This Giving Tuesday, help ensure voters have the information they need to make confident, informed decisions. Donate now!
Diana Lewis
Diana Lewis was a judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. She was elected on September 10, 2002, and took office the following January. In 2008, she was elected to a new term that ended on January 5, 2015. She was defeated in her bid for re-election in 2014 primary election, and therefore stepped down in January 2015.[1][2][3]
Elections
2014
See also: Florida judicial elections, 2014
Lewis ran for re-election to the Fifteenth Circuit Court.
Primary: She was defeated in the primary on August 26, 2014, receiving 45.56 percent of the vote. She competed against Jessica Ticktin.
[4][5]
Education
Lewis received her B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1974, her M.Ed. degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1976, and her J.D. degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. She was admitted to the bar in 1982.[2][6]
Career
Lewis worked as a trial attorney for 20 years prior to her election to the circuit court in 2002.[7]
Noteworthy cases
Another Florida judge rules same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional (2014)
- See also: Florida 15th Circuit Court
Judge Lewis ruled on August 5, 2014, that Florida's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. She was the fourth local judge in the state to do so in less than two months.
The underlying case regarded the estate of the late Frank C. Bangor. Bangor passed away in Pennsylvania, but owned property in Palm Beach County. His husband, W. Jason Simpson, was hoping to qualify as his surviving spouse and the representative of his estate in Florida. However, Florida law did not recognize same-sex marriages. Judge Lewis wrote:
| “ | There is no justification in denying Mr. Simpson the privilege of acting as the fiduciary, based solely on the gender and sexual orientation of his now-deceased spouse...‘The Marriage Laws’ unnecessarily discriminate against this ‘spouse,’ who is recognized by other states as a ‘spouse,’ to act as a fiduciary. Clearly, it was Mr. Bangor’s intent that Mr. Simpson serve as his personal representative and inherit all of his property.[8][9] | ” |
The ruling was limited to the specific circumstances of the case and the judge did not order marriage licenses to be issued in the county. The decision followed similar, recent rulings in the counties of Broward, Monroe and Miami-Dade.[10]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, "September 10, 2002 Primary Election Results"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lawdiary.com, "Biographies of State and County Court Judges in Florida," accessed May 7, 2014 Scroll to p.72
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Diana Lewis, 2008"
- ↑ Florida Secretary of State, “Candidate Listing for 2014 General Election,” accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "Circuit Court Judge primary results," accessed August 27, 2014
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile: Diana Lewis"
- ↑ Re-Elect Judge Diana Lewis campaign website
- ↑ CBS Local - Miami, "Palm Beach Judge Rules Against Same-Sex Marriage Ban," August 5, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Florida Gay Marriage Ban Declared Unconstitutional In Fourth Ruling," August 5, 2014
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
