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Florida Supreme Court justice vacancy (August 2022)
| Florida Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Lawson vacancy |
| Date: August 31, 2022 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Renatha Francis |
| Date: August 5, 2022 |
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) appointed Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court on August 5, 2022.[1] Francis succeeded Alan Lawson, who retired on August 31, 2022.[2] Francis was Gov. DeSantis' fourth nominee to the seven-member court.
At the time of the vacancy, state supreme court justices in Florida were selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission.
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Florida Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- A list of finalists recommended to the governor.
- A list of candidates who applied to the vacancy.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2022.
The appointee
- See also: Renatha Francis
Francis earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the West Indies and a J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law.[1]
Before her appointment to the Miami-Dade County Court in 2017, Francis was an attorney in private practice with the firm Shutts & Bowen, LLP. She also previously worked as an attorney and law clerk for the Florida First District Court of Appeal.[1]
Appointee candidates and nominations
Ballotpedia will post information on candidates and prospective appointees as information becomes available. If you know of information that should be included here, please email us.
Finalists
The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission recommended six finalists to Gov. DeSantis.[3][4]
- Circuit court judge Renatha Francis
- Senior counsel, Denise Harle
- First District Court of Appeal judge Robert E. Long Jr.
- Circuit court judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe
- Fifth District Court of Appeal judge Meredith Sasso
- First District Court of Appeal judge Adam Tanenbaum
Applicants
The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission selected the following six applicants for Governor DeSantis' consideration:[5][6]
- Renatha Francis, judge, Florida 15th Circuit Court
- Denise Harle, senior counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
- Robert Long, judge, Florida First District Court of Appeal
- Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, judge, Florida 13th Circuit Court
- Meredith Sasso, judge, Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal
- Adam Tanenbaum, judge, Florida First District Court of Appeal
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Florida
In Florida, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
Makeup of the court
- See also: Florida Supreme Court
Justices
Following Lawson's retirement, the Florida Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Jorge Labarga | Appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in 2009 | |
| ■ Charles Canady | Appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in 2008 | |
| ■ Ricky Polston | Appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist (R) in 2008 | |
| ■ John D. Couriel | Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2020 | |
| ■ Jamie Rutland Grosshans | Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2020 | |
| ■ Jamie Rutland Grosshans | Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2019 |
About the court
Founded in 1845, the Florida Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Carlos Muñiz.
As of May 2023, all seven judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor.[7]
The Florida Supreme Court meets in Tallahassee, Florida. The court hears oral arguments from August through June of every year, typically during the first full week of each month.[8]
In Florida, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a governor-controlled judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission with a majority of members selected by the governor. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
About Justice Lawson
- See also: Alan Lawson
Justice Alan Lawson joined the Florida Supreme Court on December 31, 2016. He was appointed to the court by former Governor Rick Scott (R).
Before serving on the state supreme court, Lawson served as a judge on the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal, a judge on the Florida Ninth Judicial Circuit, an assistant county attorney in Orange County, Florida, the general counsel for Verses Wear, and an associate and partner with the Florida law firm Steel Hector & Davis.[9]
Lawson earned an A.A. from Tallahassee Community College in 1981, a B.S. in parks, recreation, and tourism management from Clemson University in 1983, and a J.D. from Florida State University in 1987.[9]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2022
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2022
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2022. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2021.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Governor of Florida, "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Judge Renatha Francis to Serve on the Florida Supreme Court," August 5, 2022
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Justice Alan Lawson to retire from Florida Supreme Court," April 29, 2022
- ↑ Governor of Florida, "Governor Ron DeSantis Receives Certified List of Nominees for Florida Supreme Court," June 13, 2022
- ↑ FLORIDA SUPREME COURT JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION, "RE: Certification of Nominees – Florida Supreme Court," June 13, 2022
- ↑ Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, "Certification of Nominees - Florida Supreme Court," June 13, 2022
- ↑ WTXL Tallahassee, "Attorney, judges with ties to Big Bend finalists for open Florida Supreme Court justice seat," June 15, 2022
- ↑ Gov. Charlie Crist switched parties from Republican to Democratic during his term. The judges he appointed were during his time as a Republican, so they are considered appointed by a Republican governor.
- ↑ Florida Supreme Court, "Visiting the Court," accessed September 13, 2021
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Florida Supreme Court, "Justice Alan Lawson," archived February 23, 2022
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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
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