About the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
The State of Florida is divided into 20 judicial circuits, each representing distinct areas of jurisdiction, which encompass both the circuit and county courts of the Florida State Courts System. Among these, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, serving Miami-Dade County, stands as the largest in the state and the fourth largest trial court in the nation.
Its 123 Circuit and County Court judges preside over a population of over two million in a sprawling 2,000 square mile region. Within this, eighty judges oversee cases across six Divisions of the Circuit Court, while 43 judges handle matters in three Divisions of the County Court.
Chief Judge Nushin G. Sayfie provides direct Judicial Administration for the circuit and county courts, while Court Administrator Deirdre Dunham manages the Administrative Office of the Courts, which primarily serves to support the judiciary and maintain the efficient operations of the court.
In the annual disposition of approximately 800,000 cases, including civil traffic infractions, judges receive assistance from senior (retired) judges, General Magistrates, hearing officers/traffic magistrates, mediators, and various support services.
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida has been at the forefront of implementing several innovative Programs and Services aimed at effective case management and addressing issues that impact the court and the community.
Several of these pioneering programs, initially introduced in Miami-Dade County and subsequently adopted by other circuits statewide, include Drug Court, the Domestic Violence Division, family and landlord/tenant mediation, parenting/child education classes, traffic court magistrates, witness coordination, and video jail arraignments/bond hearings.
In order to enhance public access to the court, county court judges also preside in five full-service branch (or district) courts located throughout Miami-Dade County, where they handle a variety of cases, including:
- Misdemeanor cases
- Traffic matters
- Municipal ordinance violations
- Civil matters with a value not exceeding $5,000 (small claims)
- Uncontested and simplified dissolutions of marriage
- Non-criminal domestic and repeat violence injunction matters
Clerk’s Office
The Clerk’s Office of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida primarily oversees records management and maintains a close collaborative relationship with the court to support the judiciary. It offers numerous services to the public at the main courthouses, the branch courts, and other facilities within Miami-Dade County.
These services include the collection of traffic and parking fines, filing pleadings, providing case information, and issuing marriage licenses.
Chief Judge
- Nushin G. Sayfie
In 2021, Chief Judge Nushin G. Sayfie assumed the role of the chief judicial officer for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. In this capacity, she serves as a liaison with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for all matters related to judicial administration and is entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the efficient and appropriate management of both the circuit and county courts.
Pursuant to Rule 2.050, Rules of Judicial Administration, her duties encompass formulating a plan to expedite case resolutions, assigning judges, other court officers, and executive assistants, managing court dockets, overseeing the regulation and use of courtrooms, conducting mandatory periodic reviews of county jail inmate statuses, and analyzing statistical data.
Additionally, the Chief Judge issues administrative orders to effectively guide the court’s daily operations and appoints committees to provide advisory support.
Location & Contact Information
175 NW 1st Ave,
Miami, FL 33128
Phone: (305) 349-7000
