Steven Douglas Merryday
Steven Douglas Merryday | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida | |
| In office August 1, 2015 – November 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Anne C. Conway |
| Succeeded by | Timothy J. Corrigan |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida | |
| Assumed office February 10, 1992 | |
| Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 104 Stat. 5089 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 2, 1950 Palatka, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | University of Florida (BA) University of Florida College of Law (JD) |
Steven Douglas Merryday (born November 2, 1950)[1] is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Education and career[]
Merryday was born in Palatka, Florida. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree as valedictorian from the University of Florida in 1972 and with a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law in 1975. As a law student, Merryday served as student body president of the University of Florida. Merryday was in private practice in Tampa, Florida from 1975 to 1992.[2]
Federal judicial service[]
President George H. W. Bush nominated Merryday to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on September 23, 1991, to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089. Confirmed by the Senate on February 6, 1992, and received his commission on February 10, 1992.[2] He served as Chief Judge from August 1, 2015 to November 1, 2020.[3]
CDC Covid-19 Rules[]
On June 18, 2021 he ruled against the Centers For Disease Control rules on cruise ships safety measures; saying,"[T]he agency’s conditional sail order— (a framework of regulations dictating how cruises can restart in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic)— "can remain in place for Florida cruises only until July 18", thereby granting Governor Ron DeSantis' request for a preliminary injunction while the full case moves forward. Although he also noted in his ruling "After July 18, the rules will turn into non-binding recommendations for cruise companies. The CDC has until July 2 to propose a more limited set of cruise regulations to the court." Thus giving the CDC some time to either appeal his ruling by The United States Department of Justice or provide more narrow rules as stated in his decision.[4][5]
In turn, Judge Merryday's opinion was temporarily blocked on July 17th by the Court of Appeals for the Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit. This will allow the Centers For Disease Control to continue to implement safety protocols on the cruise industry.[6]
References[]
- ^ "BIOGRAPHIES OF FEDERAL COURT JUDGES SITTING IN FLORIDA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Merryday, Steven Douglas - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ^ "The Middle District of Florida Welcomes the Honorable Timothy J. Corrigan as Chief Judge" (Press release). November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Dolven, Taylor (June 18, 2021). "Federal judge throws out CDC's cruise safety regulations, handing win to DeSantis". The Miami Herald. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "CDC's Cruise Safety Regulations Thrown Out By Federal Court, Delivering Victory For Gov. Ron DeSantis". June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ Dolven, Taylor (July 18, 2021). "Federal appeals court ruling will allow CDC to enforce Covid rules on cruise ships". CNN. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
Sources[]
- Steven Douglas Merryday at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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- 1950 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American judges
- 21st-century American judges
- Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- People from Palatka, Florida
- United States district court judges appointed by George H. W. Bush
- University of Florida alumni