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Kenneth R. Lester, Jr.
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Kenneth R. Lester, Jr. is a Seminole County judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. He was elected on September 3, 1996 and was re-elected by voters in 2008 and 2014.[1][2][3] His current six-year term expires on January 4, 2021.[4]
Elections
2014
See also: Florida judicial elections, 2014
Lester ran for re-election to the Eighteenth Circuit Court.
As an unopposed candidate, he was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.
[3]
Education
Lester received B.S., B.A. and M.S. degrees in accounting from the University of Central Florida. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Florida and was admitted to the bar in 1980.[5][6]
Noteworthy cases
Georgia Zimmerman murder trial
In April 2012, Judge Lester was assigned to the defense trial of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin shooting case. Lester became the presiding judge after Judge Jessica Recksiedler recused from the case.[7][8]
Defense asks for recusal
In July 2012, the defense for Zimmerman asked Judge Lester to recuse from the case, claiming that his client could not receive a fair trial due to supposed bias in an order. In response, the prosecution called the request "devoid of legal merit."[9][10]
The appeals court stated,
| “ | [Lester] made gratuitous, disparaging remarks about Mr. Zimmerman's character; advocated for Mr. Zimmerman to be prosecuted for additional crimes; offered a personal opinion about the evidence for the prosecution; continued to hold over Mr. Zimmerman's head the threat of future contempt proceedings, and ultimately set a bond at $1,000,000.[11][12] | ” |
Lester was removed from the case and it was reassigned to Judge Debra Nelson.[13]
See also
External links
- 18th Judicial Circuit Courts
- Florida Today, "New judge takes over Trayvon Martin case," April 19, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ Eighteenth Circuit Court, "Judge Biographies," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Kenneth R. Lester, Jr.," 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in Florida
- ↑ Lawdiary, "Biographies of State and County Court Judges in Florida," accessed May 24, 2014 Scroll to p.72
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile: Kenneth R. Lester, Jr.," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Palm Beach Post, "New judge will preside over Trayvon Martin case," April 19, 2012
- ↑ Florida Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, "Press Release: MEDIA UPDATE: State v. Zimmerman (2012-CF-001083-A) Previously Scheduled Bond Hearing Remains on Schedule," April 18, 2012
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Prosecution: Defense motion for judge's recusal in Zimmerman case 'absurd' and brimful of 'bombast'," July 17, 2012
- ↑ WDBO.com, "Attorney to file new motion in Zimmerman case," August 1, 2012
- ↑ CNN, "Appeals court: Judge in Trayvon Martin case must step down," August 30, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABCNews.com, "Zimmerman Stuns Court, Waives Right to 'Stand Your Ground' Hearing in Trayvon Martin Case," March 5, 2013
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
