30°26′17″N 84°17′01″W / 30.438092°N 84.283585°W
| Supreme Court of Florida | |
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| Established | 1845 |
| Location | Tallahassee, Florida, United States |
| Composition method | Gubernatorial appointment |
| Authorised by | Florida Constitution |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States only for federal issues; otherwise cases cannot be appealed. |
| Judge term length | 6 years |
| Number of positions | 7 |
| Website | Official website |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Carlos G. Muñiz |
| Since | July 1, 2022 |
| Lead position ends | June 30, 2026 |
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The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven justices—one of whom serves as Chief Justice. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and one is selected at large.
The justices are appointed by the governor to set terms, which do not exceed six years. Immediately after appointment, the initial term is three years or less because the justices must appear on the ballot in the next general election that occurs more than one year after their appointment. Afterward, they serve six-year terms and remain in office if retained in the general election near the end of each term. Citizens vote on whether or not they want to retain each justice in office.[1]
Chief justices are elected by the members of the Court to two-year terms that end in every even-numbered year. Chief justices may succeed themselves in office if they are re-elected by the other justices. The chief justice also can appoint judges to temporary duty on the Court if at least one of the justices is unable to hear a case for any reason. The temporary justices are called "associate justices" and are usually chosen on a rotating basis from presiding judges of Florida's district courts of appeal.[2] They usually sit only for a single case. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the term "associate justice" is never used to describe the sitting Florida justices.
The Court is the final arbiter of state law of Florida, and its decisions are binding authority for all other Florida state courts, as well as for federal courts when they apply Florida law. In most instances, the only appeal from the Florida Supreme Court is to the U.S. Supreme Court on questions of federal law.[1]
Established upon statehood in 1845, the Florida Supreme Court is headquartered across Duval Street from the state capitol in Tallahassee. Throughout the court's history, it has undergone many reorganizations as Florida's population has grown.
As of October 2020, each justice of the Florida Supreme Court receives a salary of $227,218.[2]
- ^ a b "Florida's Legal & Judicial System". October 21, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "The State Courts System – The Florida Bar". Retrieved October 16, 2020.