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Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County, Florida is the second largest county in Florida and the third most populous with a population of 1,279,950 (estimate from 2009 Census). Over 45 percent of Palm Beach County’s population resides in the unincorporated areas adjoining the white, sugar-sand Atlantic coast. Palm Beach is one of three Florida counties that makes up the South Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Many of the first residents in Palm Beach County, FL were former slaves, or descendants of slaves, who fled to Florida from the slave plantations in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Runaway African slaves who came to what was then called Spanish Florida found refuge among the Seminole Native Americans Indians in the late 1800s.

Named for the palm trees and beaches in the area, Palm Beach County was created in 1909. The Florida East Coast Railway built an extension through Palm Beach County in the early 1900s. From Jacksonville to Key West, the railroad was instrumental in the area’s development throughout the early part of the 20th century. Palm Beach County, Florida borders Martin County to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Broward County to the south, Hendry County to the west, and extends into Florida’s inland sea, Lake Okeechobee, in the northwest, where it borders Okeechobee County and Glades County at a point in the center of the lake.

Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) has a modern terminal building and 28 aircraft gates, as well as a 560,000 square foot terminal building that includes a concession mall running the length of the facility. Palm Beach International Airport is conveniently located 2.5 miles west of downtown West Palm Beach and just 3.5 miles west of Palm Beach. Adjacent to Interstate Highway 95, it is easily accessible from anywhere in Palm Beach County.

The School District of Palm Beach County is the 11th largest public school district in the United States, and the fifth largest school district in Florida. In the 2007-2008 academic year, school enrollment totaled 168,546 students in Pre-K through the 12th grade. Approximately 21,700 employees run 103 elementary schools, 33 middle schools, 23 high schools, 41 charter schools, and 22 alternative schools with a $3.6 billion budget.

The world headquarters of the American Orchid Society can be found in Palm Beach County, Florida in Delray Beach. Rare orchids grow here as they do in the wild. Lush gardens weave throughout 3.5 acres; exquisite orchids in the 4,000-square-foot greenhouse display a stunning array of colors, shapes, sizes and fragrances.

Palm Beach County, FL offers numerous well known museums. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a Japanese cultural museum and a world renowned garden, ranked eighth among the more than 300 such gardens outside of Japan. West Palm Beach houses the Norton Museum of Art, internationally known for its distinguished permanent collection featuring American art, Chinese art, contemporary art, European art and photography. Opening in 1999, after six years of preliminary work, the Palm Beach Maritime Museum already anchors South Florida’s continuing educational programs; the museum is constantly adding exhibits and is known for visiting exhibits, such as the HMS Bounty 2009-2010 exhibit. The South Florida Science Museum is an exciting place for children to visit with emphasis on delivering science in a fun wrapper, bolstering interests in a scientific career path for the many school students whose class trip destination is West Palm Beach.

Florida presently utilizes a two-tier trial court system of circuit and county courts that was established in 1972. At the Palm Beach County circuit and county trial courts, disputes are resolved by jury trials or by non-jury trials. County courts are courts of limited jurisdiction where misdemeanor and civil cases are heard. The Criminal County Court’s jurisdiction includes misdemeanor cases, criminal traffic offenses, and county ordinance or municipal ordinance violations. The County’s Civil Division has jurisdiction over all actions of law, such as personal injury, in which the monetary award will not exceed $15,000, traffic infractions, small claims, and most landlord and tenant disputes.

Circuit Courts are the highest state trial courts in Florida. The 15th Judicial Circuit, which serves all 2,500 square miles of Palm Beach County, consists of five departments, providing for four separate courts and an administrative department. The Trial Court Administration oversees all judicial and non-judicial matters arising within the 15th Judicial Circuit. Probate Court governs procedures in guardianship, and handles expedited judicial intervention concerning medical treatment. In the Civil Court department, all proceedings are governed by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure. These rules apply to all actions of a civil nature and all special statutory proceedings in the circuit courts and county courts. The Family / Juvenile department has jurisdiction over adjudicating all domestic matters including divorce, child custody, support, and visitation, as well as juvenile dependency / delinquency. Criminal Court is where criminal cases are received and considered. There are two divisions within criminal court: County Court presides over misdemeanor cases and Circuit Court presides over felonies. The 15th Judicial Circuit operates out of the Main Judicial Complex in downtown West Palm Beach, the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens, the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach, the West County Courthouse in Belle Glade, and the Criminal Justice Complex in suburban West Palm Beach.