Donald Trump names 5 Florida Judges to U.S. District Judge posts across the state

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President Donald Trump has tapped five Florida Judges for spots on the federal bench. Ed Artau, Kyle Dudek, Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, John Guard and Jordan Pratt will become U.S. District Court Judges presuming the Senate confirms their nominations.

Artau, a Judge for Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeal, was nominated for U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Artau to his current spot on the bench. Former Gov. Rick Scott previously appointed Artau as a Circuit Court Judge. Artau’s bio shows he was a founding member of the Federalist Society Miami Lawyers Chapter.

“Ed has a GREAT track record of restoring LAW AND ORDER and, most importantly, Common Sense (which is, sadly, rare these days!),” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I know Ed will do a GREAT job for the State of Florida, and our Nation.”

Dudek fills a spot on the federal bench in the Middle District of Florida. He was appointed in 2022 as a Magistrate Judge in the district, and before that was a Henderson Franklin shareholder.

“Kyle will uphold the Rule of Law in the Great State of Florida, where men do not play in Women’s Sports, Illegals Criminals are found and deported, and Tough on Crime Policies are championed,” Trump posted.

Gaylord Moe, now a Judge on Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeals, was also nominated to the Middle District. She previously was an equity shareholder at Bush Ross before her appointment as a Circuit Court Judge by Scott. DeSantis named her to the appellate court.

“Anne-Leigh will prioritize LAW AND ORDER unlike other activist Judges who put the safety of Illegal Criminals over the safety of AMERICANS,” Trump posted.

Guard, now Florida’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, will also serve in the Middle District if confirmed. Trump posted that Guard will “make this Country proud,” while Attorney General James Uthmeier praised Guard’s service to Florida online.

“John Guard has been a pillar in this office for more than 6 years. He has served with honor and dignity, and Florida has benefited greatly from his leadership,” Uthmeier posted on X. “He’s also been an indispensable asset during our transition, and I’m very grateful to him. He will do great things on behalf of the American people in his role as a judge. Great honor for John and a great pick by President Trump!”

Pratt is also tapped to fill a spot on the bench in the Middle District. He currently serves on Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeal after being appointed to that role by DeSantis.

Before becoming a Judge, Pratt served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Senior Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy of the U.S. Justice Department and Deputy Solicitor General in the Florida Attorney General’s Office.

“Jordan is tenacious, smart, and a Great American Patriot. I am confident he will do a tremendous job serving the fantastic people of Florida,” Trump posted.