Office of the Marshal

In fulfilling its primary responsibility of providing security services to the Supreme Court the Office of the Marshal deploys and coordinates the installation of complex electronic security systems to protect the Justices, courthouse staff members, visitors and physical court facilities. This includes perimeter security, access control, closed-circuit television surveillance and alarm reporting systems. 

Read the list of Prohibited Items when visiting the courthouse.

Read the 2023 Accreditation Press Release.

Judicial Protective Operations

Ensuring the safe conduct of judicial proceedings and protecting the Justices and other members of the judicial family are principal functions of the Office of the Marshal. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of threats against members of the judiciary, attorneys, and other court officers. High-profile cases and new forms of communication like social media have only increased the risk. Explicit threats against the judiciary are assessed by the Office of the Marshal to determine the level of danger. On average, about 100 threats and inappropriate communications against judicial members are logged each year. Building on an operational study of U.S. assassins, attackers, and near-lethal approaches of public officials, the Office of the Marshal develops a threat assessment and determines an appropriate protective operation in response to each threat. To meet its duty to protect, the Marshal's Office is authorized by state law to bear arms and make arrests like any other state law enforcement agency.

Central Courthouse Management

The Marshal is the custodian of the building and grounds of the Supreme Court including custodianship of all property, building and grounds maintenance and administration of the building facilities. Through its administrative staff, the Office of the Marshal prepares and manages the budget and inventory of the Supreme Court.

The Facilities and Engineering Division performs building and grounds maintenance, construction management of capital improvement projects, and mail center management. Built-in 1948 the current Supreme Court Building is one of the most historically significant buildings in the state capital, with architecture inspired by Thomas Jefferson. The Facilities and Engineering staff provide a program of modern upgrades to systems while preserving the historic majesty and dignity of the building.

Claim Lost Property

The Marshal

The Supreme Court Marshal is the custodian of the building and grounds of the Supreme Court. This responsibility includes security, custodianship of all property, building and grounds maintenance and administration of the building facilities. Responsibilities include development and execution of the court operational budget, purchasing, maintenance contracting, and the provision of telephone communication services. The Marshal is also responsible for ensuring the execution of all the Court's orders throughout the state. The office phone number is 850-488-8845.

History of the Marshal

Marshals and their Deputies have served as the instruments of civil authority by courts for over 1200 years. The Frankish descendant of the Germanic word, marahskalk, came to designate a high royal official and also a high military commander. Along with many other Frankish words, marahskalk was borrowed into Old French by about 800. Some centuries later, when the Normans established a French-speaking official class in England, the Old French word came with them.

In English, marshal is first recorded in 1218, as a surname (still surviving in the spelling Marshall). Its first appearance as a common noun was in 1258, in the sense “high officer of the royal court.” The word was also applied to this high royal official's deputies, who were officers of courts of law, and it continued to designate various officials involved with courts of law and law enforcement, including the horseback-riding marshals we are familiar with in the old West of the United States. Particularly in the United States, marshal is used for various kinds of law enforcement officers with specialist status. They mainly protect the security of the courts and justice system.

In the United States, the first thirteen Marshals were appointed by George Washington in 1789. The Marshals and their Deputies served the subpoenas, summonses, writs, warrants, and other process issued by the courts, made all the arrests, and handled all the prisoners. They also disbursed the money. The Marshals paid the fees and expenses of the court clerks, U.S. Attorneys, jurors, and witnesses. They rented the courtrooms and jail space and hired the bailiffs, criers, and janitors. They made sure the prisoners were present, the jurors were available, and the witnesses were on time.

In 1927 the legislature of Florida granted the Supreme Court of Florida the authority to appoint a Marshal under Article V of the Constitution of the State of Florida. The Marshal has the power to execute the process of the court throughout the state, and in any county may deputize the sheriff or a deputy sheriff for such purpose.

The Modern Office of the Marshal - Changing with the Times

Just as America has changed over the past two centuries, so, too, the Office of the Marshal has changed dramatically. Not in its underlying responsibility to enforce the law and execute the orders issued by the court, but in the breadth of its functions, the professionalism of its personnel, and the sophistication of the technologies employed. These changes are made apparent by an examination of the contemporary duties of the modern Office of the Marshal.

Marshals Badges

Badge designs have changed over time. Below are two examples of the different styles.

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