The Florida Second District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Tampa, Florida on the campus of Stetson University College of Law. It will move to St. Petersburg when the new Pinellas courthouse is complete.
There are nine counties in the Second District, which includes a population of over 5.0 million people. The Second District covers Pasco and Pinellas (6th judicial circuit); Hardee, Highlands, and Polk (10th judicial circuit); DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota (12th judicial circuit); and Hillsborough (13th judicial circuit). The counties of Charlotte, Glades, Collier, Hendry, and Lee (20th judicial circuit) became part of the new Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal in January, 2023.[1]
The initial territorial jurisdiction of the Second District, with its headquarters in Lakeland, encompassed twenty-eight counties, ranging from Lake County in the north, to Collier County and Broward County in the south.
In 1965, the Fourth District was established, reducing the Second District's territory, which was further reduced by the establishment of the Fifth District in 1979. There are now fourteen counties in the Second District.When the District Court of an Appeal for the Second District first convened, its headquarters were in the old Florida Citrus Commission building in Lakeland. In 1980 a branch headquarters for the Second District was authorized and in that same year was established in Tampa where the court maintains an additional courtroom and where eight of the court's judges now have their chambers. The chambers of six judges, the clerk's office, the marshal's office, and the court records are located in the court's Lakeland headquarters. The court hears oral arguments in both its Lakeland and Tampa courtrooms. Periodically, the court also hears oral arguments in county courthouses in various counties within the district.
Originally there were three judges in the Second District. There are now 14 judges on the court.
| Name[2] | Appointed | Chief Judge | Term expires | Appointing Governor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris | August 1, 2009 | 2021–Present | 2023 | Charlie Crist, Republican | ||
| Stevan T. Northcutt | January 6, 1997 | 2007–2009 | 2023 | Lawton Chiles, Democrat | ||
| Darryl C. Casanueva | February 16, 1998 | 2009–2011 | 2025 | Lawton Chiles, Democrat | ||
| Morris Silberman | January 2, 2001 | 2011–2013 | 2021 | Jeb Bush, Republican | ||
| Patricia J. Kelly | December 3, 2001 | — | 2023 | Jeb Bush, Republican | ||
| Craig C. Villanti | February 3, 2003 | 2015–2017 | 2023 | Jeb Bush, Republican | ||
| Edward C. LaRose | February 1, 2005 | 2017–2019 | 2025 | Jeb Bush, Republican | ||
| Nelly Khouzam | August 1, 2008 | 2019–2021 | 2023 | Charlie Crist, Republican | ||
| Anthony K. Black | April 1, 2010 | — | 2025 | Charlie Crist, Republican | ||
| Daniel H. Sleet | December 21, 2012 | — | 2021 | Rick Scott, Republican | ||
| Matthew C. Lucas | December 23, 2014 | — | 2023 | Rick Scott, Republican | ||
| Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim | May 2, 2016 | — | 2025 | Rick Scott, Republican | ||
| J. Andrew Atkinson | January 19, 2018 | — | 2021 | Rick Scott, Republican | ||
| Andrea Teves Smith | February 1, 2019 | — | 2022 | Ron DeSantis, Republican | ||
| Suzanne Labrit | July 29, 2020 | — | 2022 | Ron DeSantis, Republican |
Judges who have served as Chief Judge of the Second DCA include but are not limited to:
Judges who have served on the Second DCA include: