Creation of the Tenth Circuit

The Tenth Judicial Circuit was created in 1911 alongside the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits. Above, you will find scans of the original hand-written chapter law creating these circuits as well as a full transcription. 

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Chapter 6197 No. 78

An Act Creating Three additional Judicial Circuits in the State of Florida, to be Known and Designated as Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Judicial Circuits, and Defining and Fixing the Territorial Limits and Boundaries of such Additional Circuits and Defining and Fixing the Territorial Limits and Boundaries of the Eight Existing Judicial Circuits.

Be it Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

Section 1. There shall be eleven judicial circuits on and for the State of Florida, and there shall be eleven circuit judges and eleven state attorneys, who shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate and who shall hold their office for the term provided for by the Constitution: Provided, That the eight circuit judges and state attorneys holding office at the time of this division shall continue to exercise jurisdiction over their existing circuits as constituted at the time of this division, until the judges and state attorneys of the three additional circuits hereby created shall have qualified. The circuit judges and state attorneys holding office at the time of this division shall severally continue in office until the expiration of their existing term of office as judges and state attorneys of the circuits respectively in which, under this division, the county of their residence may be included, and a circuit judge and state attorney for each of the three additional circuits hereby created shall be appointed, when the circuit courts for the three additional circuits shall have jurisdiction over all circuit court cases then pending in the various counties composing said additional circuits; and no civil or criminal case, pleading or indictment shall abate, be quashed, pending in any of the circuits as herein established may be maintained and prosecuted in such circuit.

Section 2. The first judicial circuit shall be composed of the Counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa and Walton.

Section 3. The second judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Franklin, Jefferson and Liberty.

Section 4. The third judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, Suwannee, Hamilton and Columbia.

Section 5. The fourth judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Duvall, Nassau, Clay, and St. Johns.

Section 6. The fifth judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Marion, Citrus, Hernando, Sumpter and Lake.

Section 7. The sixth judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Hillsboro and Pasco.

Section 8. The seventh judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Orange, Osceola, Volusia, Brevard and St. Lucie.

Section 9. The eighth judicial circuit shall be composed of the counties of Alachua, Bradford, Levy, Putnam and counties of Washington, Holmes, Jackson and Calhoun.