Jorge Labarga “resting” at home? Not exactly
Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, at left, swears in CFO Jeff Atwater for a second term. Photo: Mark Wallheiser/AP.

MarkWall

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga has been released from the hospital after successful surgery for kidney cancer, a court spokesman said Tuesday.

He’s now resting at home, spokesman Craig Waters told FloridaPolitics.com, but “resting” isn’t the word we’d use.

Labarga “has been actively working using remote devices since last Thursday,” Waters said. “I have had quite a few emails from him in the last few days giving directions on Court business. He clearly is back in command.”

The 62-year-old had been diagnosed after a routine physical this year. Waters earlier said doctors found no sign the cancer had spread and predict a full recovery.

Labarga, the first chief justice of Hispanic descent, joined the court in 2009. He was sworn in as the state’s 56th chief justice last summer.

Gov. Lawton Chiles first appointed him to the Circuit Court in Palm Beach County in 1996. Labarga was one of several trial judges across the state involved in the 2000 presidential election challenge in Florida.

In December 2008, Gov. Charlie Crist tapped him for the 4th District Court of Appeal. The next month, Crist moved him to the Supreme Court.

Jim Rosica

Jim Rosica is the Tallahassee-based Senior Editor for Florida Politics. He previously was the Tampa Tribune’s statehouse reporter. Before that, he covered three legislative sessions in Florida for The Associated Press. Jim graduated from law school in 2009 after spending nearly a decade covering courts for the Tallahassee Democrat, including reporting on the 2000 presidential recount. He can be reached at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories