Federal cases in the Southern District of Florida

The Southern District of Florida covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the Florida Keys, and the Treasure Coast up to Indian River County. Here is where the court sits, who prosecutes and defends cases there, and where its rules are published.

Where does the court sit?

The district covers Broward, Miami-Dade, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, and court is held in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West (28 U.S.C. § 89(c)). The court's site lists these courthouses:

• Miami

  Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 400 North Miami Avenue, plus the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse and the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building nearby.

• Fort Lauderdale

  U.S. Federal Building and Courthouse, 299 East Broward Boulevard.

• West Palm Beach

  Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 701 Clematis Street.

• Fort Pierce

  Alto Lee Adams, Sr. U.S. Courthouse, 101 South U.S. Highway 1. Cases from Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties are tried here (Local Rule 3.1).

• Key West

  Sidney M. Aronovitz U.S. Courthouse, 301 Simonton Street. The court notes limited staffing at this office.

United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Which appeals court covers it?

Appeals from this court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). Its decisions are binding on the federal judges in this district, so its precedent governs cases here (uscourts.gov, About the U.S. Courts of Appeals).

Who prosecutes and who defends?

Federal prosecutors here work for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Anyone charged with a federal crime who can’t afford a lawyer can ask the court to appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). Here, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender, Southern District of Florida, a Federal Public Defender office based in Miami, with branch offices in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West, or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.

Where are the local rules and sentencing procedures?

Every federal court follows the national rules, such as the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, plus its own local rules. This court publishes them on its local rules page.

Local Rule 88.8 covers presentence investigations: the defense lawyer and the probation officer set up the first interview within 7 days after a guilty plea or verdict, and the report is confidential. The rule sets no separate disclosure or objection deadlines, so the federal rule applies: the report goes to the defense at least 35 days before sentencing, and objections are due within 14 days (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(e)(2), (f)).

“Within seven (7) days following entry of a guilty plea or a verdict of guilty, counsel for the defendant and the probation officer will have made arrangements for the initial interview”

How does a lawyer from outside the district appear here?

In many federal courts, a lawyer who isn’t a member of the court’s bar must ask the judge for permission to appear in a specific case (often called pro hac vice admission), and many courts also require a lawyer who is a member of their bar to sponsor the request or appear alongside. The judge decides whether to allow it. In this court, the rule is Rule 4(b) of the court's Rules Governing the Admission, Practice, Peer Review, and Discipline of Attorneys.

“upon submission of a pro hac vice motion filed and served by co-counsel admitted to practice in this District, be permitted to appear and participate in a particular case.”

Which federal prisons are in this district?

Bureau of Prisons facilities in this district (bop.gov lists their judicial district as Southern Florida):

• FDC Miami

  Administrative security; holds people before trial and sentencing. 33 NE 4th Street, Miami.

• FCI Miami

  Low security, with a satellite camp. 15801 SW 137th Avenue, Miami.

FCC Coleman, the large federal prison complex in central Florida, is in the Middle District of Florida.

A prison being in this district doesn’t mean someone sentenced here will go there. The Bureau of Prisons decides where each person serves their sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).

What families should know about federal cases in this district

• The first hearing comes fast. After an arrest, the person goes before a magistrate judge without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance (Fed. R. Crim. P. 5(a)). The judge decides whether they stay in custody while the case goes on (18 U.S.C. § 3142).
• Most felony cases start with an indictment. A grand jury decides in private whether to approve the charges (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 7).
• The presentence report matters. A federal probation officer writes a report on the offense and the person’s life before sentencing, and the defense can object to mistakes in it (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)–(f)). Check this court’s schedule above.
• The judge decides the sentence. The judge must consider the Sentencing Guidelines and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including the person’s history and background. Families can write letters; there is no limit on the background information a judge may consider (18 U.S.C. § 3661).
• The appeal clock is short. A defendant’s notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
• Prison phones and email are monitored. Don’t discuss the case on them (28 C.F.R. § 540.102).

More questions families ask →

Sources

• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• S.D. Fla. court locations
• 28 U.S.C. § 89
• S.D. Fla. Local Rules (rev. Dec. 1, 2025 PDF)
• 28 U.S.C. § 41 (circuits)
• uscourts.gov: About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
• USAO Southern District of Florida
• Federal Public Defender, S.D. Fla.
• FDC Miami (bop.gov)
• FCI Miami (bop.gov)

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