Panama City Beach, Florida Legal Overview Panama City Beach is located in Bay County, Florida. The Bay County Circuit Court serves as the main trial court with general jurisdiction over cases from Panama City Beach and the rest of the county. The circuit court comes under Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit, and handles all the divorce petitions, felonies and civil lawsuits exceeding $15,000. The Bay County Court is a separate court, which has limited jurisdiction over certain matters. Both of these courts can be found in the county seat of Panama City.
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1. The circuit court has separate criminal and civil divisions which have jurisdiction over felony trials and civil disputes exceeding $15,000 respectively. Family law cases such as divorce filings, annulments, child custody/ support hearings, domestic violence and paternity lawsuits are also handled by the circuit civil division. Similarly, the county criminal and civil divisions handle misdemeanors and civil lawsuits below $15,000, small claims below $5,000. The county civil division also receives landlord-tenant disputes, such as evictions. A traffic court handles non-criminal infractions, while the misdemeanor traffic offenses are handled by the county criminal court.
Trending Panama City Beach, Florida Legal Topics: The Bay County Circuit Court has an appellate division that receives appeals against verdicts obtained in the Bay County Court divisions. Circuit court verdict appeals must in turn be filed with the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. This intermediate appellate court’s rulings can only be overturned if the Florida Supreme Court agrees to review the case. Federal cases originating from Panama City Beach or any other part of Bay County come under the jurisdiction of the Panama City Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. |