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Florida First District Court of Appeal

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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.
 
Florida First District Court of Appeal
Intermediate Appellate Courts Seal-template.png
Court information
Judges:   13
Founded:   1957
Salary:  Associates: $223,318[5]
Judicial selection
Method:   Assisted appointment
Term:   6 years

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

M. Kemmerly Thomas

June 20, 2016 - Present

Rick Scott

Ray Treadwell

June 17, 2025 - Present

Ron DeSantis

Salary

See also: Florida court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $223,318, according to the National Center for State Courts.[6]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[8]

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.[8]

Elections

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

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2030

Bradford Thomas' seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Stephanie Williams Ray's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2028

Susan Kelsey's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Thomas D. Winokur's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Ross L. Bilbrey's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Robert Long Jr.'s seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Lori Rowe's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2026

Joseph Lewis' seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Rachel Nordby's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


L. Clayton Roberts' seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Adam Tanenbaum's seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


Timothy Osterhaus' seat


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

Stephanie Williams Ray's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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
 
648,575
No
 
33.6
 
327,757
Total Votes 976,332

The results have been certified. Source

Bradford Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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
 
624,580
No
 
35.6
 
345,379
Total Votes 969,959

The results have been certified. Source

M. Kemmerly Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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
 
630,499
No
 
35.0
 
339,850
Total Votes 970,349

The results have been certified. Source

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

Rowe's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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

The results have been certified. Source

Winokur's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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

The results have been certified. Source

Long's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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

The results have been certified. Source

Kelsey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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

The results have been certified. Source

Bilbrey's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

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

The results have been certified. Source

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

Timothy D. Osterhaus' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Timothy D. Osterhaus was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 64.4% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
64.4
 
997,339
No
 
35.6
 
550,711
Total Votes 1,548,050

The results have been certified. Source

L. Clayton Roberts' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

L. Clayton Roberts was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 66.6% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
66.6
 
1,031,263
No
 
33.4
 
516,573
Total Votes 1,547,836

The results have been certified. Source

Adam Tanenbaum's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Adam Tanenbaum was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 65.2% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
65.2
 
1,008,670
No
 
34.8
 
539,223
Total Votes 1,547,893

The results have been certified. Source

Rachel Nordby's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Rachel Nordby was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 66.9% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
66.9
 
1,038,858
No
 
33.1
 
513,694
Total Votes 1,552,552

The results have been certified. Source

Scott D. Makar's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Scott D. Makar was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 66.3% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
66.3
 
1,030,890
No
 
33.7
 
522,855
Total Votes 1,553,745

The results have been certified. Source

Joseph Lewis' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Joseph Lewis was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 3, 2020 with 70.4% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
70.4
 
1,100,965
No
 
29.6
 
463,920
Total Votes 1,564,885

The results have been certified. Source

See also: Florida intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

Stephanie Williams Ray's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Stephanie Williams Ray was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 6, 2018 with 69.0% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
69.0
 
813,709
No
 
31.0
 
366,207
Total Votes 1,179,916

The results have been certified. Source

Kemmerly Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

M. Kemmerly Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 6, 2018 with 66.1% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
66.1
 
775,643
No
 
33.9
 
398,432
Total Votes 1,174,075

The results have been certified. Source

Allen Winsor's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Allen Winsor was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 6, 2018 with 64.9% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
64.9
 
761,518
No
 
35.1
 
412,328
Total Votes 1,173,846

The results have been certified. Source

Harvey Jay's seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Harvey Jay III was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 6, 2018 with 66.4% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
66.4
 
787,244
No
 
33.6
 
398,896
Total Votes 1,186,140

The results have been certified. Source

Bradford Thomas' seat

Florida 1st District Court of Appeal

Bradford Thomas was retained to the Florida 1st District Court of Appeal on November 6, 2018 with 65.9% of the vote.

Retention Vote
%
Votes
✔ Yes
 
65.9
 
773,502
No
 
34.1
 
401,090
Total Votes 1,174,592

The results have been certified. Source
Previous election results


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:


Jurisdiction

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

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
 FloridaU.S.
Total population:20,244,914316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):53,6253,531,905
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 five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

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

See also

Florida Judicial Selection More Courts
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Courts in Florida
Florida Court of Appeals
Florida Supreme Court
Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Florida
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Florida First District Court of Appeal
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Florida First District Court of Appeal, "History of Florida's First District Court of Appeal," accessed August 29, 2015
  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
  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.
  6. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
  7. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Florida; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived January 13, 2012
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014
  9. ↑ Florida Constitution, "Article V, Section 8," accessed September 10, 2021
  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
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named courts
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 MSNBC, "Marissa Alexander released from jail for Thanksgiving," November 28, 2013
  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
  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.

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

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