United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
About This Court
The Middle District of Florida is one of three federal judicial districts in Florida and sits within the Eleventh Circuit. The district spans a broad swath of central and western Florida, covering approximately 35 counties from Jacksonville and Ocala in the north down through Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Fort Myers to Naples in the south. It is one of the busiest federal districts in the country by caseload volume.
The district is headquartered in Tampa and maintains active divisional offices in Jacksonville, Orlando, Ocala, and Fort Myers. The geographic and demographic diversity of the district produces a wide range of civil and criminal matters, including federal drug trafficking prosecutions, complex commercial litigation, Social Security appeals, and consumer fraud cases.
Florida's Middle District has grown substantially in recent decades alongside the population growth of its region. It consistently ranks among the highest-volume districts in the nation for civil filings, and its docket reflects the commercial, healthcare, and insurance industries prominent in central Florida.
Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida.
Divisions
Tampa Division (Tampa), Jacksonville Division (Jacksonville), Orlando Division (Orlando), Ocala Division (Ocala), Fort Myers Division (Fort Myers)
Caseload
The Middle District of Florida carries one of the largest civil caseloads in the federal court system, with significant volumes of Social Security appeals, consumer protection suits, and federal criminal prosecutions including drug and immigration offenses. The district is also known for a high number of cases involving insurance disputes, healthcare fraud, and qui tam actions under the False Claims Act.
Bar Admission
Attorneys must be admitted to the Florida Bar or admitted pro hac vice in a specific case to practice before this court. Applicants for admission to the district court bar must comply with the requirements set forth in the Local Rules of the Middle District of Florida.
Clerk's Office
801 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 301-5400
Active Judges 32
| Name | Appointed By | Confirmed | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Adams | William J. Clinton | 1993 | Howard University School of Law |
| John Antoon | William J. Clinton | 2000 | Florida State University College of Law |
| John Badalamenti | Donald J. Trump | 2020 | University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law |
| Thomas Barber | Donald J. Trump | 2019 | University of Pennsylvania Law School (now Carey Law School) |
| Wendy Berger | Donald J. Trump | 2019 | Florida State University College of Law |
| Susan Bucklew | William J. Clinton | 1993 | Stetson University College of Law |
| Paul Byron | Barack Obama | 2014 | Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center |
| Sheri Chappell | Barack Obama | 2013 | Nova University (now Nova Southeastern University) Shepard Broad Law Center |
| Anne Conway | George H.W. Bush | 1991 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Timothy Corrigan | George W. Bush | 2002 | Duke University School of Law |
| Virginia Covington | George W. Bush | 2004 | Georgetown University Law Center |
| Roy Dalton | Barack Obama | 2011 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Brian Davis | Barack Obama | 2013 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Kyle Dudek | Donald J. Trump | 2025 | George Mason University School of Law (now Antonin Scalia Law School) |
| Patricia Fawsett | Ronald Reagan | 1986 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Charlene Honeywell | Barack Obama | 2009 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Marcia Howard | George W. Bush | 2007 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| William Jung | Donald J. Trump | 2018 | University of Illinois College of Law |
| Elizabeth Kovachevich | Ronald Reagan | 1982 | Stetson University College of Law |
| Richard Lazzara | William J. Clinton | 1997 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Carlos Mendoza | Barack Obama | 2014 | West Virginia University College of Law |
| Steven Merryday | George H.W. Bush | 1992 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Kathryn Mizelle | Donald J. Trump | 2020 | University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law |
| Anne-Leigh Moe | Donald J. Trump | 2025 | Arizona State University College of Law (now Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law) |
| James Moody | William J. Clinton | 2000 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Jordan Pratt | Donald J. Trump | 2025 | University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law |
| Gregory Presnell | William J. Clinton | 2000 | University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law) |
| Harvey Schlesinger | George H.W. Bush | 1991 | University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law (now University of Richmond School of Law) |
| Mary Scriven | George W. Bush | 2008 | Florida State University College of Law |
| Julie Sneed | Joseph R. Biden | 2024 | Florida State University College of Law |
| John Steele | William J. Clinton | 2000 | University of Detroit Law School (now University of Detroit Mercy School of Law) |
| James Whittemore | William J. Clinton | 2000 | Stetson University College of Law |
Local Rules
42 local rules extracted from this court's published rules. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.