Staff Reports
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday announced thirteen appointments and eleven reappointments to many of the state’s Judicial Nominating Commissions, the panels charged with making recommendations for judgeships.
They “submit three to six names of the most highly qualified applicants to the Governor, who must make a final selection from the list,” according to The Florida Bar. “Each Judicial Nominating Commission has nine members. Five members are appointed directly by the Governor, and the Bar sends nominations to the Governor to fill the remaining four spots.”
The latest names are below:
First District Court of Appeal JNC
Christa Calamas, 45, of Tallahassee, is the staff director for the Florida House of Representatives’ Health & Human Services Committee. Calamas previously served as the secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration. She is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Heather Stearns, 39, of Tallahassee, is an attorney with the Office of the Chief Inspector General. She succeeds Steven Yablonski and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Christine Graves, 39, of Tallahassee, is an appellate attorney and shareholder with Carlton Fields. She succeeds Jerome Novey and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2019.
Gary Hunter Jr., 49, of Tallahassee, is an attorney for Hopping Green & Sams, P.A. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Second District Court of Appeal JNC
Charbel Barakat, 36, of Tampa, is the vice president and chief counsel of the Florida region for D.R. Horton, Inc. He succeeds Peter Meros and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Hunter Chamberlin, 44, of Tampa, is an attorney and the owner of Chamberlin Law Firm, P.A. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Fifth District Court of Appeal JNC
Amanda Carl, 35, of Deltona, is a corporate attorney for A. Duda & Sons, Inc. She succeeds Isaac Lidsky and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Brett Renton, 34, of Orlando, is an attorney and partner with Shutts & Bowen, LLP. He succeeds Richard Mitchell and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Michael C. Sasso, 64, of Oviedo, is an attorney and partner with Sasso & Sasso, P.A. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Second Circuit JNC
J. Andrew Atkinson, 43, of Tallahassee, is the general counsel for the Department of Management Services. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Stuart Williams, 46, of Tallahassee, is the general counsel for the Agency for Health Care Administration. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Robert Clarke Jr., 59, of Tallahassee, is an attorney with Ausley McMullen. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Sixth Circuit JNC
Bill Bunting, 76, of Hudson, succeeds Kevin Brennan and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Todd Jennings, 35, of Belleair, is an attorney with Macfarlane, Ferguson, and McMullen. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Kara Hardin, 40, of Zephyrhills, is an attorney with Kara Hardin, P.L. She succeeds Hugh Umsted and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2019.
Ninth Circuit JNC
Paetra Brownlee, 34, of Orlando, is an attorney with Charles M. Greene, P.A. She is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Matthew Klein, 34, of Orlando, is an attorney with Jackson Lewis, P.C. He succeeds Joshua Grosshans and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Joshua Grosshans, 33, of Winter Garden, is an attorney with Latham, Shuker, Eden & Beaudine, LLP. He succeeds William Vose and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
William Vose, 72, of Orlando, is a former assistant state attorney for the Ninth Circuit. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2018.
Eleventh Circuit JNC
Paul Huck Jr., 50, of Pinecrest, is an attorney with Jones Day. He is reappointed for a term beginningDecember 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Hayden O’Byrne, 35, of Coral Gables, is an associate attorney with K&L Gates, LLP. He succeeds Daniel Schwartz and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Walter Harvey, 51, of Miami Shores, is an attorney for the Miami-Dade County School Board. He succeeds Melanie Damian and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Thirteenth Circuit JNC
Michael Beltran, 32, of Tampa, is a sole practitioner with Beltran Litigation, P.A. He succeeds C. Howard Hunter, III, and is appointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
Gilbert Singer, 61, of Tampa, is an attorney and partner with Marcadis Singer, P.A. He is reappointed for a term beginning December 30, 2016, and ending July 1, 2020.
