--- title: "T. Kent Wetherell II | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # T. Kent Wetherell II U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida - State: Florida - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - In 2009, Wetherell was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida First District Court of Appeal, where he held the role of a state appellate judge until 2019. - On April 26, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Wetherell to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, filling the seat vacated by Judge John Richard Smoak Jr - Administrative law judge, Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, 2002-2009 - Judge, District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2009-1934 - Wetherell began his legal career in private practice at Hopping Green Sams & Smith in Tallahassee - Judge T. Kent Wetherell II has a distinguished legal career spanning private practice, administrative law, state appellate service, and federal judicial service - He also held the role of Deputy Solicitor General in the Florida Attorney General’s Office for two years ### Education - Florida State University College of Law — J.D. (1995) - Florida State University — B.S. (1992) ### Additional information - Deputy solicitor general, State of Florida, 1999-2002 - Private practice, Tallahassee, Florida, 1995-1999 - Date of birth: 1970-08-26 - focusing on land use matters, administrative rule challenges, and bid protest hearings. - His career reflects a combination of private practice, public service, and judicial experience at both the state and federal levels - Birth place: Daytona Beach ## 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/6731081) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6731081) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6731081) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7117/t-kent-wetherell/) - [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/7117/t-kent-wetherell/) - [Judge T. Kent Wetherell II](https://www.fjc.gov/node/6731081) - [Wikidata: T. Kent Wetherell II](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q52204702) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii", "name": "T. Kent Wetherell II | KnowJudges", "description": "T. Kent Wetherell II, U.S. District Court for the Northern 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/t-kent-wetherell-ii#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii#judge", "name": "T. Kent Wetherell II", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/6731081", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/7117/t-kent-wetherell/" ], "birthDate": "1970-08-26", "birthPlace": "Daytona Beach", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Florida State University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Florida State University College of Law" } ] }, { "@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": "T. Kent Wetherell II", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/t-kent-wetherell-ii" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 430 | 55 | 1 | 55 | | 2y | 795 | 313 | 2.4 | 313 | | 5y | 1824 | 1307 | 4.9 | 1307 | | 10y | 2479 | 1933 | 5.6 | 1933 | 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.