Columbus Day is Not a Holiday in Florida State Court

If you were counting on your deadline today to move to Tuesday because of Columbus Day, you’d better think again and get cracking. Effective October 1, 2012, the Florida Supreme Court has clarified what is and is not a “Legal Holiday” for purposes of time calculation in all Florida state courts, and Mr. Columbus did not make the list. Now, the legal holidays are:

(A) the day set aside by section 110.117, Florida Statutes, for observing New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day; and
(B) any day observed as a holiday by the clerk’s office or as designated by the chief judge.

Perhaps your local District Court or Circuit Court has an administrative order acknowledging Mr. Columbus — it’s worth a quick call to the Clerk’s office, or a check of the court’s website, to find out. But otherwise, unlike in Federal Court, today is just another Monday.