County Courts

The majority of non-jury trials in Florida take place before a county court judge. The county courts are sometimes referred to as "the people's courts," as the county courts' work involves a myriad of citizen disputes, such as traffic offenses, less serious criminal matters (misdemeanors), and relatively small monetary disputes. The trial jurisdiction of county courts is established by statute. Beginning January 1, 2020, jurisdiction of county courts was extended to civil disputes involving $30,000 or less.