Florida First District Court of Appeal
Encyclopedia
The Florida First District Court of Appeal, also known as the First DCA, is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida
. It is unique among the five Florida District Courts of Appeal
in that, much like the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
at the federal level, it handles most of the appeals in state administrative law
matters. It is also solely responsible for handling appeals in workers' compensation
cases.
on the southeastern outskirts of the city. The $48.8 million construction cost of the new courthouse generated considerable controversy, particularly given that the new building contained details and amenities such as "miles" of African mahogany
, granite
top desks, and a sixty-inch flat screen television
in each judge's chamber. The opulence of the new building led many critics to dub the new courthouse as the "Taj Mahal
," and eventually led to the forced resignation of Paul M. Hawkes as the court's chief judge.
Investigation into the building's construction revealed that after receiving an initial $1.8 million appropriation in the 2006 state budget, then-Governor Jeb Bush
threatened to veto
the appropriation unless the judges considered remodeling and expanding their existing facility. After receiving letters containing such assurances, the governor left the money in the budget. In 2007, judges on the court had the Florida Legislature
appropriate an additional $7.9 million toward construction of a new courthouse. In the final days of that year's legislative session, judges had lawmakers slip an amendment into a transportation bill
authorizing a $33.5 million bond
issue for the new building.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is unique among the five Florida District Courts of Appeal
Florida District Courts of Appeal
The Florida District Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts of the Florida state court system. There are five DCAs:*The First District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Tallahassee...
in that, much like the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
at the federal level, it handles most of the appeals in state administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
matters. It is also solely responsible for handling appeals in workers' compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
cases.
New Courthouse Controversy
In December 2010, the First DCA—which had previously been located two blocks from the Supreme Court of Florida in downtown Tallahassee—moved into a new courthouseCourthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
on the southeastern outskirts of the city. The $48.8 million construction cost of the new courthouse generated considerable controversy, particularly given that the new building contained details and amenities such as "miles" of African mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
top desks, and a sixty-inch flat screen television
Flat panel display
Flat panel displays encompass a growing number of electronic visual display technologies. They are far lighter and thinner than traditional television sets and video displays that use cathode ray tubes , and are usually less than thick...
in each judge's chamber. The opulence of the new building led many critics to dub the new courthouse as the "Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
," and eventually led to the forced resignation of Paul M. Hawkes as the court's chief judge.
Investigation into the building's construction revealed that after receiving an initial $1.8 million appropriation in the 2006 state budget, then-Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
threatened to veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
the appropriation unless the judges considered remodeling and expanding their existing facility. After receiving letters containing such assurances, the governor left the money in the budget. In 2007, judges on the court had the Florida Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
appropriate an additional $7.9 million toward construction of a new courthouse. In the final days of that year's legislative session, judges had lawmakers slip an amendment into a transportation bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
authorizing a $33.5 million bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
issue for the new building.
Chief Judges
Judges who have served as Chief Judge of the First DCA include:- Robert T. Benton, II
Active Judges
Judges who are currently serving on the First DCA include:- James R. Wolf
- Charles J. Kahn, Jr.
- Peter D. Webster
- Marguerite H. Davis
- William A. Van Nortwick, Jr.
- Philip J. Padovano
- Joseph Lewis
- Paul M. Hawkes
- Bradford L.Thomas
- L. Clayton Roberts
- Nikki Ann Clark
- T. Kent Wetherell, II
- Lori S. Rowe
- Simone Marstiller
See also
- Florida Second District Court of AppealFlorida Second District Court of AppealThe Florida Second District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Lakeland, Florida and has a branch in Tampa.-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...
- Florida Third District Court of AppealFlorida Third District Court of AppealThe Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...
- Florida Fourth District Court of AppealFlorida Fourth District Court of AppealThe Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. Its twelve judges have jurisdiction over cases arising in Palm Beach County, Broward County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, Indian River County, and Okeechobee County....
- Florida Fifth District Court of AppealFlorida Fifth District Court of AppealThe Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida.-History:The Fifth District Court of Appeal was created by the 1979 session of the Florida Legislature.-Chief Judges:...