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Charles W. Dodson
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Charles W. Dodson was a judge on the Second Circuit Court of Florida. He began serving on the felony division of the court in 2008. Dodson was first elected to this court in 2008 and re-elected without opposition in 2014.[1][2][3][4] Dodson retired from the court on January 4, 2021.[5]
Education
Dodson attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. He then graduated from the Florida State University College of Law in 1976.[1]
Career
Dodson practiced civil trial law for 31 years prior to his election to the Second Circuit Court in 2008. He was a Florida Bar Board Certified civil trial lawyer for 25 of those years.[1]
Elections
2014
See also: Florida judicial elections, 2014
Dodson ran for re-election to the Second Circuit Court.
As an unopposed candidate, he was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.
[3]
Noteworthy cases
Florida Education Association v. DeSantis (2020)
Florida Education Association v. DeSantis: On August 24, 2020, Judge Charles W. Dodson, of Florida’s Second Circuit Court for Leon County, blocked an emergency order requiring that school districts physically open their schools or risk state funding. Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued the emergency order. The decision stemmed from two lawsuits, combined by the court, which alleged that the order violated the Florida Constitution. The plaintiffs, including the Florida Education Association, claimed that the order pressured school districts to physically reopen schools, as only those schools with state-approved reopening plans would be granted flexibility on student enrollment reporting, effectively losing state funding for students attending school online instead of on campus. Dodson found the order "unconstitutional to the extent it arbitrarily disregards safety, denies local school boards decision making with respect to reopening brick and mortar schools, and conditions funding on an approved reopening plan with a start date in August." Dodson ruled that "the day-to-day decision to open or close a school must always rest locally with the board or executive most closely associated with a school.". The state filed an appeal with Florida’s First District Court of Appeal, which automatically stayed Dodson’s order. In turn, the plaintiffs filed an emergency motion to dismiss that stay, with FEA president Fedrick Ingram saying, "Shame on a Commissioner of Education who would spend taxpayer dollars to try and reinvent some kind of privileged defense when you already have been proven that you are wrong." Corcoran countered in a statement, saying he was "100% confident we will win this lawsuit."[6][7][8]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2nd Judicial Circuit, "Charles W. Dodson," accessed May 11, 2014
- ↑ Florida Department of State Division of Elections, "Primary Election," August 26, 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida Secretary of State, “Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election,” accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in Florida
- ↑ WTXL Tallahassee, "Circuit Judge Charles Dodson retires from bench after 12 years," January 13, 2021
- ↑ Florida’s Second Circuit Court for Leon County, "Florida Education Association v. DeSantis: Order," August 24, 2020
- ↑ Florida Phoenix, "Governor, Education Commissioner balk at judge’s ruling and file appeal to keep public schools open," August 24, 2020
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge strikes down Florida’s school reopening order, says unconstitutional to require ‘brick and mortar’ classes this month," August 25, 2020
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida
State courts:
Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court
State resources:
Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida
