# Florida Third District Court of Appeal

The Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

## History

The Third District Court of Appeal (DCA) was one of the first three DCAs created by the Florida legislature in 1957. Court was first held in a room of the University of Miami School of Law. Then, from 1960 to 1976, court sessions took place at the State Office Building. It wasn't until 1976 that the court finally had its own facility to conduct its business. This courthouse was dedicated by Governor Reubin Askew in the fall of 1976. In 1990 an addition was added to keep pace with the court's continued growth. The courthouse has won the recognition of the American Institute of Architects (South Florida Chapter) and in 1981 Governor Bob Graham gave the court the Governor's Design Award.
The court's original three judges (Charles A. Carroll, Mallory H. Horton and Tillman Pearson) have increased to ten as of 2010.

## Chief Judges

Judges who have served as Chief Judge of the Third DCA include:
* Ivan F. Fernandez, Current Chief Judge since July 1, 2021
* Kevin Emas, January 10, 2019 to June 30, 2021
* Barbara Lagoa, January 1, 2019 to January 8, 2019
* Leslie B. Rothenberg, July 1, 2017 to December 30, 2018
* Richard Suarez, July 9, 2015 to June 30, 2017
* Frank A. Shepherd, July 1, 2013 to July 8, 2015
* Linda Ann Wells, July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013
* David M. Gersten, July 1, 2007, until June 30, 2009
* Gerald B. Cope, Jr., July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007
* Alan R. Schwartz, 1983 to 2004
* Phillip A. Hubbart, 1980 to 1983
* Robert M. Haverfield, 1978 to 1980
* Norman Hendry, 1965 to 1967 and 1977
* Thomas H. Barkdull, Jr., 1963 to 1965 and 1967 to 1976
* Tillman Pearson, 1961 to 1963
* Mallory H. Horton, 1959 to 1961
* Charles A. Carroll, 1957 to 1959

## Active Judges

Judges serving on the Third DCA as of July 1, 2017 include:
| Name | Tenure | Appointing Governor |
| Kevin Emas - Chief Judge | 2010– | Charlie Crist |
| Vance E. Salter | 2007– | Charlie Crist |
| Ivan F. Fernandez | 2011– | Rick Scott |
| Thomas Logue | 2012– | Rick Scott |
| Edwin A. Scales, III | 2013– | Rick Scott |
| Norma S. Lindsey | 2017– | Rick Scott |
| Bronwyn C. Miller | 2018– | Rick Scott |
| Eric Wm. Hendon | 2018– | Rick Scott |
| Monica Gordo | 2019– | Ron DeSantis |
| Fleur J. Lobree | 2019– | Ron DeSantis |

## Retired Judges

Judges who have served on the Third DCA include:
| Name | Tenure |
| Charles A. Carroll | (1957–1974) |
| Mallory H. Horton | (1957–1965) |
| Tillman Pearson | (1957–1980) |
| Thomas H. Barkdull, Jr. | (1961–1996) |
| Norman Hendry | (1961–1988) |
| Richard H.M. Swann | (1965–1972) |
| Robert M. Haverfield | (1972–1980) |
| Raymond G. Nathan | (1974–1978) |
| Phillip A. Hubbart | (1977–1996 ) |
| James W. Kehoe | (1977–1979) |
| Alan R. Schwartz | (1978–2004) |
| Joseph Nesbitt | (1979–1999) |
| Natalie Baskin | (1980–1996) |
| Daniel S. Pearson | (1980–1989) |
| Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. | (1980–1993) |
| James R. Jorgenson | (1981–2003) |
| David L. Levy | (1989–2006) |
| Mario P. Goderich | (1990–2005) |
| Melvia B. Green | (1994–2008) |
| John G. Fletcher | (1996–2007) |
| Robert L. Shevin | (1996–2005) |
| Rodolfo Sorondo, Jr. | (1997–2002) |
| Gerald B. Cope, Jr. | (1988–2010) |
| David M. Gersten | (1989–2011) |
| Linda Ann Wells | (2003–2017) |
| Frank A. Shepherd | (2003–2017) |
| Leslie B. Rothenberg | (2005–2018) |
| Richard Suarez | (2005–2018) |

## The Florida Third District Court of Appeal Nominating Commission

* Marcos D. Jimenez, Chair (2011)
* Jeffrey S. Bass (2014)
* Hector J. Lombana (2014)
* Peter Prieto (2014)
* Matias R. Dorta (2011)
* Timothy J. Koenig (2011)
* Nilda Pedrosa (2012)
* Lauri Waldman Ross (2012)
* Lilly Ann Sanchez (2012)

## Notable cases

* In re Gill (2010) (Cope, J.) Text of the Court of Appeal decision Archived 2010-10-10 at the Wayback Machine: This ruling struck down the Florida's statutory ban on gay and lesbian people adopting children in the state.
* Engle v. Liggett Group (2003) (Gersten, J.) Text of the Court of Appeal decision Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine: This ruling was overturned in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court which ordered decertification of a class action lawsuit against big tobacco companies that effectively reversed the largest punitive damage jury award, $145 billion, in U.S. history.