United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Encyclopedia
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (in case citation
s, S.D. Fla. or S.D. Fl.) is the federal
United States district court
with jurisdiction
over the southern part of the state
of Florida
.
Appeals from cases brought in the Southern District of Florida are to the United States Court of Appeals for 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
).
was admitted as a state, March 3, 1845, Congress enacted legislation creating the United States District Court for the District of Florida, 5 Stat. 788. On February 23, 1847, this District was subdivided into Northern
and Southern Districts, by 9 Stat. 131. The statute effecting this division set forth the boundaries of the Districts:
On July 30, 1962 the Middle
District was created from portions of these districts by 76 Stat. 247.
Famous cases that have been heard in the district include Bush v. Gore
, United States v. Noriega (the prosecution of the former Manuel Noriega
), González v. Reno (the Elián González
case), notorious Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, and United States v. José Padilla (the prosecution of José Padilla).
, Highlands
, Indian River
, Martin
, Miami-Dade
, Monroe
, Okeechobee
, Palm Beach
, and St. Lucie
. The district includes the South Florida metropolitan area
of Miami
, Fort Lauderdale
, and West Palm Beach
. It comprises 15197 square miles (39,360 km²)and approximately 6.3 million people. Courthouses, corresponding to the five divisions of the district, are located in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce
, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach. The court's offices are located in Miami.
and confirmed
by the Senate
.
As of January 10, 2011, a vacancy exists in the District due to the decision of Judge Alan Gold
to assume senior status. On November 30, 2011, President Obama nominated Robin S. Rosenbaum
to fill the vacancy. Her nomination is pending before the U.S. Senate.
The District Judges (active and senior) sitting are:
than any other district, with a total of two, one-third of all federal district judges so removed.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney
for the district is Wilfredo "Willy" Ferrer.
Case citation
Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
s, S.D. Fla. or S.D. Fl.) is the federal
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
with jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
over the southern part of the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
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...
.
Appeals from cases brought in the Southern District of Florida are to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
(except for patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act
Tucker Act
Through the Tucker Act , the United States government has waived its sovereign immunity with respect to certain lawsuits....
, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
-Vacancies and pending nominations:-List of former judges:-Chief judges:Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge...
).
History
On the same day that FloridaFlorida
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...
was admitted as a state, March 3, 1845, Congress enacted legislation creating the United States District Court for the District of Florida, 5 Stat. 788. On February 23, 1847, this District was subdivided into Northern
United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the northern part of the state of Florida....
and Southern Districts, by 9 Stat. 131. The statute effecting this division set forth the boundaries of the Districts:
- [T]hat part of the State of Florida lying south of a line drawn due east and west from the northern point of Charlotte HarborCharlotte Harbor, FloridaCharlotte Harbor is a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,647 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, including the islands, keys, reefs, shoals, harbors, bays and inlets, south of said line, shall be erected into a new judicial district, to be called the Southern District of Florida; a District Court shall be held in said Southern District, to consist of one judge, who shall reside at Key WestKey West, FloridaKey West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, in said district...
On July 30, 1962 the Middle
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida serves the residents of thirty-five counties from eight courthouses....
District was created from portions of these districts by 76 Stat. 247.
Famous cases that have been heard in the district include Bush v. Gore
Bush v. Gore
Bush v. Gore, , is the landmark United States Supreme Court decision on December 12, 2000, that effectively resolved the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush. Only eight days earlier, the United States Supreme Court had unanimously decided the closely related case of Bush v...
, United States v. Noriega (the prosecution of the former Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno is a Panamanian politician and soldier. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.The 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States removed him from power; he was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on...
), González v. Reno (the Elián González
Elián González
The custody and immigration status of a young Cuban boy, Elián González , was at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, González's father, Juan Miguel González Quintana, González's other relatives in Miami, Florida, and in Cuba, and Miami's...
case), notorious Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, and United States v. José Padilla (the prosecution of José Padilla).
Jurisdiction
The court's jurisdiction comprises the counties of BrowardBroward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, Highlands
Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Indian River
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
, Martin
Martin County, Florida
Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 126,731. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county is 138,660. Its county seat is Stuart, Florida.- History :...
, Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
, Monroe
Monroe County, Florida
Monroe County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 79,589. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county was 74,737....
, Okeechobee
Okeechobee County, Florida
Okeechobee County is a county located in the state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 35,910. According to 2005 U.S. Census estimates, its population had grown to 39,836. The county seat is Okeechobee, Florida. The county comprises the Okeechobee, Florida Micropolitan Statistical Area.-...
, Palm Beach
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, and St. Lucie
St. Lucie County, Florida
St. Lucie County is a county located in the state of Florida. The county seat is the city of Fort Pierce. In the year 2000, the population was 192,695. As of the year 2010, the United States Census Bureau sets the population at 277,789.- History :...
. The district includes the South Florida metropolitan area
South Florida metropolitan area
The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
of Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, and West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. It comprises 15197 square miles (39,360 km²)and approximately 6.3 million people. Courthouses, corresponding to the five divisions of the district, are located in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach. The court's offices are located in Miami.
Current judges
The Court has 18 authorized judgeships, filled by judges appointed by the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
As of January 10, 2011, a vacancy exists in the District due to the decision of Judge Alan Gold
Alan Stephen Gold
Alan Stephen Gold is an American lawyer and a United States federal judge. He currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.-Early life and education:...
to assume senior status. On November 30, 2011, President Obama nominated Robin S. Rosenbaum
Robin S. Rosenbaum
Robin S. Rosenbaum is a Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and is currently a nominee for District Judge on that court.-Biography:...
to fill the vacancy. Her nomination is pending before the U.S. Senate.
The District Judges (active and senior) sitting are:
Former judges
This federal district has the dubious distinction of having had more judges removed through impeachmentImpeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
than any other district, with a total of two, one-third of all federal district judges so removed.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida is the United States Attorney responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida....
represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the district is Wilfredo "Willy" Ferrer.