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Florida Appellate Practice: District Courts of Appeal

This guides provides resources on Florida Appellate Practice. #floridasupremecourt

Florida District Courts of Appeal

The purpose of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal is to provide the opportunity for thoughtful review of decisions of lower tribunals by multi-judge panels. District Courts of Appeal correct harmful errors and ensure that decisions are consistent with our rights and liberties. This process contributes to the development, clarity, and consistency of the law.
http://www.flcourts.org/florida-courts/district-court-appeal.stml

Appellate Districts

"Territorial jurisdiction" is an apt term to describe the judicial power of a district court over a given judicial circuit since the judicial power of the district courts is distributed geographically. It would also be proper to characterize the matter as one of appellate venue, however, since the issue relates only to the location of the forum. With that explanation, the former term "territorial jurisdiction" has been chosen for use throughout this book. 
Philip J. Padovano, Florida Appellate Practice, v. 2,  §4:2 (2015 Edition)

Florida District Courts of Appeal

Florida Statutes

Jurisdiction of Courts Rule 9.030

Florida Rules Of Appellate Procedure

(b) Jurisdiction of District Courts of Appeal.

(1) Appeal Jurisdiction. District courts of appeal shall review, by appeal

(A) final orders of trial courts,1, 2 not directly reviewable by the supreme court or a circuit court, including county court final orders declaring invalid a state statute or provision of the state constitution;

(B) non-final orders of circuit courts as prescribed by rule 9.130;9

(C) administrative action if provided by general law.2

(2) Certiorari Jurisdiction.8 The certiorari jurisdiction of district courts of appeal may be sought to review

(A) non-final orders of lower tribunals other than as prescribed by rule 9.130;

(B) final orders of circuit courts acting in their review capacity.

(3) Original Jurisdiction.8 District courts of appeal may issue writs of mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, and common law certiorari, and all writs necessary to the complete exercise of the courts’ jurisdiction; or any judge thereof may issue writs of habeas corpus returnable before the court or any judge thereof, or before any circuit judge within the territorial jurisdiction of the court.

(4) Discretionary Review.10 District courts of appeal, in their discretion, may review by appeal 

(A) final orders of the county court, otherwise appealable to the circuit court under these rules, that the county court has certified to be of great public importance;

(B) non-final orders, otherwise appealable to the circuit court under rule 9.140(c), that the county court has certified to be of great public importance.

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