--- title: "Thomas B. Smith | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-b-smith-9157" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Thomas B. Smith U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida - State: Florida - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Biography ### Professional career - Thomas Benton Smith (November 12, 1952 – September 7, 2023) was an American judge with a 20‐year career in Florida’s federal and state courts, best known for pioneering the state’s first specialized business court - In 2011, Smith became a United States Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, serving until 2021 - Judge from June 24, 1994 until his retirement from the court on April 15, 2011 - In 1982, he joined Maguire, Voorhis & Wells, P.A. as a business litigator, later becoming a partner at Holland & Knight, LLP in 1998 ### Education - American University Washington College of Law in — J.D. (1967) ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, M.D. Florida, 2011-present - Appointed as a magistrate judge on July 25, 2011, and he served in the position until July 24, 2019. - In December 2001, Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Smith to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court (Orange and Osceola Counties), where he served until 2011. - Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1978, Smith began as a solo practitioner, then held the role of Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in 1979. - He graduated from Edgewater High School in 1970, obtained a B.A. from the University of South Florida in 1974, and a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1977 - Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Smith moved to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, at age five, and later to Orlando. - He was later elected to the bench and led the committee that created Florida’s first specialized business court. - He also chaired the Florida Supreme Court’s Committee on Standard Jury Instructions for Contract and Business Cases and was a founding director of the American College of Business Court Judges - He held an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest professional recognition ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9157/thomas-b-smith/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9157/thomas-b-smith/) - [U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9157/thomas-b-smith/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9157/thomas-b-smith/) - [Thomas B. Smith (Federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Thomas_B._Smith_(Federal_judge_for_the_United_States_District_Court_for_the_Middle_District_of_Florida)) - [Thomas P. Smith (Maryland) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Thomas_P._Smith_(Maryland)) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-b-smith-9157", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-b-smith-9157", "name": "Thomas B. Smith | KnowJudges", "description": "Thomas B. Smith, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. 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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.