Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal

The Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Florida DCA map

History

The Fifth District Court of Appeal was created by the 1979 session of the Florida Legislature.^[1] The addition of the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal in 2023 changed the caseload of the Fifth DCA.

Previously, the Fifth DCA handled cases from the following counties and circuit courts: Lake, Marion, Sumter, Citrus & Hernando (Fifth Circuit); Volusia, Flagler, Putnam & St. Johns (Seventh Circuit); Orange & Osceola (Ninth Circuit); and Brevard & Seminole (18th Circuit). The Ninth Circuit was reassigned to the Sixth DCA and the Fourth Circuit (Clay, Duval & Nassau) was added from the First DCA. ^[1]

The Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal building, pictured in 2008.

Chief Judges

Judges who have served as Chief Judge of the Fifth DCA include:

• Thomas D. Sawaya (2003–2005)^[2]
• Robert J. Pleus Jr. (2005–2007)^[3]
• David A. Monaco (2009–2011)^[4]
• Richard B. Orfinger (2011–2013)^[5]
• Jay P. Cohen (2017–2018)^[6]
• Kerry I. Evander (2019-2021)^[7]

Active Judges

Judges who are currently serving on the Fifth DCA include:^[8]

Name	Tenure	Appointing Governor[9]
Brian D. Lambert - Chief Judge	2014–	Rick Scott
F. Rand Wallis	2013–	Rick Scott
James A. Edwards	2014–	Rick Scott
Eric Eisnaugle	2017–	Rick Scott
John M. Harris	2018–	Rick Scott
Scott Makar[10]	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
Harvey L. Jay	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
Adrian G. Soud	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
Joe Boatwright	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
Paige Kilbane	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
John MacIver	January 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis
Jordan E. Pratt	April 1, 2023	Ron DeSantis

Senior Judges

Senior judges are appointed to temporary judicial duty.^[11] Judges who are on senior status at the Fifth DCA include:^[12]

• Richard B. Orfinger
• Emerson R. Thompson Jr.
• Bruce W. Jacobus
• Thomas D. Sawaya

See also

• Florida District Courts of Appeal (for history and general overview)
• Florida First District Court of Appeal
• Florida Second District Court of Appeal
• Florida Third District Court of Appeal
• Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal
• Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal

External links

• Website of the Florida District Courts of Appeal
• Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal Website