James E.C. Perry (Florida)
James E.C. Perry was a justice on the Florida Supreme Court. He was appointed to this position by then-Republican Governor Charlie Crist in March 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Charles Wells. He was retained on November 2, 2010, for a six-year term that was set to expire in 2017.[1] Justice Perry retired in December 2016.
Gov. Crist said of the appointment:
| “ | I have given much thought to appointing Judge Perry to Florida’s highest court. Our seven Supreme Court justices make precedent-setting decisions on important matters. I am confident Judge Perry will rule with restraint, fairness and humility. He has shown, throughout his personal and professional life, the ability to balance justice with humanity.[2][3] | ” |
Perry was eligible for the chief justice position in 2016, but chose not to run because of the mandatory age requirement, under which he retired within a year of the chief justice election.[4]
Justice Perry announced in September 2016 his forthcoming retirement on December 30, 2016.[5] Though Perry reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2014, under the Florida Constitution, a judge who reaches age 70 after completing half of his term may complete that term. Governor Rick Scott appointed court of appeals Judge C. Alan Lawson to succeed Justice Perry.[6]
Education
Perry earned his undergraduate degree in business administration and accounting from Saint Augustine's College in 1966. After serving in the U.S. Army, he earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1972.[1]
Military career
Perry served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969.[1]
Career
- 2009-2016: Associate justice, Florida Supreme Court
- 2000-2009: Judge, 18th Judicial Circuit
- 1972-2000: Attorney in private practice (including time as a partner at Perry & Hicks, P.A.)[1][2]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2006: Williams-Johnson Outstanding Jurist of the Year Award, Brevard and Seminole County Bar Associations
- 2005: Martin Luther King Drum Major Award
- Humanitarian Award, NAACP, Seminole County
- Paul C. Perkins Award, NAACP, Orange County Chapter
- Key to the City, New Bern, North Carolina[1]
Associations
- Manager, SanLando Greyhounds, AAU basketball team
- Founder Jackie Robinson Sports Association
- President, Jackie Robinson Sports Association
- Captain, Heart of Florida United Way Campaign
- General counsel, Florida Chapter Branches of the NAACP
- Board of Trustees, Saint Augustine’s College
- Member, Carter CME Tabernacle Church of Orlando[1]
Elections
2010
| Florida Supreme Court, Associate Justice 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
James Perry 
|
2,741,271 | 61.7% | ||
| Against retention | 1,700,729 | 38.3% | ||
- Click here for 2010 general election results from the Florida secretary of state.
- Main article: Florida judicial elections, 2010
Approach to the law
Perry refers to himself as "apolitical" and has refused comment on whether or not he is an "activist" judge. He has stated:
| “ | In my analysis of the law, it seems those who call people activists are those who don’t rule for them...In this field somebody has to lose. We have to make decisions. That is another term that has been over utilized. It’s a political term.[7][1][3] | ” |
Political outlook
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Perry received a campaign finance score of 0.5, indicating a conservative ideological leaning. This was less conservative than the average score of 0.51 that justices received in Florida.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[8]
See also
External links
- Miami Herald', "Crist names Perry to Fla. Supreme Court," March 11, 2009 (dead link)
- Florida Supreme Court, "Justice Perry biography"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Florida Supreme Court, "Justice Perry biography"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Office of the Governor, "Governor Crist names James E.C. Perry to Florida Supreme Court," March 11, 2009
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Jorge Labarga to serve rare 2nd term as chief justice of Florida Supreme Court," accessed February 8,2016
- ↑ The Washington Times, "Florida Gov. Scott to get first Supreme Court pick," September 12, 2016
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Gov. Rick Scott appoints conservative judge to Florida Supreme Court," December 16, 2016
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel Political Pulse blog, "Seminole judge James Perry tapped for high court," March 11, 2009
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
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
