--- title: "James S. Moody Jr. | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-s-moody-jr" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # James S. Moody Jr. 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 - Judge, District Court, M.D. Florida, 2000-2014 - Before his judicial career, he practiced law privately in Florida from 1972 to 1994 and held the role of a circuit judge in Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 1995 to 2000 ### Education - same university's College of Law in — J.D. (1972) - University of Florida in — B.S. (1969) - Fredric G. Levin College of Law ### Additional information - He assumed senior status on March 31, 2014 - Appointment: Moody was nominated to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by President Bill Clinton on June 8, 2000. - received his commission on July 28, 2000. - Private practice, Florida, 1972-1994 - James S. Moody Jr. was born on March 31, 1947, in Tampa, Florida. - Date of birth: 1947-01-01 - Notable Cases: One of his significant cases involved Sami Al-Arian, whom he sentenced to 57 months in prison for aiding a terrorist organization, the Palestine Islamic Jihad - His daughter, Ashley Moody, was elected Attorney General of Florida, and his son, James S. Moody III, was selected as a Florida circuit court judge, indicating a legacy of public service within his family This overview highlights Judge James S. Moody Jr.'s contributions to the legal field and his ongoing influence as a senior federal judge - Birth place: Tampa, FL ## 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/1391221) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2288/james-s-moody-jr/) - [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/2288/james-s-moody-jr/) - [Wikidata: James S. Moody, Jr.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6142672) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-s-moody-jr", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-s-moody-jr", "name": "James S. Moody Jr. | KnowJudges", "description": "James S. Moody Jr., 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-s-moody-jr#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-s-moody-jr#judge", "name": "James S. 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Moody Jr.", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-s-moody-jr" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 98 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 327 | 90 | 2.6 | 90 | | 5y | 940 | 671 | 5.1 | 671 | | 10y | 3251 | 2982 | 4.9 | 2982 | 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.