--- title: "James D. Whittemore | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # James D. Whittemore U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida - State: Florida - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - James David Whittemore is a Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, serving in the Tampa division since August 29, 2017 - Judge, District Court, M.D. Florida, 2000-present - State Judicial Service: Judge, Hillsborough County Circuit Court, Florida Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (1990–2000) - Assistant federal public defender, Middle District of Florida, 1978-1981 ### Education - Stetson University College of Law — J.D. (1977) - B.S.B.A — University of Florida — 1974 ### Additional information - Private practice, Florida, 1977-present - Private practice, Florida, 1981-1990 - Date of birth: 1952-01-01 - Greenfield before the U.S. Supreme Court, securing a new trial for his client by ruling that post‐Miranda silence could not be used to discredit an insanity defense - Birth place: Walterboro, SC ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391196) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391196) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391196) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3459/james-d-whittemore/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3459/james-d-whittemore/) - [Wikidata: James David Whittemore](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16152035) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore", "name": "James D. Whittemore | KnowJudges", "description": "James D. Whittemore, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore#judge", "name": "James D. Whittemore", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore", "jobTitle": "U.S. District Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391196", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3459/james-d-whittemore/" ], "birthDate": "1952", "birthPlace": "Walterboro, SC", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Florida" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Stetson University" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Florida", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/florida" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James D. Whittemore", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-d-whittemore" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 9 | 9 | Not available | 9 | | 10y | 578 | 578 | 6.1 | 578 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.