---
title: "William Altfield | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/william-altfield"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# William Altfield

Florida Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court · Circuit Judge

## Profile

- Court: Florida Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court
- State: Florida
- Role: Circuit Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-26

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## 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

### media and still photography

Scope: statewide

Electronic media and still-photography coverage is allowed in Florida public trial and appellate proceedings under Rule 2.450's equipment and conduct standards, always subject to the presiding judge's control of decorum, distractions, and fair administration.

Evidence excerpt: Subject at all times to the authority of the presiding judge to: (i) control the conduct of proceedings before the court; (ii) ensure decorum and prevent distractions; and (iii) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause, electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings in the appellate and trial courts of this state shall be allowed

[Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/about-the-court/judges/judicial-directory)
- [Official roster](https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/about-the-court/judges/judicial-directory)
- [Florida Judicial Branch circuit court administration official judicial roster](https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/about-the-court/judges/judicial-directory)
- [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge William I. Altfield serves on the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in Miami-Dade County, having been appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis on August 29, 2019, to fill the vacancy left by Judge Rodney Smith’s elevation to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- Prior to this, Altfield held the role of a judge on the Miami-Dade County Court from 2011 to 2019, appointed by Governor Rick Scott and re-elected without opposition in 2014.
- Began as an assistant state attorney in the Office of the State Attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, eventually becoming senior prosecutor for the Public Corruption Unit
- He also held the role of a special assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Florida

### Education

- Bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Miami in 1982 and a J.D. from the University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 1986.

### Additional information

- Before joining the bench, Altfield had a distinguished career as a prosecutor.
- handling complex criminal investigations and prosecutions involving public officials
- His educational background combines both the arts and law, reflecting a diverse foundation prior to his legal career
- His judicial experience includes presiding over civil and criminal cases, and he has been involved in high-profile matters within the Miami-Dade jurisdiction



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-f9444c394a89ab9f4ffde994) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450). Collected 2026-07-26.