Florida First District Court of Appeal

	Florida First District Court of Appeal
	Court information
Judges:	13
Founded:	1957
Salary:	Associates: $218,939
	Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment
Term:	6 years

Judges of the Florida First District Court of Appeal

The Florida First District Court of Appeal is one of six intermediate appellate courts in Florida. It is located in Tallahassee, although it periodically hears oral arguments in other counties. The court consists of 13 judges. The Florida Legislature created the First District Court in 1957, along with the Second and Third district courts.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The First District encompasses five circuits: the First, Second, Third, Eighth, and Fourteenth circuits.^[4]

Published opinions of the Florida First District Court of Appeal can be found here. Archived opinions dating back to 2001 can be found here.

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Thomas D. Winokur	June 11, 2015 - Present	Rick Scott
Ross L. Bilbrey	December 23, 2014 - Present	Rick Scott
L. Clayton Roberts	January 18, 2007 - Present	Charlie Crist
Lori S. Rowe	September 15, 2009 - Present	Charlie Crist
Stephanie Williams Ray	2011 - Present	Rick Scott
Susan Kelsey	April 16, 2015 - Present	Rick Scott
Timothy D. Osterhaus	May 20, 2013 - Present	Rick Scott
Adam Tanenbaum	2019 - Present	Ron DeSantis
Joseph Lewis	2001 - Present	Jeb Bush
Rachel Nordby	2019 - Present	Ron DeSantis
Robert E. Long Jr.	June 30, 2020 - Present	Ron DeSantis
Bradford Thomas	2005 - Present	Jeb Bush
M. Kemmerly Thomas	June 20, 2016 - Present	Rick Scott

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Florida

The justices of the Florida District Courts of Appeal are selected by a nine-member judicial nominating commission.^[6] The commission screens potential judicial candidates, submitting a list of three to six nominees to the governor. The governor must appoint a judge from this list.^[7]

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.^[7] Under the Florida constitution, a judge must retire at age 75; however, a judge who reaches 75 after serving at least half of his or her term may complete that term.^[8]

Qualifications

To serve on one of these courts, a judge must be:

a qualified elector;
a resident in the jurisdiction of the court;
admitted to practice law in the state for 10 years before assuming the bench; and
under the age of 75.

Chief justice

The chief justice of the appellate courts is selected by peer vote. He or she serves in that capacity for two years.^[7]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

If a midterm vacancy occurs, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends three to six qualified candidates to the governor, and the governor selects a successor from that list. The new appointee serves for at least one year before running in a yes-no retention election. If retained, judges serve six-year terms.^[7]

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $218,939, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[9]

Elections

For details about Florida's judicial elections, visit the Florida judicial elections page.

2024

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of 25 Florida intermediate appellate court judges will expire on January 7, 2025. 23 seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was April 26, 2024.

Candidates and results

First District

Ray's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Stephanie Williams Ray's seat

Stephanie Williams Ray was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 66.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.4	647,831
	No	33.6	327,344
	Total Votes		975,175

Source 1 Source 2

Bradford Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Bradford Thomas' seat

Bradford Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 64.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.4	623,879
	No	35.6	344,926
	Total Votes		968,805

Source 1 Source 2

M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat

M. Kemmerly Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.0	629,771
	No	35.0	339,427
	Total Votes		969,198

Source 1 Source 2

Second District

Black's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Anthony K. Black's seat

Anthony K. Black was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.6	1,180,427
	No	31.4	540,280
	Total Votes		1,720,707

Source 1 Source 2

LaRose's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Edward LaRose's seat

Edward LaRose was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 69.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.7	1,192,657
	No	30.3	518,544
	Total Votes		1,711,201

Source 1 Source 2

Rothstein-Youakim's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Susan Rothstein-Youakim's seat

Susan Rothstein-Youakim was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.7	1,172,847
	No	31.3	535,323
	Total Votes		1,708,170

Source 1 Source 2

Third District

Emas' seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Kevin M. Emas' seat

Kevin M. Emas was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 73.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.7	722,029
	No	26.3	257,836
	Total Votes		979,865

Source 1 Source 2

Fernandez's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Ivan F. Fernandez's seat

Ivan F. Fernandez was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 70.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	70.3	686,618
	No	29.7	290,246
	Total Votes		976,864

Source 1 Source 2

Lindsey's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Norma S. Lindsey's seat

Norma S. Lindsey was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 68.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.3	663,923
	No	31.7	307,782
	Total Votes		971,705

Source 1 Source 2

Fourth District

Conner's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Burton C. Conner's seat

Burton C. Conner was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.3	1,110,077
	No	34.7	588,926
	Total Votes		1,699,003

Source 1 Source 2

Kuntz's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Jeffrey T. Kuntz's seat

Jeffrey T. Kuntz was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.0	1,063,461
	No	37.0	624,886
	Total Votes		1,688,347

Source 1 Source 2

Fifth District

Boatwright's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Joe Boatwright's seat

Joe Boatwright was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.3	1,462,353
	No	34.7	776,250
	Total Votes		2,238,603

Source 1 Source 2

Eisnaugle's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Eric Eisnaugle's seat

Eric Eisnaugle was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.8	1,414,458
	No	36.2	803,715
	Total Votes		2,218,173

Source 1 Source 2

Jay's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Harvey Jay's seat

Harvey Jay was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 66.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.1	1,467,642
	No	33.9	751,076
	Total Votes		2,218,718

Source 1 Source 2

Kilbane's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Paige Kilbane's seat

Paige Kilbane was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,443,574
	No	34.8	771,916
	Total Votes		2,215,490

Source 1 Source 2

MacIver's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, John MacIver's seat

John MacIver was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 64.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.3	1,419,263
	No	35.7	789,585
	Total Votes		2,208,848

Source 1 Source 2

Pratt's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Jordan Pratt's seat

Jordan Pratt was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,438,302
	No	34.8	767,570
	Total Votes		2,205,872

Source 1 Source 2

Soud's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Adrian Soud's seat

Adrian Soud was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 65.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.2	1,437,515
	No	34.8	766,606
	Total Votes		2,204,121

Source 1 Source 2

Sixth District

Brownlee's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Paetra Brownlee's seat

Paetra Brownlee was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.9	1,043,200
	No	36.1	589,081
	Total Votes		1,632,281

Source 1 Source 2

Gannam's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Roger Gannam's seat

Roger Gannam was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 62.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.7	1,017,087
	No	37.3	605,814
	Total Votes		1,622,901

Source 1 Source 2

Mize's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Joshua Mize's seat

Joshua Mize was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 62.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.9	1,016,882
	No	37.1	599,137
	Total Votes		1,616,019

Source 1 Source 2

Smith's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Jared Smith's seat

Jared Smith was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.7	1,029,632
	No	36.3	587,097
	Total Votes		1,616,729

Source 1 Source 2

White's seat

Florida 6th District Court of Appeal, Keith White's seat

Keith F. White was retained to the Florida 6th District Court of Appeal on November 5, 2024 with 63.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.7	1,028,974
	No	36.3	586,453
	Total Votes		1,615,427

Source 1 Source 2

Judges not on the ballot

Darryl Casanueva (2nd District)
Scott D. Makar (5th District)

2022

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of 28 Florida intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 2, 2023. The 28 seats were up for retention election on November 8, 2022.

Candidates and results

First District Court of Appeals

Bilbrey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Ross L. Bilbrey's seat

Ross L. Bilbrey was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.9	722,594
	No	35.1	391,324
	Total Votes		1,113,918

It has been certified. Source

Kelsey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Susan Kelsey's seat

Susan Kelsey was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.1	734,444
	No	33.9	377,376
	Total Votes		1,111,820

It has been certified. Source

Long's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Robert Long's seat

Robert E. Long Jr. was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.6	717,180
	No	35.4	393,306
	Total Votes		1,110,486

It has been certified. Source

Rowe's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Lori S. Rowe's seat

Lori S. Rowe was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.4	714,438
	No	35.6	395,027
	Total Votes		1,109,465

It has been certified. Source

Winokur's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal, Thomas D. Winokur's seat

Thomas D. Winokur was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 62.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	62.9	694,973
	No	37.1	410,713
	Total Votes		1,105,686

It has been certified. Source

Second District Court of Appeals

Kelly's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Patricia Kelly's seat

Patricia Kelly was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.4	1,335,805
	No	32.6	647,481
	Total Votes		1,983,286

It has been certified. Source

Khouzam's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Nelly Khouzam's seat

Nelly Khouzam was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 68.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.0	1,339,501
	No	32.0	631,170
	Total Votes		1,970,671

It has been certified. Source

Labrit's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Suzanne Labrit's seat

Suzanne Labrit was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.9	1,337,664
	No	32.1	633,342
	Total Votes		1,971,006

It has been certified. Source

Lucas' seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Matthew C. Lucas' seat

Matthew C. Lucas was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.5	1,327,235
	No	32.5	638,331
	Total Votes		1,965,566

It has been certified. Source

Morris' seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Robert J. Morris' seat

Robert J. Morris Jr. was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.6	1,267,672
	No	35.4	694,126
	Total Votes		1,961,798

It has been certified. Source

Northcutt's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Stevan Northcutt's seat

Stevan Northcutt was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.8	1,211,396
	No	38.2	748,273
	Total Votes		1,959,669

It has been certified. Source

=Stargel's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, John Stargel's seat

John K. Stargel was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.3	1,300,035
	No	33.7	660,124
	Total Votes		1,960,159

It has been certified. Source

Villanti's seat

Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal, Craig Villanti's seat

Craig Villanti was retained to the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.5	1,254,107
	No	35.5	691,412
	Total Votes		1,945,519

It has been certified. Source

Third District Court of Appeals

Bokor's seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Alexander Bokor's seat

Alexander Bokor was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.9	420,454
	No	35.1	227,652
	Total Votes		648,106

It has been certified. Source

Scales' seat

Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal, Edwin A. Scales' seat

Edwin A. Scales III was retained to the Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.4	426,005
	No	33.6	215,909
	Total Votes		641,914

It has been certified. Source

Fourth District Court of Appeals

Artau's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Edward Artau's seat

Edward Artau was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.5	750,815
	No	38.5	469,522
	Total Votes		1,220,337

It has been certified. Source

Ciklin's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Cory Ciklin's seat

Cory Ciklin was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 63.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	63.8	775,702
	No	36.2	440,112
	Total Votes		1,215,814

It has been certified. Source

Damoorgian's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Dorian Damoorgian's seat

Dorian Damoorgian was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 65.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	65.7	794,293
	No	34.3	415,502
	Total Votes		1,209,795

It has been certified. Source

Gerber's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Jonathan D. Gerber's seat

Jonathan D. Gerber was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.7	844,619
	No	30.3	367,989
	Total Votes		1,212,608

It has been certified. Source

Gross' seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Robert Gross' seat

Robert Gross was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 61.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	61.4	742,462
	No	38.6	466,144
	Total Votes		1,208,606

It has been certified. Source

Levine's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Spencer D. Levine's seat

Spencer D. Levine was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	834,494
	No	30.7	370,387
	Total Votes		1,204,881

It has been certified. Source

May's seat

Florida 4th District Court of Appeal, Melanie May's seat

Melanie May was retained to the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 70.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	70.5	847,728
	No	29.5	354,311
	Total Votes		1,202,039

It has been certified. Source

Fifth District Court of Appeals

Cohen's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Jay Cohen's seat

Jay Cohen was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 64.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	64.7	1,100,786
	No	35.3	600,767
	Total Votes		1,701,553

It has been certified. Source

Edwards' seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, James A. Edwards' seat

James A. Edwards was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	1,172,967
	No	30.7	519,622
	Total Votes		1,692,589

It has been certified. Source

Lambert's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Brian D. Lambert's seat

Brian D. Lambert was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	1,174,128
	No	30.7	519,189
	Total Votes		1,693,317

It has been certified. Source

Nardella's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Mary Alice Nardella's seat

Mary Alice Nardella was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 66.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.6	1,128,706
	No	33.4	565,601
	Total Votes		1,694,307

It has been certified. Source

Traver's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Dan Traver's seat

Daniel Traver was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.3	1,136,120
	No	32.7	552,676
	Total Votes		1,688,796

It has been certified. Source

Wozniak's seat

Florida 5th District Court of Appeal, Carrie Ann Wozniak's seat

Carrie Ann Wozniak was retained to the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal on November 8, 2022 with 67.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.9	1,147,273
	No	32.1	543,002
	Total Votes		1,690,275

It has been certified. Source

2020

Main article: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Judges with expiring terms

This is a list of the justices who had to stand for retention election in 2020 in order to remain on the bench. Justices could choose not to stand for election.

■ Joseph Lewis
■ Scott D. Makar
■ Rachel Nordby
■ Timothy D. Osterhaus
■ L. Clayton Roberts
■ Adam Tanenbaum

2016

Main article: Florida judicial elections, 2016

Judges who faced retention

■ James Wolf
■ Ross L. Bilbrey
■ T. Kent Wetherell
■ Lori S. Rowe
■ Susan Kelsey
■ Thomas D. “Bo” Winokur

Election results

November 8 general election

James Wolf was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Wolf's Seat election with 62.52% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Wolf's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
James Wolf	62.52%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

Ross L. Bilbrey was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Bilbrey's Seat election with 63.25% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Bilbrey's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Ross L. Bilbrey	63.25%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

T. Kent Wetherell was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Wetherell's Seat election with 62.23% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Wetherell's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
T. Kent Wetherell	62.23%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

Lori S. Rowe was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Rowe's Seat election with 63.53% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Rowe's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Lori S. Rowe	63.53%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

Susan Kelsey was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Kelsey's Seat election with 64.94% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Kelsey's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Susan Kelsey	64.94%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

Thomas D. “Bo” Winokur was retained in the Florida First District Court of Appeal, Winokur's Seat election with 61.52% of the vote.

Florida First District Court of Appeal, Winokur's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Thomas D. “Bo” Winokur	61.52%
Source: Florida Division of Elections Official Results

2014

Retention

Judge	Election Vote
RobertsL. Clayton Roberts	64.2% A
LewisJoseph Lewis	64.4% A
BentonRobert Benton	64.6% A
MakarScott D. Makar	63.8% A
OsterhausTimothy D. Osterhaus	63.4% A

2012

Judge	Incumbency	Retention vote	Retention Vote %
ThomasBradford Thomas A	Yes	813,714	64.5%A
SwansonRonald V. Swanson A	Yes	821,139	64.9%A
MarstillerSimone Marstiller A	Yes	785,397	61.7%A
RayStephanie Williams Ray A	Yes	837,709	66.1%A

Ethics

The Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Florida. It consists of seven canons:

Canon 1: "A Judge Shall Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary"
Canon 2: "A Judge Shall Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in all of the Judge's Activities"
Canon 3: "A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially and Diligently"
Canon 4: "A Judge Is Encouraged to Engage in Activities to Improve the Law, the Legal System, and the Administration of Justice"
Canon 5: "A Judge Shall Regulate Extrajudicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict With Judicial Duties"
Canon 6: "Fiscal Matters of a Judge Shall be Conducted in a Manner That Does Not Give the Appearance of Influence or Impropriety; etc."
Canon 7: "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Refrain From Inappropriate Political Activity"^[10]

The full text of the Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Florida may be removed in one of two ways:

By a two-thirds vote of the senate after a two-thirds vote for impeachment by the house of representatives
By the supreme court after a recommendation from the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission^[11]

Jurisdiction

There are five circuits and 29 counties in the First District.^[2]

First Circuit: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties
Second Circuit: Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties
Third Circuit: Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor counties
Eighth Circuit: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties
Fourteenth Circuit: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties^[12]

Noteworthy cases

Courtroom Weekly: Florida Showdown: College gun ban struck, December 19, 2013

Marissa Alexander freed on bail

Marissa Alexander, who was sentenced to prison on multiple counts of aggravated assault for firing a warning shot at her husband, was let out of prison on December 4, 2013. Her bond was set at $200,009. She served approximately three years of her 20-year sentence before being granted a retrial.^[13]

During a heated argument with her husband, Rico Gray, in 2010, Alexander fired a warning shot in the house. Her husband had previously been convicted of domestic violence, and Alexander had a restraining order against him. No one was injured as a result of the incident.^[13]

Alexander tried to claim self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law. A concealed carry permit holder, she kept a weapon in her vehicle.^[14] She retreated to her car to retrieve a gun, returned to the house, and fired the shot near Gray's head after the dispute escalated. According to the state, the statute does not apply if retreat can and has been successfully initiated.^[14] Alexander had never been in trouble with the law before.^[15]

Because of mandatory minimum statutes on firearms violence, Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Judge James Daniel of the Florida 4th Circuit Court handed down the original sentence in July of 2013.^[15]

The First District Court of Appeal determined in September 2013 that the burden of proof had been unfairly laden upon Alexander, and therefore she was not presumed innocent. The ruling resulted in a mistrial, requiring Alexander to be retried.^[14]^[13]^[16]^[17]

Alexander was released from jail on January 27, 2015, after taking a plea deal. She pleaded guilty in exchange for credit for three years' time served and two years of electronic monitoring and house arrest.^[18]

For the previous story on Marissa Alexander, see: Courtroom Weekly: "Woman convicted for firing warning shot at husband gets a new trial," October 3, 2013

State profile

Demographic data for Florida
	Florida	U.S.
Total population:	20,244,914	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	53,625	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	76%	73.6%
Black/African American:	16.1%	12.6%
Asian:	2.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	23.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$47,507	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Florida. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Florida

Florida voted Republican in four out of the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Florida, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.^[19]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Florida had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respsectively.

More Florida coverage on Ballotpedia

External links

Florida Courts, "First District Court of Appeal"

Footnotes

↑ Florida First District Court of Appeal
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Florida First District Court of Appeal, "History of Florida's First District Court of Appeal," accessed August 29, 2015
↑ Butler Meihmuller Katz Craig, "FLORIDIANS WILL SOON EXPERIENCE SWIFTER JUSTICE: COME JANUARY 1, 2023, FLORIDA WILL GET A SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL," July 7, 2022
↑ Florida Courts, "District Courts of Appeal," accessed January 18, 2023
↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014
↑ Florida Constitution, "Article V, Section 8," accessed September 10, 2021
↑ National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024
↑ Florida Supreme Court, "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed September 13, 2021
↑ Florida Supreme Court, "Judicial Qualifications Commission Cases Pending in the Florida Supreme Court," accessed July 17, 2023
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named courts
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 MSNBC, "Marissa Alexander released from jail for Thanksgiving," November 28, 2013
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 Daily Mail, "Florida woman sentenced to 20 years for firing warning shot at husband is released as she awaits new trial," November 28, 2013
↑ ^15.0 ^15.1 CBS News, "Florida mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots," July 15, 2013
↑ Jacksonville.com, "Marissa Alexander released from jail," November 28, 2013
↑ The Florida Times-Union, "Marissa Alexander trial date postponed to Dec. 1," June 10, 2014
↑ MSNBC, "Marissa Alexander released from jail," January 27, 2015
↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

Florida courts

Federal courts:

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida

State courts:

Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court

State resources:

Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida

v • e

Florida District Courts of Appeal
Judicial selection in Florida • 2024 elections • Florida Supreme Court

First District

Joseph Lewis • L. Clayton Roberts • Bradford Thomas • Ross L. Bilbrey • Lori S. Rowe • Stephanie Williams Ray • Timothy D. Osterhaus • Susan Kelsey • Thomas D. "Bo" Winokur • Robert E. Long Jr. • M. Kemmerly Thomas • Rachel Nordby • Adam Tanenbaum •

Second District

Stevan Northcutt • Nelly Khouzam • Patricia Kelly • Darryl Casanueva • Craig Villanti • Morris Silberman • Edward LaRose • Daniel H. Sleet • Anthony K. Black • Robert J. Morris Jr. (Florida Court of Appeals judge) • Matthew C. Lucas • Andrea Teves Smith • Susan Rothstein-Youakim • J. Andrew Atkinson • Suzanne Labrit •

Third District

Kevin M. Emas • Ivan F. Fernandez • Bronwyn C. Miller • Monica Gordo • Fleur J. Lobree • Thomas W. Logue • Edwin A. Scales, III •

Fourth District

Robert Gross • Cory Ciklin • Martha Warner • Melanie May • Dorian Damoorgian • Burton C. Conner • Jonathan D. Gerber • Spencer D. Levine • Mark W. Klingensmith • Alan O. Forst • Edward Artau • Jeffrey T. Kuntz •

Fifth District

Eric Eisnaugle • Brian D. Lambert • Frederic Rand Wallis • John M. Harris • Norma S. Lindsey • Adrian Soud • Harvey Jay III • Scott D. Makar • James A. Edwards (Florida) • Paige Kilbane • Joe Boatwright • Jordan Pratt • John MacIver •

Sixth District

Jay Cohen • John K. Stargel • Keith F. White • Daniel Traver • Jared Smith • Paetra Brownlee • Mary Alice Nardella • Joshua Mize • Carrie Ann Wozniak •

[1] Florida First District Court of Appeal

[history-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Florida First District Court of Appeal, "History of Florida's First District Court of Appeal," accessed August 29, 2015

[recommissioning-3] Butler Meihmuller Katz Craig, "FLORIDIANS WILL SOON EXPERIENCE SWIFTER JUSTICE: COME JANUARY 1, 2023, FLORIDA WILL GET A SIXTH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL," July 7, 2022

[jurisdiction-4] Florida Courts, "District Courts of Appeal," accessed January 18, 2023

[5] The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.

[nom-6] American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012

[flajs-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014

[flconst-8] Florida Constitution, "Article V, Section 8," accessed September 10, 2021

[9] National Center for State Courts, "2024 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 7, 2024

[10] Florida Supreme Court, "Code of Judicial Conduct for the State of Florida," accessed September 13, 2021

[11] Florida Supreme Court, "Judicial Qualifications Commission Cases Pending in the Florida Supreme Court," accessed July 17, 2023

[courts-12] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named courts

[nbc-13] 13.0 ^13.1 ^13.2 MSNBC, "Marissa Alexander released from jail for Thanksgiving," November 28, 2013

[mail-14] 14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 Daily Mail, "Florida woman sentenced to 20 years for firing warning shot at husband is released as she awaits new trial," November 28, 2013

[cbs-15] 15.0 ^15.1 CBS News, "Florida mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots," July 15, 2013

[16] Jacksonville.com, "Marissa Alexander released from jail," November 28, 2013

[17] The Florida Times-Union, "Marissa Alexander trial date postponed to Dec. 1," June 10, 2014

[18] MSNBC, "Marissa Alexander released from jail," January 27, 2015

[19] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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Florida First District Court of Appeal

Court information
Judges:	13
Founded:	1957
Salary:	Associates: $218,939^[5]
Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment
Term:	6 years

Florida	Judicial Selection	More Courts

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