United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida: Difference between revisions

United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
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Established	February 23, 1847

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Revision as of 05:30, 3 January 2014

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (in case citations, S.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]

The United States Attorney for the District is Wilfredo A. Ferrer.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is one of three federal judicial districts in Florida.^[2] Court for the District is held at Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach.

Fort Lauderdale Division comprises the following counties: Broward.

Fort Pierce Division comprises the following counties: Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and Saint Lucie.

Key West Division comprises the following counties: Monroe.

Miami Division comprises the following counties: Miami-Dade.

West Palm Beach Division comprises the following counties: Palm Beach.

Current judges

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Active	Chief	Senior	Appointed by
42	Chief Judge	Federico A. Moreno	Miami	1952	1990–present	2007–present	—	G.H.W. Bush
40	District Judge	William J. Zloch	Fort Lauderdale	1944	1985–present	2000–2007	—	Reagan
45	District Judge	Kevin Michael Moore	Miami	1951	1992–present	—	—	G.H.W. Bush
46	District Judge	Ursula Mancusi Ungaro	Miami	1951	1992–present	—	—	G.H.W. Bush
49	District Judge	Joan A. Lenard	Miami	1952	1997–present	—	—	Clinton
50	District Judge	Donald M. Middlebrooks	West Palm Beach	1946	1997–present	—	—	Clinton
52	District Judge	William Dimitrouleas	Fort Lauderdale	1951	1998–present	—	—	Clinton
56	District Judge	Kenneth Marra	West Palm Beach	1951	2002–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
57	District Judge	Jose E. Martinez	Miami	1941	2002–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
58	District Judge	Cecilia Altonaga	Miami	1962	2003–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
59	District Judge	James I. Cohn	Fort Lauderdale	1948	2003–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
60	District Judge	Marcia G. Cooke	Miami	1954	2004–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
61	District Judge	Kathleen M. Williams	Miami	1956	2011–present	—	—	Obama
62	District Judge	Robert N. Scola, Jr.	Miami	1955	2011–present	—	—	Obama
63	District Judge	Robin S. Rosenbaum	Fort Lauderdale	1966	2012–present	—	—	Obama
—	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
—	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
—	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
27	Senior District Judge	James Lawrence King	Miami	1927	1970–1992	1984–1991	1992–present	Nixon
30	Senior District Judge	William Hoeveler	Miami	1922	1977–1991	—	1991–present	Carter
31	Senior District Judge	Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr.	Fort Lauderdale	1931	1978–1996	—	1996–present	Carter
41	Senior District Judge	Kenneth Ryskamp	West Palm Beach	1932	1986–2000	—	2000–present	Reagan
43	Senior District Judge	Donald L. Graham	Miami	1948	1991–2013	—	2013–present	G.H.W. Bush
44	Senior District Judge	Shelby Highsmith	inactive	1929	1991–2002	—	2002–present	G.H.W. Bush
48	Senior District Judge	Daniel T.K. Hurley	West Palm Beach	1943	1994–2009	—	2009–present	Clinton
51	Senior District Judge	Alan Stephen Gold	Miami	1944	1997–2010	—	2010–present	Clinton
53	Senior District Judge	Patricia A. Seitz	Miami	1946	1998–2012	—	2012–present	Clinton
55	Senior District Judge	Paul Huck	Miami	1940	2000–2010	—	2010–present	Clinton

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat	Seat last held by	Vacancy reason	Date of vacancy	Nominee	Date of nomination
1	Adalberto Jordan	appointment to 11th Cir.	February 17, 2012	William L. Thomas	November 14, 2012
2	Patricia A. Seitz	Senior status	November 16, 2012
3	Donald L. Graham	Senior status	December 15, 2013

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	William Marvin	FL	1808–1902	1847–1863	—	—	Polk	resignation
2	Thomas Jefferson Boynton	FL	1838–1871	1864–1870	—	—	Lincoln	resignation
3	John McKinney	FL	1829–1871	1871	—	—	Grant	death
4	James William Locke	FL	1837–1922	1872–1912	—	—	Grant	retirement
5	John Moses Cheney	FL	1859–1922	1912–1913	—	—	Taft	not confirmed^[3]
6	Rhydon Mays Call	FL	1858–1927	1913–1927	—	—	Wilson	death
7	Lake Jones	FL	1867–1930	1924–1930	—	—	Coolidge	death
8	Alexander Akerman	FL	1869–1948	1929–1939	—	1939–1948	Coolidge	death
9	Halsted L. Ritter	FL	1868–1957	1929–1936	—	—	Coolidge	impeachment and conviction
10	Louie Willard Strum	FL	1890–1954	1931–1950	1948–1950	—	Hoover	appointment to 5th Cir.
11	John W. Holland	FL	1883–1969	1936–1955	1950–1955	1955–1969	F.Roosevelt	death
12	William Julius Barker	FL	1886–1968	1940–1959	1955–1959	1959–1968	F.Roosevelt	death
13	Curtis L. Waller	FL	1887–1950	1940–1943	—	—	F.Roosevelt	appointment to 5th Cir.
14	Dozier A. DeVane	FL	1883–1963	1943–1958	—	1958–1963	F.Roosevelt	death
15	George William Whitehurst	FL	1891–1974	1950–1961	1959–1961	1961–1974	Truman	death
16	John Milton Bryan Simpson	FL	1903–1987	1950–1962	1961–1962	—	Truman	reassignment to M.D.Fla
17	Emett Clay Choate	FL	1891–1974	1954–1965	—	1965–1974	Eisenhower	death
18	Joseph Patrick Lieb	FL	1901–1971	1956–1962	—	—	Eisenhower	reassignment to M.D.Fla
18	William McRae	FL	1909–1973	1961–1962	—	—	Kennedy	reassignment to M.D.Fla
19	David W. Dyer	FL	1909–1973	1961–1966	1962–1966	—	Kennedy	appointment to 5th Cir.
20	George C. Young	FL	1916–present	1961–1962	—	—	Kennedy	reassignment to M.D.Fla
21	Charles B. Fulton	FL	1910–1996	1963–1978	1966–1977	1977–1996	Kennedy	death
22	William O. Mehrtens	FL	1905–1980	1965–1975	—	1975–1980	L. Johnson	death
23	C. Clyde Atkins	FL	1914–1999	1966–1982	1977–1982	1982–1999	L. Johnson	death
24	Ted Cabot	FL	1917–1971	1966–1971	—	—	L. Johnson	death
25	Joe Oscar Eaton	FL	1920–2008	1967–1985	1982–1984	1985–2008	L. Johnson	death
26	Peter T. Fay	FL	1929–present	1970–1976	—	—	Nixon	appointment to 5th Cir.
28	Norman Charles Roettger, Jr.	FL	1930–2003	1972–1997	1991–1997	1997–2003	Nixon	death
29	Sidney M. Aronovitz	FL	1920–1997	1976–1988	—	1988–1997	Ford	death
32	Edward B. Davis	FL	1933–2010	1979–2000	1997–2000	—	Carter	retirement
33	James W. Kehoe	FL	1925–1998	1979–1992	—	1992–1998	Carter	death
34	James Carriger Paine	FL	1924–2010	1979–1992	—	1992–2010	Carter	death
35	Eugene P. Spellman	FL	1930–1991	1979–1991	—	—	Carter	death
36	Alcee Hastings	FL	1936–present	1979–1989	—	—	Carter	impeachment and conviction
37	Lenore Carrero Nesbitt	FL	1932–2001	1983–1998	—	1998–2001	Reagan	death
38	Stanley Marcus	FL	1946–present	1985–1997	—	—	Reagan	appointment to 11th Cir.
39	Thomas E. Scott, Jr.	FL	1948–present	1985–1990	—	—	Reagan	resignation
47	Wilkie D. Ferguson	FL	1938–2003	1993–2003	—	—	Clinton	death
54	Adalberto Jordan	FL	1961–present	1999–2012	—	—	Clinton	appointment to 11th Cir.

Court Decisions

Gonzalez v. Reno (2000) - Court rules that only the father (and not the extended family) of Elian Gonzalez can petition for asylum on his behalf. Decision upheld by Eleventh Circuit.

Notable Prosecutions

Manuel Noriega (1990) - Former Panamanian dictator

Cuban Five (2001) - Cuban intelligence officers

Jose Padilla (2007) - Terrorist

Scott W. Rothstein (2010) - Former attorney/Ponzi schemer

Succession of seats

Seat 1
Seat established on February 23, 1847 by 9 Stat. 131
Marvin	1847–1863
Boynton	1863–1870
McKinney	1870–1871
Locke	1872–1912
Cheney	1912–1913
Call	1913–1927
Ritter	1929–1936
Holland	1936–1955
Lieb	1955–1962
Seat reassigned to the Middle District of Florida on October 29, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247

Seat 2
Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary)
Jones	1924–1930
Seat abolished on June 7, 1930 (Temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 3
Seat established on January 17, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1081
Akerman	1929–1939
Barker	1940–1959
McRae, Jr.	1961–1962
Seat reassigned to the Middle District of Florida on October 29, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247

Seat 4
Seat established on June 27, 1930 by 46 Stat. 820
Strum	1931–1950
Simpson	1950–1962
Seat reassigned to the Middle District of Florida on October 29, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247

Seat 5
Seat established on May 24, 1940 by 54 Stat. 219 (temporary, concurrent with Northern District)
Waller	1940–1943
DeVane	1943–1947
Seat reassigned solely to Northern District and made permanent on October 1, 1947 pursuant to 54 Stat. 219

Seat 6
Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 (concurrent with Northern 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 7
Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8
Choate	1954–1965
Mehrtens	1965–1975
Aronovitz	1976–1988
Graham	1991–2013
vacant	2013–present

Seat 8
Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80
Dyer	1961–1966
Eaton	1967–1985
Ryskamp	1986–2000
Huck	2000–2010
Scola, Jr.	2011–present

Seat 9
Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80
Fulton	1963–1978
Gonzalez, Jr.	1978–1996
Gold	1997–2011
Rosenbaum	2012–present

Seat 10
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
Atkins	1966–1982
Nesbitt	1982–1998
Jordan	1999–2012
vacant	2012–present

Seat 11
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75
Cabot	1966–1971
Roettger, Jr.	1972–1997
Dimitrouleas	1998–present

Seat 12
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Fay	1970–1976
Hoeveler	1977–1991
Ferguson, Jr.	1993–2003
Cooke	2004–present

Seat 13
Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
King	1970–1992
Lenard	1995–present

Seat 14
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Davis	1979–2000
Martinez	2002–present

Seat 15
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Kehoe	1979–1992
Middlebrooks	1997–present

Seat 16
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Paine	1979–1992
Hurley	1994–2009
Williams	2011–present

Seat 17
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Spellman	1979–1991
Moore	1992–present

Seat 18
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Hastings	1979–1989
Moreno	1990–present

Seat 19
Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
Marcus	1985–1997
Seitz	1998–2012
vacant	2012–present

Seat 20
Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
Scott, Jr.	1985–1990
Highsmith	1991–2002
Altonaga	2003–present

Seat 21
Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
Zloch	1985–present

Seat 22
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Ungaro	1992–present

Seat 23
Seat established on December 21, 2000 by 114 Stat. 2762
Marra	2002–present

Seat 24
Seat established on November 2, 2002 by 116 Stat. 1758 (temporary)
Cohn	2003–present

References

^ http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_fl.html U.S. District Courts Florida, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
^ 28 U.S.C. § 89
^ Recess appointment; the United States Senate did not confirm the appointment.

External links

[1] ttp://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_fl.html U.S. District Courts Florida, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center

[2] 28 U.S.C. § 89

[3] Recess appointment; the United States Senate did not confirm the appointment.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e United States federal courts
Supreme Court of the United States United States courts of appeals List of United States district and territorial courts

Courts of appeals	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th DC Federal
District courts	Alabama (M, N, S) Alaska Arizona Arkansas (E, W) California (C, E, N, S) Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida (M, N, S) Georgia (M, N, S) Hawaii Idaho Illinois (C, N, S) Indiana (N, S) Iowa (N, S) Kansas Kentucky (E, W) Louisiana (E, M, W) Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan (E, W) Minnesota Mississippi (N, S) Missouri (E, W) Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York (E, N, S, W) North Carolina (E, M, W) North Dakota Ohio (N, S) Oklahoma (E, N, W) Oregon Pennsylvania (E, M, W) Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee (E, M, W) Texas (E, N, S, W) Utah Vermont Virginia (E, W) Washington (E, W) West Virginia (N, S) Wisconsin (E, W) Wyoming
Specialty courts	Court of International Trade Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Alien Terrorist Removal Court Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review
Territorial courts	Guam Northern Mariana Islands Virgin Islands
Extinct courts	Former United States district courts District of Orleans District of Potomac Eastern District of Illinois District of the Canal Zone District of China District of Berlin
Note	American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to the District of Columbia, Hawaii, or its own Supreme Court.