Florida's rules of Court designate the types of appeals that are permitted.
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Appeals from County Court cases such as Misdemeanors, County Civil, and Traffic infractions, can be appealed to the Circuit Court.
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Circuit Court cases such as Felonies, Circuit Civil, Probate, and Juvenile matters, may be appealed to the District Court of Appeal or Florida Supreme Court.
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Death penalty cases are appealed directly from the Circuit Court to the Florida Supreme Court by law.
An appeal of a lower Court decision is a legal process by which a higher Court is asked to review the trial Court's record and rule on the legal issues raised by the Appellant, the person filing the appeal. All other parties in the case are the Appellees.
After the appropriate paperwork is filed timely (and sometimes after oral argument), the Appellate Court will review the decision of the lower Court to determine if an error occurred during the case.
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No. The Clerk's Office cannot give legal advice and the Pro Se Self-Help Coordinator cannot assist with Appeals. Please consult your Attorney. If you wish to represent yourself, you will need to do your own legal research and paperwork preparation. You may find the following links helpful:
A Notice of Appeal shall be filed any time between rendition of final judgment and thirty (30) days following rendition of a written order being imposed or to be reviewed. The Notice of Appeal should contain the following information:
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the name of the lower Court
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the name and designation of at least one party on each side
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the case number in the lower Court
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the name of the Court to which the Appeal is taken
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the date of rendition of the order in the lower Court
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the nature of the order to be reviewed.
Appeal cases require filing the original Notice of Appeal, along with two (2) identical copies. A copy of the Court order must be attached to the original and both of the copies being filed.
All Appeals should be filed within the respective department. Departments are listed below:
Circuit Civil, Foreclosures, Mental Health, Probate, or Guardianship Appeals
County Civil, Evictions, or Small Claims Appeals
Felony or Misdemeanor Appeals
Adoption, Child Support, Custody, Dissolution of Marriage, or Domestic Violence Appeals
Boating Infraction, Local Ordinance Infraction, Traffic Infraction, or Wildlife Infraction Appeals
