Search online public court records from Florida state courts for free. UniCourt allows you to lookup civil, family law, probate, small claims, labour, personal injury and other cases from Florida Superior Courts, Justice Courts, Circuit Courts, & more. With UniCourt, you can look up Florida State Court cases, find latest docket information, view case summary, check case status, download court documents, as well as track cases and get alerts on new filings.
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The State of Florida is home to over 21 million people, making it the third most populous state in the United States. Florida has an area of 65,758 square miles. The state capital is Tallahassee and the most populous single city in the state is Jacksonville. However, the Miami Metropolitan Area, which includes Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, is the most populous area in Florida with a population of over 6 million people living in approximately 1,200 square miles.
As a result of being such a populous state, the Florida state court system has over 3 million cases filed, heard, and processed each year. The Florida Courts are made up of 67 County Courts, 20 Circuit Courts, six District Courts of Appeal, and a Supreme Court – the highest court in the state. Over 1,000 judges and justices work in these courts. Many influential and famous cases in American history have come out of the Florida Courts.
The Supreme Court of Florida is the state's highest court, consisting of a Chief Judge and six Associate Judges appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees from the Judicial Nominating Commission. 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.
The Florida Supreme Court has mandatory jurisdiction over final orders imposing death sentences, District Court decisions declaring a state statute or provision of the Florida Constitution invalid, bond validations, and certain orders of the Public Service Commission on utility rates and services. The Court has discretionary jurisdiction and may review any decision of a District Court of Appeal that expressly declares a state statute valid, construes a provision of the state or federal constitution, or affects a class of constitutional or state officers. The Supreme Court also has jurisdiction over decisions that directly conflict with another District Court’s or the Supreme Court’s ruling on the same question of law, or that have been certified as of great public importance, certified in direct conflict, certified judgments of trial courts, and certified questions from federal courts.
The number of petitions brought before the Court each year averages around 1,800. The Florida Supreme Court has decided many important cases in U.S. jurisprudence, including Gideon v. Wainwright, Florida v. J.L., and Florida v. Jardines.
As the state’s intermediate appellate courts, Florida’s District Courts of Appeal (DCA) aim to provide the opportunity for thoughtful review of decisions of lower tribunals by multi-judge panels. District Courts of Appeal correct harmful errors and ensure that decisions are consistent with rights and liberties to contribute to the development, clarity, and consistency of the law.
As of January 1, 2023, there are six operating District Courts of Appeal in Florida, located in Tallahassee, Tampa, Miami, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach, and Lakeland.
The First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee has jurisdiction over the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 14th Circuits.
The Second District Court of Appeal in Tampa oversees the 6th, 12th, and 13th Circuits, while the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami has jurisdiction over the 11th and 16th Circuits.
The 15th, 17th and 19th Circuits are covered by the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach.
The Fifth District Court of Appeal is based in Daytona Beach and has jurisdiction over the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 18th Circuits.
The most recently added Sixth District Court of Appeal has jurisdiction over the 9th, 10th, and 20th Circuits and is located in Lakeland.
Generally, decisions of the Florida District Courts of Appeal represent the final appellate review of litigated cases. The DCA can hear appeals from final judgments in Circuit Court cases, and in most County Court cases, and can also review certain non-final orders.
The District Courts have been granted the power to review final actions taken by state agencies in carrying out the duties of the executive branch of government. These courts have also been granted the constitutional authority to issue extraordinary writs of certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus, and other writs necessary to the complete exercise of their jurisdiction.
DCA judges have to meet the same eligibility requirements for appointment to office, and are subject to the same procedures and conditions for discipline and removal from office, as Justices of the Florida Supreme Court.
District Court judges serve terms of six years and are eligible for successive terms under a merit retention vote of the electors in their districts. Each District Court has a Chief Judge, who is selected by the District Court judges within the district, and who is responsible for the administrative duties of the court.
Due to the size of the population, Florida has a two-tiered trial court system, consisting of 20 Circuit Courts and 67 County Courts.
The Florida State Constitution provides that a Circuit Court shall be established to serve each of the 20 judicial circuits created by the Legislature.
Circuit Courts have general trial jurisdiction over matters not assigned by statute to the County Courts, such as civil disputes involving more than $30,000. The Circuit Courts hear controversies involving the estates of decedents, minors, and persons adjudicated as incapacitated, as well as cases relating to juveniles, criminal prosecutions for all felonies, tax disputes, and actions to determine the title and boundaries of real property.
Florida’s Circuit Courts also hear suits for declaratory judgments to determine the legal rights or responsibilities of parties under the terms of written instruments, laws, or regulations before a dispute arises and leads to litigation and they also hear requests for injunctions to prevent persons or entities from acting in a manner that is asserted to be unlawful.
If authorized by the Florida Statutes, these courts may hear appeals of decisions in certain administrative and noncriminal infraction cases. This makes the Circuit Courts both the highest trial courts and the lowest appellate courts in Florida's judicial system.
Each Circuit may have any number of judges, depending upon the area’s population and caseload. To be eligible to be a Circuit Court Judge a person must be an elector of a county within the Circuit and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Florida for the previous five years.
Circuit Court judges are elected by the voters of the circuits in nonpartisan, contested elections. Term length for a Circuit Judge is six years. A Chief Judge is chosen from among the Circuit and County judges in each judicial circuit to carry out administrative responsibilities for all the trial courts in the Circuit.
Since there are 20 judicial circuits in Florida, there are 20 Circuit Courts with jurisdiction over specific counties.