United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida

United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (M.D. Fla.)
Map
Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse
Appeals to	Eleventh Circuit
Established	July 30, 1962
Judges assigned	15
Chief judge	Steven Douglas Merryday
Official site

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (in case citations, M.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 July 30, 1962 with parts of the Northern and Southern Districts transferring into the newly created Middle District ^[1]

The United States Attorney for the District is A. Lee Bentley, III.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida is one of three federal judicial districts in Florida.^[2] Court for the District is held at Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, and Tampa.

Fort Myers Division comprises the following counties: Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hendry, and Lee.

Jacksonville Division comprises the following counties: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, and Union.

Ocala Division comprises the following counties: Citrus, Lake, Marion, and Sumter.

Orlando Division comprises the following counties: Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia.

Tampa Division comprises the following counties: Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.

Current judges

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
21	Chief Judge	Steven Douglas Merryday	Tampa	1950	1992–present	2015–present	—	G. H. W. Bush
15	District Judge	Elizabeth A. Kovachevich	Tampa	1936	1982–present	1996–2002	—	Reagan
25	District Judge	James D. Whittemore	Tampa	1952	2000–present	—	—	Clinton
30	District Judge	Timothy J. Corrigan	Jacksonville	1956	2002–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
31	District Judge	Virginia M. Hernandez Covington	Tampa	1955	2004–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
32	District Judge	Marcia Morales Howard	Jacksonville	1965	2007–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
33	District Judge	Mary Stenson Scriven	Tampa	1962	2008–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
34	District Judge	Charlene Honeywell	Orlando	1957	2009–present	—	—	Obama
35	District Judge	Roy B. Dalton, Jr.	Orlando	1952	2011–present	—	—	Obama
36	District Judge	Sheri Polster Chappell	Ft. Myers	1962	2013–present	—	—	Obama
37	District Judge	Brian J. Davis	Jacksonville	1953	2013–present	—	—	Obama
38	District Judge	Paul G. Byron	Orlando	1959	2014–present	—	—	Obama
39	District Judge	Carlos Eduardo Mendoza	Orlando	1970	2014–present	—	—	Obama
40	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
41	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
8	Senior District Judge	William Terrell Hodges	Ocala	1934	1971–1999	1982–1989	1999–present	Nixon
13	Senior District Judge	William J. Castagna	Tampa	1924	1979–1992	—	1992–present	Carter
16	Senior District Judge	G. Kendall Sharp	Orlando	1934	1983–2000	—	2000–present	Reagan
17	Senior District Judge	Patricia C. Fawsett	Orlando	1943	1986–2008	2003–2008	2008–present	Reagan
19	Senior District Judge	Harvey E. Schlesinger	Jacksonville	1940	1991–2006	—	2006–present	G.H.W. Bush
20	Senior District Judge	Anne C. Conway	Orlando	1950	1991–2015	2008–2015	2015–present	G. H. W. Bush
22	Senior District Judge	Henry Lee Adams, Jr.	Jacksonville	1945	1993–2010	—	2010–present	Clinton
23	Senior District Judge	Susan C. Bucklew	Tampa	1942	1993–2008	—	2008–present	Clinton
24	Senior District Judge	Richard A. Lazzara	Tampa	1945	1997–2011	—	2011–present	Clinton
26	Senior District Judge	John Antoon II	Orlando	1946	2000–2013	—	2013–present	Clinton
27	Senior District Judge	John E. Steele	Ft. Myers	1949	2000–2015	—	2015–present	Clinton
28	Senior District Judge	James S. Moody, Jr.	Tampa	1947	2000–2014	—	2014–present	Clinton
29	Senior District Judge	Gregory A. Presnell	Orlando	1942	2000–2012	—	2012–present	Clinton

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat	Seat last held by	Vacancy reason	Date of vacancy	Nominee	Date of nomination
12	John E. Steele	Senior Status	June 3, 2015	Patricia D. Barksdale	April 28, 2016
5	Anne C. Conway	Senior Status	August 1, 2015	William F. Jung	April 28, 2016

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Age at appointment	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Simpson, John Milton BryanJohn Milton Bryan Simpson	FL	1903–1987	1962–1966	1962–1966	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Truman, Truman	appointment to 5th Cir.
2	Lieb, Joseph PatrickJoseph Patrick Lieb	FL	1901–1971	1962–1971	1966–1971	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
3	McRae, WilliamWilliam McRae	FL	1909–1973	1962–1973	1971–1973	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Kennedy, Kennedy	death
4	Young, George C.George C. Young	FL	1916–2015	1961–1981	1973–1981	{{{age at appointment}}}	1981–2015	Kennedy, Kennedy	death
5	Scott, Charles R.Charles R. Scott	FL	1904–1983	1966–1976	—	{{{age at appointment}}}	1976–1983	L. Johnson, L. Johnson	death
6	Krentzman, BenBen Krentzman	FL	1914–1998	1967–1982	1981–1982	{{{age at appointment}}}	1982–1998	L. Johnson, L. Johnson	death
7	Tjoflat, Gerald BardGerald Bard Tjoflat	FL	1929–present	1970–1975	—	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Nixon, Nixon	appointment to 5th Cir.
9	Reed, Jr., John A.John A. Reed, Jr.	FL	1931–present	1973–1984	—	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Nixon, Nixon	resignation
10	Melton, Howell W.Howell W. Melton	FL	1923–2015	1977–1991	—	{{{age at appointment}}}	1991–2015	Carter, Carter	death
11	Carr, George C.George C. Carr	FL	1929–1990	1977–1990	1989–1990	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Carter, Carter	death
12	Black, Susan H.Susan H. Black	FL	1943–present	1979–1992	1990–1992	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	Carter, Carter	appointment to 11th Cir.
14	Moore II, John H.John H. Moore II	FL	1929–2013	1981–1995	1992–1995	{{{age at appointment}}}	1995–2013	Reagan, Reagan	death
18	Nimmons, Jr., Ralph WilsonRalph Wilson Nimmons, Jr.	FL	1938–2003	1991–2003	—	{{{age at appointment}}}	—	G.H.W. Bush, G.H.W. Bush	death

By seat

Seat 1 Reassigned from S.D. Fla on July 30, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247 Simpson 1962–1966 Krentzman, Jr. 1967–1982 Sharp 1983–2000 Antoon II 2000–2013 Mendoza 2014–present

Seat 2 Reassigned from S.D. Fla on July 30, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247 Lieb 1962–1971 Hodges 1971–1999 Whittemore 2000–present

Seat 3 Reassigned from S.D. Fla on July 30, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247 McRae, Jr. 1962–1973 Reed, Jr. 1973–1984 Fawsett 1986–2008 Scriven 2008–present

Seat 4 Reassigned from N.D. Fla/S.D. Fla on July 30, 1962 by 76 Stat. 247 Young 1962–1981 Kovachevich 1982–present

Seat 5 Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 Scott 1966–1976 Carr 1977–1990 Conway 1991–2015 vacant 2015–present

Seat 6 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Tjoflat 1970–1975 Melton, Sr. 1977–1991 Schlesinger 1991–2006 Howard 2007–present

Seat 7 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Black 1979–1992 Adams, Jr. 1993–2010 Dalton, Jr. 2011–present

Seat 8 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Moore II 1981–1995 Lazzara 1997–2011 Davis 2013–present

Seat 9 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Castagna 1979–1992 Bucklew 1993–2008 Honeywell 2009–present

Seat 10 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Nimmons, Jr. 1991–2003 Covington 2004–present

Seat 11 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Merryday 1992–present

Seat 12 Seat established on November 29, 1999 by 113 Stat. 1501 Steele 2000–2015 vacant 2015–present

Seat 13 Seat established on November 29, 1999 by 113 Stat. 1501 Presnell 2000–2012 Chappell 2013–present

Seat 14 Seat established on November 29, 1999 by 113 Stat. 1501 Moody, Jr. 2000–2014 Byron 2014–present

Seat 15 Seat established on November 29, 1999 by 113 Stat. 1501 Corrigan 2002–present

See also

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• Courts of Florida
• List of United States federal courthouses in Florida

References

1. http://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

External links

• Official website for the U.S. District Court for the MDFL
• Official website for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the MDFL
• Biographical Directory of Federal Judges