Florida Constitutional Convention of 1838
A handwritten copy of the 1838 Constitution or "Form of Government for the People of Florida," signed by Convention President, Robert Raymond Reid, and Convention Secretary, Joshua Knowles resides at the State Archives of Florida. Considered "a secretary's copy" this document is the only known copy of the 1838 Constitution. The original Constitution, signed by all the delegates, has never been found. The preamble to the Constitution of 1838:
Law of Florida
The Constitution of Florida is the foremost source of state law. Legislation is enacted by the Florida Legislature, published in the "Laws of Florida", and codified in the "Florida Statutes". State agencies publish regulations (sometimes called administrative law) in the "Florida Administrative Register" (FAR), which are in turn codified in the "Florida Administrative Code" (FAC). Florida's legal system is based on common law, which is interpreted by case law through the decisions of the Supreme Court, District Courts of Appeal, and Circuit Courts, which are published in the "Florida Cases", "Southern Reporter", "Florida Law Weekly", and "Florida Law Weekly Supplement". Counties and municipalities may also promulgate local ordinances. There are also several sources of persuasive authority, which are not binding authority but are useful to lawyers and judges insofar as they help to clarify the current state of the law.