Florida District Court Records

The establishment of the Florida District Court was an initiative of the Florida State Legislature. Elwyn Thomas, an eminent Florida Supreme Court Justice was chiefly responsible for the creation of these courts. District Court of Florida was conceptualized and finally established in 1957. The main aim behind the establishment of the Florida District Courts was to create appellate courts which would ease the burden of the Florida Supreme Court, the supreme appellate court of the state. Initially, three District Courts were established in Florida. The 4th and the 5th district courts were later established for convenience and better court system organization.

The Constitution of Florida had provisions for the establishment of the Florida District Courts. It is the responsibility of the legislature to divide the state according to the appellate court districts as well as provide each of these districts with a district court of their own. These are the court of appeals at the intermediate level and are an important part of the Florida court system organization. There are 5 Florida District Courts, also known as Florida District Courts of Appeals. There headquarters are at:

• The 1st District Court of Florida is at Tallahassee.
• The 2nd Florida District Court of Appeals is at Lakeland. It also has another location at Tampa.
• The 3rd Florida District Court of Appeals is at Miami.
• The 4th District Court of Florida is at West Palm Beach.
• The 5th Florida District Court of Appeals is at Daytona Beach.

The chief responsibility of the Florida District Court is to hear appeals from the lower level trial courts. These may include civil and criminal cases. The jurisdiction of the courts is mentioned in details in the Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030. The persuasive nature of the decisions and case law from the Florida District Courts make them exemplary in other courts of appeals. However, there are no bindings about following them. However, these decisions and case law are binding when it involves a circuit court or county court of Florida.

Florida District Court handles the majority of the appellate cases and their decision is considered final when affirmed without any comment. However, the Supreme Court of Florida reserves the right to modify, completely or partially, the decisions made at the District Courts. Certain cases, involving capital punishment, are also not within the jurisdiction of the District Courts of Florida. They are heard at the Supreme Court directly.

The appeals at the Florida District Court are heard and decided by a panel comprising 3 judges. However, in special cases, the court may sit en banc for a particular judgment.

Florida Public Court Records Search

Florida District Court Records are, according to US laws, accessible for public viewing and use. All cases filed at the courts are part of the official documents of the state and are preserved for future use. You can visit a court location and look for a particular case file. But this is a cumbersome job. The easy way out is to look for Fl District Court Records from online sources. This is both convenient and hassle free. All you need is a PC and an Internet connection at your disposal.

The PACER or Public Access to Court Electronic Records is one of the best ways to avail these records. For the payment of a nominal fee, you can view, download or print any court records. All you need to do is register with them and you have access to their files.