Located in the heart of central Florida, the Fifth Judicial Circuit covers a geographical area approaching the size of Connecticut. The circuit is comprised of Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter Counties, with main administrative offices in Ocala.

The Fifth Judicial Circuit operates under the leadership of Chief Judge Daniel B. Merritt, Jr. and Jeffery Fuller, Trial Court Administrator.

Citrus County | Hernando County | Lake County | Marion County | Sumter County

The Fifth Circuit is the ninth most populous circuit with 5.5% of Florida’s population, we serve a population of more than 1.3 million. The circuit has in excess of 164,510 court filings per year. The Fifth Judicial Circuit currently has thirty-one Circuit Court Judges and thirteen County Court Judges. The circuit is part of the Fifth District Court of Appeal, located in Daytona Beach.

About the Court System

The general operational policies of the court including the assignment of judges to divisions, the prompt disposition of cases, control of the dockets, and regulation of the use of court facilities, and other administrative matters are detailed in the Administrative Plan for the operation of the Fifth Circuit.

There are two types of courts in the state court system: circuit and county.

Circuit

Circuit courts generally hear cases where the matter in controversy is more than $50,000.00. These cases include the following types:

  • Civil Cases
  • Child Support
  • Domestic Relations
  • Domestic Violence
  • Felony
  • Guardianship
  • Juvenile
  • Mental Health
  • Probate

County

County courts generally hear cases where the matter in controversy is $50,000.00 or less. These cases include the following types:

  • Civil Cases
  • Landlord/Tenant Disputes
  • Misdemeanor
  • Small Claims
  • Traffic Tickets
  • Violations of County or Municipal Ordinances