Florida Second District Court of Appeal
American court
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Florida Second District Court of Appeal is currently headquartered at the new Pinellas courthouse in St. Petersburg.[1]
It was originally based in Lakeland until the creation of the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal in January 2023, after which it heard cases in Tampa on the campus of Stetson University College of Law in the interim until the new building was completed in February 2026.[2]
There are nine counties in the Second District, which includes a population of over 5.0 million people. The Second District covers Pasco and Pinellas (6th judicial circuit); Hardee, Highlands, and Polk (10th judicial circuit); DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota (12th judicial circuit); and Hillsborough (13th judicial circuit). The counties of Charlotte, Glades, Collier, Hendry, and Lee (20th judicial circuit) became part of the new Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal in January, 2023.[2]
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History
The initial territorial jurisdiction of the Second District, with its headquarters in Lakeland, encompassed twenty-eight counties, ranging from Lake County in the north, to Collier County and Broward County in the south.
In 1965, the Fourth District was established, reducing the Second District's territory, which was further reduced by the establishment of the Fifth District in 1979. There are now fourteen counties in the Second District.
When the District Court of an Appeal for the Second District first convened, its headquarters were in the old Florida Citrus Commission building in Lakeland. In 1980 a branch headquarters for the Second District was authorized and in that same year was established in Tampa where the court maintains an additional courtroom and where eight of the court's judges now have their chambers. The chambers of six judges, the clerk's office, the marshal's office, and the court records are located in the court's Lakeland headquarters. The court hears oral arguments in both its Lakeland and Tampa courtrooms. Periodically, the court also hears oral arguments in county courthouses in various counties within the district.
Originally there were three judges in the Second District. There are now 14 judges on the court.
Active judges
| Name[3] | Start | Chief Term | Term Expires | Appointer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris | August 1, 2009 | 2021–present | 2029 | Charlie Crist (R) |
| Stevan Northcutt | January 6, 1997 | 2007–2009 | 2029 | Lawton Chiles (D) |
| Morris Silberman | January 2, 2001 | 2011–2013 | 2027 | Jeb Bush (R) |
| Patricia Kelly | December 3, 2001 | — | 2029 | Jeb Bush (R) |
| Craig Villanti | February 3, 2003 | 2015–2017 | 2029 | Jeb Bush (R) |
| Edward LaRose | February 1, 2005 | 2017–2019 | 2031 | Jeb Bush (R) |
| Nelly Khouzam | August 1, 2008 | 2019–2021 | 2029 | Charlie Crist (R) |
| Anthony Black | April 1, 2010 | — | 2031 | Charlie Crist (R) |
| Daniel Sleet | December 21, 2012 | — | 2027 | Rick Scott (R) |
| Matthew Lucas | December 23, 2014 | — | 2029 | Rick Scott (R) |
| Susan Rothstein-Youakim | May 2, 2016 | — | 2031 | Rick Scott (R) |
| Andrew Atkinson | January 19, 2018 | — | 2027 | Rick Scott (R) |
| Andrea Teves Smith | February 1, 2019 | — | 2027 | Ron DeSantis (R) |
| Suzanne Labrit | July 29, 2020 | — | 2029 | Ron DeSantis (R) |
| John Guard | January 14, 2026 | — | 2027 | Ron DeSantis (R) |
Chief Judges
Past Judges
Judges who have served on the Second DCA include:
- Charles T. Canady
- David F. Patterson
- John Scheb
- John Badalamenti