{ "id": "epm119z616", "slug": "james-s-moody-jr", "title": "James S. Moody, Jr.", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my", "label": "Surnames Mc to My", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames Mc to My", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my", "label": "Surnames Mc to My", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my" } ] } ], "excerpt": "James S. Moody, Jr. (born 1947) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.", "snippet": "James S. Moody, Jr. (born 1947) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-mc-to-my", "markdown": "# James S. Moody, Jr.\n\nJames S. Moody, Jr. (born 1947) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.[1](https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/judges/james-moody-jr) He was appointed to the court by President William J. Clinton in 2000 and assumed senior status on March 31, 2014.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n| Appointed by | William J. Clinton[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n| Confirmed | July 21, 2000, by voice vote[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n| Senior status | March 31, 2014[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n| Born | 1947 in Tampa, Florida[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n| Education | B.S., University of Florida, 1969; J.D., University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law), 1972[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nMoody was born in 1947 in [Tampa, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-florida).[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) He grew up in the rural landscape of Plant City, Florida, with a brother and sister, and has described a childhood of water skiing, fishing, and hunting for quail and doves.[3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf) He majored in accounting at the [University of Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-florida) with the expectation of attending law school there, and received his bachelor's degree with high honors in 1969.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) • [3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf) While at the university he was a member of the [Sigma Chi](https://www.edgepedia.org/sigma-chi) fraternity, was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame and Florida Blue Key, and served as editor of the university's yearbook.[3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf) He received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law, now the Fredric G. Levin College of Law, in 1972.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221)\n\n## Legal career\n\nMoody was in private practice in Florida from 1972 to 1994.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) According to a 2014 profile in The Federal Lawyer, he served on the Attorney's Fees Committee and, after experiences in the courtroom during his practice years, decided he could make a greater contribution to his local community as a judge.[3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf) He served as a judge on the Circuit Court of Florida, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, from 1995 to 2000.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident William J. Clinton nominated Moody to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida on June 8, 2000.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on July 21, 2000, and he received his commission on July 28, 2000.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) He assumed senior status on March 31, 2014.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221) • [3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n## Judicial practices\n\nOn the district court, Moody regularly conducts sentencing hearings Monday through Thursday as his calendar permits, and he generally handles motions for temporary restraining orders.[1](https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/judges/james-moody-jr) He conducts pretrial conferences, generally lasting no more than 15 minutes, and refers almost all cases to mediation, with referrals entered six to nine months before trial.[1](https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/judges/james-moody-jr) He generally refers discovery matters and changes of plea to the assigned magistrate judge, and he encourages the use of the Digital Evidence Presentation System at trial.[1](https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/judges/james-moody-jr) A 2014 profile reported that he has actively presented educational programming for attorneys and law students.[3](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n## References\n\n1. [James Moody, Jr. | Middle District of Florida](https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/judges/james-moody-jr)\n2. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: James S. Moody, Jr.](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391221)\n3. [Judge James S. Moody, Jr., The Federal Lawyer, March 2014](https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Moody-Mar2014_3-pgs-pdf-3.pdf)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames Mc to My*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"James S. Moody, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[James S. Moody, Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"James S. Moody, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/james-s-moody-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "James S. Moody, Jr. is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida." }