Florida Legal Overview: Gainesville The Gainesville metropolitan area n north central Florida is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Alachua and Gilchrist counties. Both counties are served by the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida and the First District Court of Appeal. The circuit courts are the main trial courts with general jurisdiction while county courts have limited jurisdiction over traffic violations, misdemeanors and civil complaints not exceeding $15,000. Each county also has a small claims court for handling matters not exceeding $5,000. Listed below are the main cities in the Gainesville metro area.
Top Florida cities for Legal Issues: Gainesville
1. The Eighth Judicial Circuit has courthouse locations in Gainesville and Trenton serving Alachua and Gilchrist counties respectively. Each county courthouse has separate divisions for criminal, civil, probate, family, juvenile matters, etc. Alachua County’s family and civil justice center is located separately from the criminal courts. The circuit criminal court handles felony prosecutions while the county criminal court handles the misdemeanors and traffic violations. The Gilchrist County Courthouse has all the court divisions, including the circuit and county criminal and civil courts.
Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Florida First District Court of Appeal Florida Divorce in Alachua County U.S. District Court - Northern District of Florida – Gainesville Division U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Trending Gainesville Legal Topics: The First District Court of Appeal is the intermediate appellate court for all appeals against trial court decisions in Alachua and Gilchrist counties. The Florida Supreme Court may take up a case for appeal as the court of last resort. Federal cases in Alachua and Gilchrist counties have to be filed with the Gainesville Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. All federal appeals in Florida are handled by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. |