17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

What 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida does

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida (legal name: Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida) is a state government judicial entity established in 1915 that serves as the trial court of general jurisdiction for Broward County, Florida. It is the second-largest judicial circuit in the State of Florida, operating four courthouse facilities — the Main Courthouse Complex in downtown Fort Lauderdale (201 SE 6th Street) and three regional courthouses in Deerfield Beach, Plantation, and Hollywood — with normal operating hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The court adjudicates civil, criminal, family, traffic, juvenile, and probate matters and operates a suite of specialized problem-solving courts, including Drug Court (recognized as one of only 10 national mentor courts, reporting a 90% successful completion rate and 80% non-rearrest rate after two years), Veterans Court (which has served more than 1,000 veterans), Mental Health Court, Community Court, and Early Childhood Court.

The court's technology stack centers on an electronic Case Management System (CMS) that supports eFiling, case scheduling, and judicial assignments, supplemented by downloadable forms, a library of video tutorials, and a Courthouse Alerts email notification system. Remote participation is enabled through virtual hearings on Zoom and Microsoft Teams. In May 2026, the court issued an Administrative Order (in collaboration with the 11th Judicial Circuit) governing the use of artificial intelligence in the drafting and research of legal filings. The court maintains an active public communications footprint across its official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram channels, managed through a dedicated Public Information Officer.

The court does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through state government appropriations and county budgets, and judicial services are provided at no direct cost to the public for standard proceedings. The bench is led by Chief Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips (unanimously elected February 3, 2025), with Court Administrator Joe D'Amico and Trial Court Administrator Kathy Pugh overseeing administrative operations. Multiple new judges were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis during 2025-2026 to expand bench capacity.

Name

17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

Legal name

Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida

Website

https://17th.flcourts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida is a state judicial entity serving Broward County as the second-largest circuit court in Florida, adjudicating civil, criminal, family, traffic, and juvenile matters across four courthouses via traditional and problem-solving courts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Judicial Services

NAICS

Courts (92211), Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922190)

akta.pro primary industry

Judicial Courts & Court Administration (BPAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG), Court Services & Operations (Clerks, Records, Jury, Interpreters) (BPAIAFAH)

Keywords

• Judicial court services
• Problem-solving courts
• Family court services
• Jury duty administration
• Court case management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida adjudicates civil, criminal, family, traffic, juvenile, and probate matters for Broward County residents. It operates the second-largest judicial circuit in Florida through four courthouse locations and provides specialized problem-solving courts (Drug Court, Veterans Court, Community Court, Mental Health Court, Early Childhood Court) along with administrative services such as jury management, eFiling, virtual hearings, and courthouse educational tours.

Product overview

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida (Broward County) operates as a unified court system providing judicial services to the second-largest circuit in Florida. The court's core offerings include general court services (criminal, family, civil, traffic, probate), specialized problem-solving courts (Drug Court, Veterans Court, Community Court, Mental Health Court, Early Childhood Court), and administrative services (jury duty, courthouse visits, video tutorials, eFiling). The circuit serves Broward County through the Main Courthouse Complex in Fort Lauderdale and three regional courthouses in Deerfield Beach, Plantation, and Hollywood. Key administrative initiatives include Family Court Services, virtual hearing capabilities via Zoom and Teams, and AI governance policies for court filings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Court Services Platform Comprehensive court services covering criminal, family, civil, traffic, and probate matters for Broward County residents, including case management, judicial assignments, and procedural guidance.
• Drug Court Program A problem-solving court providing alternative sentencing through supervised substance abuse treatment programs. Recognized as a national mentor court, one of only 10 nationally recognized.
• Veterans Court Rehabilitative court services for veterans of the armed forces accused of certain crimes, offering treatment and support services to help veterans reintegrate into the community.
• Community Court Problem-solving court with locations in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale that connects participants with mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and other community resources.
• Mental Health Court Specialized court division handling misdemeanor cases involving participants with mental health needs, providing therapeutic interventions and support services.
• Family Court Services Support services for families involved in court proceedings, providing referrals to outside agencies, conflict resolution, and support services to improve outcomes for families.
• Early Childhood Court Therapeutic court working with families who have children from newborn to five years of age, part of the Unified Family Court division addressing child welfare cases.
• Jury Duty Services Jury summons, qualification, and selection services for Broward County residents, with new enforcement measures for no-shows beginning June 2026.
• Courthouse Visit Program Educational tours of the Broward County Courthouse for school-aged children (Grades 3-12), college students, and adults, including courtroom observations and Q&A sessions with judges.
• eFiling System Online electronic filing system for attorneys and litigants to submit court documents digitally.
• Virtual Hearings Platform Remote court appearance capability using Zoom and Microsoft Teams, enabling virtual participation in court proceedings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drug Court: 90% successful completion rate; 80% not rearrested after two years
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Seminole Tribe of FloridastrategicOthers · 18 June 2026Indian Child Welfare Court collaboration with Judge Jose Izquierdo to promote cultural and traditional teachings within dependency cases involving tribal children.
• Broward Sheriff's OfficecoreOthersLaw enforcement partner providing security at courthouses and supporting various court programs including the Driver License Clinic.
• Broward County Clerk of CourtscoreOthersEssential court operations partner handling court filings, records management, and clerk services for the circuit.
• Broward CountycoreOthersCounty government partner providing administrative support, facilities management, and funding for court operations.
• Global Ties MiamiminorOthersNonprofit organization dedicated to fostering international relationships and cultural exchange; facilitated visit of Polish judges for judicial exchange.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Broward County Clerk of Courts: The court records and filings partner for the 17th Circuit — handles court filings, records management, and clerk services that intersect directly with the circuit's case management and eFiling operations.
• Florida Supreme Court: The highest court in the Florida state court system — not a direct competitor but a hierarchical peer that issues administrative orders (e.g., the procedural deadline extension for Broward County) governing the 17th Circuit's operations.
• Broward Sheriff's Office: Law enforcement partner providing courthouse security and supporting court programs such as the Driver License Clinic — a key operational partner rather than a peer, but materially linked to court functioning.

Direct peers

• 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Orange and Osceola Counties' state circuit court — a large Florida circuit comparable in complexity (Orlando metropolitan area), offering the same mix of criminal, civil, family, and juvenile divisions.
• 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Miami-Dade County's state circuit court — the most direct peer in the Florida system, comparable in scale and caseload mix, and explicitly collaborating with the 17th Circuit on the May 2026 AI governance Administrative Orders.
• 4th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Duval, Clay, and Nassau Counties' state circuit court — a comparable Florida circuit offering the same judicial services structure across multiple counties, useful for cross-circuit benchmarking.
• 5th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Lake, Sumter, Marion, Citrus, Hernando, and Levy Counties' state circuit court — a multi-county Florida circuit operating comparable criminal, civil, family, and specialty court programs under the same state system.
• 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Hillsborough County's state circuit court (Tampa) — another large Florida circuit operating an analogous mix of general divisions, specialty courts, and eFiling systems under the same constitutional framework.
• 15th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Palm Beach County's state circuit court — a neighboring Florida circuit of comparable size and structure, operating criminal, civil, family, and specialty courts under the same Florida State Courts System.
• 18th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida: Brevard and Seminole Counties' state circuit court — a Florida circuit of similar mid-large scale, providing the same general jurisdiction services and specialty court programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/17thcircuit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/17thCircuit
• Facebookfacebook.com/17thCircuit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17th-judicial-circuit-court-of-florida
• Instagraminstagram.com/17thcircuit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida