S.D. Fla.
Law & Legal abbreviation · Court
| Stands for | United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
S.D. Fla. stands for United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, a court abbreviation.
South Florida's federal trial court, covering Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe and several Treasure Coast counties, with courthouses in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West. It sees heavy dockets in health care fraud, international money laundering, drug trafficking and cruise-ship injury cases.
Example: The Medicare fraud defendants made their first appearance in S.D. Fla. in downtown Miami.
Usage notes
Many cruise tickets require passengers to sue in this district because major cruise lines are headquartered in Miami, a forum clause upheld in Carnival Cruise Lines v. Shute (1991). Appeals go to the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta. Florida's other federal districts are the Middle District and the Northern District.
Related abbreviations
More court abbreviations
- OSG – Office of the Solicitor General
- P.J. – Presiding Justice or Presiding Judge
- PCA – Permanent Court of Arbitration
- PD – Public defender
- PTAB – Patent Trial and Appeal Board
- QB – Queen's Bench
- S.D. Tex. – United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- SCC – Supreme Court of Canada
- SCOTUS – Supreme Court of the United States
- SDNY – United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- SG – Solicitor General
- SJC – Supreme Judicial Court
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This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.