United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

United States federal district court in Florida
(Pensacola)
  • Marianna
    • Appeals toEleventh CircuitEstablishedFebruary 23, 1847Judges4Chief JudgeMark E. WalkerOfficers of the courtU.S. AttorneyJason R. CoodyU.S. MarshalR. Don Ladner Jr.www.flnd.uscourts.gov

    The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (in case citations, N.D. Fla.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

    The District was established on February 23, 1847, with the division of the state into a Northern and Southern district.[1]

    As of December 26, 2021[update] the United States attorney for the District is Jason R. Coody.[2]

    Organization of the court

    The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida is one of three federal judicial districts in Florida.[3] Court for the District is held at Gainesville, Panama City, Pensacola, and Tallahassee. The court serves approximately 1.75 million people.[4]

    Gainesville Division comprises the following counties: Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, and Levy.

    Panama City Division comprises the following counties: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington.

    Pensacola Division comprises the following counties: Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton.

    Tallahassee Division comprises the following counties: Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla.

    Current judges

    As of April 3, 2023[update]:

    # Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
    Active Chief Senior
    24 Chief Judge Mark E. Walker Tallahassee 1967 2012–present 2018–present — Obama
    22 District Judge M. Casey Rodgers Pensacola 1964 2003–present 2011–2018 — G.W. Bush
    25 District Judge Allen Winsor Tallahassee 1976 2019–present — — Trump
    26 District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II Pensacola 1970 2019–present — — Trump
    15 Senior Judge William Henry Stafford Jr. Tallahassee 1931 1975–1996 1981–1993 1996–present Ford
    19 Senior Judge Lacey A. Collier Pensacola 1935 1991–2003 — 2003–present G.H.W. Bush
    20 Senior Judge Robert Hinkle Tallahassee 1951 1996–2016 2004–2009 2016–present Clinton

    Former judges

    # Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
    termination
    1 Isaac H. Bronson FL 1802–1855 1847–1855[Note 1] — — Polk/Operation of law death
    2 McQueen McIntosh FL 1822–1868 1856–1861 — — Pierce resignation
    3 Philip Fraser FL 1814–1876 1862–1876 — — Lincoln death
    4 Thomas Settle FL 1831–1888 1877–1888 — — Grant death
    5 Charles Swayne FL 1842–1907 1889–1907[Note 2] — — B. Harrison death
    6 William Bostwick Sheppard FL 1860–1934 1907–1934[Note 3] — — T. Roosevelt death
    7 Augustus V. Long FL 1877–1955 1934–1947 — 1947–1955 F. Roosevelt death
    8 Curtis L. Waller FL 1887–1950 1940–1943[Note 4] — — F. Roosevelt elevation to 5th Cir.
    9 Dozier A. DeVane FL 1883–1963 1943–1958[Note 5] — 1958–1963 F. Roosevelt death
    10 George William Whitehurst FL 1891–1974 1950–1961[Note 4] — 1961–1974 Truman death
    11 G. Harrold Carswell FL 1919–1992 1958–1969 1958–1969 — Eisenhower elevation to 5th Cir.
    12 George C. Young FL 1916–2015 1961–1966[Note 6] — — Kennedy seat abolished
    13 Winston Arnow FL 1911–1994 1967–1981 1969–1981 1981–1994 L. Johnson death
    14 David Lycurgus Middlebrooks Jr. FL 1926–1997 1969–1974 — — Nixon resignation
    16 Lynn Carlton Higby FL 1938–1992 1979–1983 — — Carter resignation
    17 Maurice M. Paul FL 1932–2016 1982–1997 1993–1997 1997–2016 Reagan death
    18 Roger Vinson FL 1940–2023 1983–2005 1997–2004 2005–2023 Reagan death
    21 Stephan P. Mickle FL 1944–2021 1998–2011 2009–2011 2011–2021 Clinton death
    23 John Richard Smoak Jr. FL 1943–2022 2005–2015 – 2015–2022 G.W. Bush death
    1. ^ Reassigned from the District of Florida.
    2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1889, confirmed by the United States Senate on April 1, 1890, and received commission the same day.
    3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1907, confirmed by the Senate on May 20, 1908, and received commission the same day.
    4. ^ a b Jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Florida.
    5. ^ From 1943-1947, Judge DeVane was jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Florida.
    6. ^ From 1961-1962, Judge Young was jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Florida. From 1962-1966, Judge Young was jointly appointed to the Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida.

    Chief judges

    Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.

    A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.

    When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

    Succession of seats

    Seat 1
    Seat reassigned from the District of Florida on February 23, 1847 by 9 Stat. 131
    Bronson 1847–1855
    McIntosh 1856–1861
    Fraser 1862–1876
    Settle 1877–1888
    Swayne 1889–1907
    Sheppard 1907–1934
    Long 1934–1947
    Seat abolished on October 1, 1947 pursuant to 54 Stat. 219
    Seat 2
    Seat established on May 24, 1940 by 54 Stat. 219 (temporary, concurrent with Southern District)
    Waller 1940–1943
    Seat reassigned solely to Northern District and made permanent on October 1, 1947 pursuant to 54 Stat. 219
    DeVane 1943–1958
    Carswell 1958–1969
    Middlebrooks, Jr. 1969–1974
    Stafford, Jr. 1975–1996
    Hinkle 1996–2016
    Winsor 2019–present
    Seat 3
    Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 (concurrent with Southern District)
    Whitehurst 1950–1961
    Seat assigned concurrently to the Middle District on July 30, 1962 pursuant to 76 Stat. 247
    Young 1961–1966
    Seat reassigned solely to the Middle District on September 17, 1966 pursuant to 80 Stat. 75
    Seat 4
    Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
    Arnow 1967–1981
    Paul 1982–1997
    Mickle 1998–2011
    Walker 2012–present

    Seat 5
    Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
    Higby 1979–1983
    Vinson 1983–2005
    Smoak, Jr. 2005–2015
    Wetherell II 2019–present
    Seat 6
    Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
    Collier 1991–2003
    Rodgers 2003–present

    U.S. Attorneys

    See also

    References

    1. ^ http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_fl.html U.S. District Courts Florida, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
    2. ^ "Jason R. Coody Appointed As U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Florida By Attorney General Merrick Garland" (Press release). January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
    3. ^ 28 U.S.C. § 89
    4. ^ "Northern District of Florida | United States District Court".
    5. ^ "Call, Rhydon M. - Judge Call | Amelia Island Museum of History". ameliaisland.pastperfectonline.com. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

    External links

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