Steven Douglas Merryday

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.

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 byAnne C. Conway
Succeeded byTimothy J. Corrigan
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Assumed office
February 10, 1992
Appointed byGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded bySeat established by 104 Stat. 5089
Personal details
Born (1950-11-02) November 2, 1950
Palatka, Florida, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Florida (BA)
University of Florida College of Law (JD)

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]

Notable ruling

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, Merryday's opinion was temporarily blocked on July 17 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. This allowed the Centers For Disease Control to continue to implement safety protocols on the cruise industry.[6] The Court of Appeals vacated the stay a few days later allowing Merryday's ruling to take effect.

References
  1. "BIOGRAPHIES OF FEDERAL COURT JUDGES SITTING IN FLORIDA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  2. "Merryday, Steven Douglas - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
  3. "The Middle District of Florida Welcomes the Honorable Timothy J. Corrigan as Chief Judge" (Press release). November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  4. 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.
  5. "CDC's Cruise Safety Regulations Thrown Out By Federal Court, Delivering Victory For Gov. Ron DeSantis". June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  6. 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
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