The Middle District of Florida is one of the busiest federal district courts in the nation. Over 10 million people—more than 55 percent of the state’s population—reside within the district. The caseloads of the active Middle District of Florida judges are more than 20 percent above the national average.

The country is divided into 94 federal judicial districts, and in each district there is a United States district court. Each district court includes magistrate judges and a bankruptcy court.

You Can Keep Going...

These 94 districts are placed into 12 regional circuits, and each circuit has a court of appeals. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has nationwide jurisdiction and hears appeals in specialized cases. A party that is not satisfied with a final decision by a district court can appeal to the court of appeals and ask that the decision be reviewed.

End of the Line!

A party who loses a case in the court of appeals can ask the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. to hear the appeal. Unlike a court of appeals, the Supreme Court hears only a very small percentage of the cases it is asked to review. The United States Supreme Court has the power to pick and choose what cases it will hear.