Judicial Nominating Commission

Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson is retiring effective August 1 after only six years on the state's highest and most prestigious court. He was an appointee of former Gov. Rick Scott. Lawson leaves a fourth seat for DeSantis to fill on the seven-member court as he seeks reelection.

Governor Ron DeSantis has until Monday to appoint a new justice to the Florida Supreme Court. It’s a blow for the Governor, who has been defending his appointment of Renatha Francis. But Francis has not been a member of the Florida Bar for 10 years—a job requirement. The case has racial overtones and has seen DeSantis attempting to pit Black Democrats against each other over the pick after Democratic Rep. Geraldine Thompson sued.

Saying Gov. Ron DeSantis “has not complied with the Constitution’s clear commands,” the Florida Supreme Court on Friday rejected DeSantis’ appointment of Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the Supreme Court.

Striking a blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a unanimous Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a state representative to move ahead with a revised challenge to the governor’s appointment of Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the state’s high court.

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Ron DeSantis should not have appointed Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to a vacancy on the state’s high court because she hasn’t been a member of the Florida Bar for at least 10 years. But the court says there’s nothing they can do about it.

The Second Judicial circuit includes Leon County, and it’s short two judges. Nearly 20 people have applied to fill the seats. Among them is prosecutor Georgia Cappleman and Lisa Barclay Fountain.

A panel that nominates potential members of the Florida Supreme Court on Monday defended its choice to include Renatha Francis, one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest picks to serve as a justice, on a list of nine nominees sent to the governor in January. State Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, filed a lawsuit last month alleging that Francis, a Palm Beach County circuit judge, is unqualified to serve on the Supreme Court.

A state lawmaker says one of Florida’s newly appointed supreme court justices isn’t qualified for the job. Windermere Democratic Representative Geraldine Thompson is suing Governor Ron DeSantis and the state’s judicial nominating commission because she says the appointment of Justice Renatha Francis is against the rules.

Judge Anthony B. Miller has been appointed to the 2nd Judicial Circuit. He fills the vacancy created by Judge Martin Fitzpatrick, who was appointed as a…

The 2nd Circuit Court Judicial Nominating Commission is interviewing 14 candidates Thursday to fill vacancies created by the resignations of circuit…