Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaDecember 16, 2016

Conservative appellate judge C. Alan Lawson will become the next Florida Supreme Court justice, Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday morning. Lawson, who will replace retiring Justice James E.C. Perry, is chief judge of the state’s 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach. Perry’s retirement is effective Dec. 30; Lawson’s first day is the 31st. “He’s got a 20-year track […]

Bob SparksDecember 6, 2016

Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox lives in the City of Tallahassee. While that should not come as man-bites-dog news, it’s not that simple in Florida’s capital. The residency of the former Tallahassee Mayor and Florida Democratic Party Chair was challenged in court by Dr. Erwin Jackson, a frequent city government and Maddox critic. Maddox maintains two […]

Phil AmmannDecember 6, 2016

In a pair of Context Florida columns titled, “The Shame of Florida,” Darryl Paulson has documented how Florida infamously leads the nation in the number of people—1.7-million—who are permanently barred from voting as ex-felons regardless of whether they are good citizens now. In Florida, as in Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee and other former Confederate states, these […]

Jim RosicaDecember 5, 2016

The Florida Supreme Court on Monday “commanded” a Broward judge to come to Tallahassee Feb. 7 for a public reprimand. Circuit Judge John Patrick Contini also must write a letter of apology, undergo judicial mentoring, complete a mental health program, and pay administrative costs, according to a court order. He was brought up on judicial misconduct charges last year. […]

Michael MolineDecember 2, 2016

The Florida Supreme Court has overturned a lower-court ruling that would have made it harder for policyholders to collect on insurance policies when there is more than one cause for their losses. At issue in Sebo v. American Home Assurance Co. was competing doctrines for resolving claims under all-risk policies in those circumstances. Under the […]

Associated PressNovember 28, 2016

Florida Gov. Rick Scott will pick a new state Supreme Court from one of three finalists. A state nominating panel on Monday interviewed 11 applicants for the job and then whittled down the list before coming up with a list for Scott. The panel recommended that Scott consider Charles Alan Lawson, the chief judge for […]

Michael MolineNovember 28, 2016

Count on this if Seminole County Circuit Judge Michael J. Rudisill lands on the Florida Supreme Court: He won’t be tweeting about rulings or anything else. “I tend to stay away from Twitter,” Rudisill said Monday, during his interview for a high court vacancy. “Twitter’s dangerous. Stay away from it. I don’t use Twitter, and […]

Jim RosicaNovember 28, 2016

The third round of interviews of Florida Supreme Court applicants on Monday brought several revelations, including state Rep. Larry Metz’s disclosure that he has Parkinson’s disease. Metz, a Yalaha Republican, shared his diagnosis with members of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission at the end of his interview. “I don’t think it’s an issue,” Metz […]

Michael MolineNovember 28, 2016

Sylvia Grunor stood out among the second round of candidates interviewed Monday for a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court by naming as her judicial role model the man she would replace — Justice James E.C. Perry, a member of the court’s liberal wing. Dan Gerber, a civil-trial defense attorney with Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell […]

Jim RosicaNovember 28, 2016

The first three candidates to be interviewed for state Supreme Court justice burnished their conservative credentials Monday afternoon. The Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission began interviewing the 11 applicants to replace retiring Justice James E.C. Perry, who departs the bench Dec. 30. The nominating panel will forward six names by Dec. 13 to Gov. Rick […]

Tag: Florida Supreme Court
Grade D+ written on an exam paper

Rick Scott picks C. Alan Lawson for Supreme Court

Tallahassee residency case becomes statewide issue

Martin Dyckman: End the ‘shame’ by restoring voting rights to ex-felons

Broward judge to be publicly reprimanded Feb. 7

Florida Supreme Court rejects shift in insurance claims law

Commission settles on three finalists for Supreme Court vacancy

This Supreme Court candidate steers clear of social media

During Supreme Court interview, Larry Metz discloses he has Parkinson’s

One Supreme Court applicant cites liberal wing member as exemplar

Supreme Court candidates are all about conservatism