Judge T. Kent Wetherell II
Northern Florida U.S. District Court
Thomas Kent Wetherell II was born in August 1970 in Daytona Beach, Florida. He earned an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and received his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law.
Wetherell entered private practice for four years. He then became a Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the Florida Attorney General. He later served as an Administrative Law Judge in the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings and then was appointed to the Florida First District Court of Appeals by Governor Charlie Crist.
Wetherell was nominated by President Donald Trump to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate after a cloture vote, and he received his commission in July 2019.
Wetherell is married to Edie and they have two children.
In the News…
U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell reinstated the upgraded Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, which District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan had blocked from use last month. The state of Florida previously contracted with the federal government to use the technology that instantly screens voter rolls and removes noncitizens from them.
Judge Wetherell’s opinion reactivated the features from the Department of Homeland Security system that the District of Columbia judge had barred, to uphold a settlement agreement from late 2025 between the federal agency and the attorneys general of Florida and other states.
Judge Wetherell wrote, “Plaintiffs’ emergency motion to enforce settlement agreement is GRANTED, and Defendants shall immediately comply… by reinstating Plaintiffs’ access to the bulk-upload and SSN-search features in the SAVE system.”
The judge added that the modifications had already been found to be legal and that the upgrade features violated neither the Social Security Act nor the Privacy Act.
Circuit courts are expected to sort out the conflicting district court orders.
Contact this Leader…
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The Honorable T. Kent Wetherell II
Northern Florida U.S. District Court
U.S. Courthouse
One North Palafox Street
Pensacola, FL 32502
