The U.S. District Court. Middle District of Florida is planning a schedule of events to help the community celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Howard created a committee to plan events chaired by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Barksdale. Community Outreach Coordinator Amber Rumancik also is a member.
“They really rose to the occasion,” Howard said.
With funding from the Bench Bar Fund and participation by the Federal Court Bar Associations in each district, events focused on the grievances against the King of Great Britain including depriving the colonists of the right to trial by jury, will be available to the legal community and the public.
Each courthouse in the district is scheduling a party July 1 with hot dogs, watermelon and patriotic music. A
proclamation about the court’s commitment to the country’s founding principles will be read and a time capsule will be sealed to be opened on the 300th anniversary in 2076, Howard said.
This theme will be woven throughout events including our courthouse field trips, student art displays, naturalization ceremonies and a high school essay contest,” Howard said.
The district continues to face a challenge it has faced for the past several years.
Howard said nothing has changed since her 2025 report in terms of the shortage of judges in the Middle District of Florida.
“We simply do not have enough authorized judgeships to meet the ever-increasing caseload. As of September 2024, the the average weighted filings per judgeship in Middle Florida was 693. as of September 2025, our average is 736. Compare that to a national average of 534. So we are still busy.” Howard said.
Despite the continuing shortage of judges in the district, Howard said the good news is that three of four vacancies on the court were filled in the past year. The new judges mainly improved the ratio of cases to judges in the Fort Myers, Tampa and Orlando divisions, but the Jacksonville Division got some help when U.S. District Judge Jordan Pratt took office in November, Howard said.
Pratt began his legal career as a law clerk for now-Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger. Before joining the federal bench, Pratt was a judge on Florida’s 5th DCA District Court of Appeal.
“As to our fourth vacancy, the previous nominee was just appointed to serve on Florida’s 2nd DCA. So, at this point, I think that means we are waiting on the President to identify a new nominee. It is anybody’s guess when that will happen,” Howard said.