florida Statutes, Title V, Chapter 35: District Courts of Appeal"]
 ==Footnotes==
@@ Line 179: / Line 160: @@
 {{Judges of the Florida Appellate Court}}
 {{State intermediate appellate courts}}
+[[Category: State intermediate appellate courts]]
 [[category:Florida intermediate appellate courts]]
 [[category:Judicial appointment through commission]]
 [[category:Judicial retention elections]]
-__NOTOC__

Florida	Judicial Selection	More Courts

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Florida District Courts of Appeal: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:55, 18 December 2025

Contents

Districts

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Judicial selection

Qualifications

Chief justice

Vacancies

Salary

Elections

Ethics

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First District Court of Appeal

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Third District Court of Appeal

Fourth District Court of Appeal

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State profile

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