Mary Stenson Scriven

Mary Stenson Scriven (born 1962) is a United States federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She joined the court in 2008 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Scriven graduated from Duke University with her Bachelor's degree in 1983 and later from Florida State University College of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 1987.

Following law school graduation, Scriven was in private practice in Florida from 1987 to 1997. She was an Associate professor at Stetson University College of Law from 1996 to 1997.

Scriven started her judicial career as a United States magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida from 1997 to 2008. Scriven was nominated to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by President George W. Bush on July 10, 2008 to a seat vacated Patricia C. Fawsett as Fawsett assumed senior status and resigned from her position as the previous Chief judge. Scriven was confirmed by the Senate on September 26, 2008 on a Senate vote and received her commission on September 30, 2008.

On October 24, 2011, Scriven temporarily blocked Florida’s new law that requires welfare applicants to pass a drug test before receiving benefits, saying it may violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. The drug test can reveal a host of private medical facts about the individual, Scriven wrote, adding that she found it “troubling” that the drug tests are not kept confidential like medical records.