Jesse Scheckner
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed 12 lawyers to Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNC) across Florida, where they will vet applicants for bench vacancies at various levels of the judiciary before submitting recommendations to him.
Atop the list is Jason Gonzalez of Tallahassee, who is again joining the Florida Supreme Court JNC, this time for a term through July 1, 2027.
A founding shareholder at Lawson Huck Gonzalez PLLC, Gonzalez has been instrumental in reshaping Florida’s justice system, including guiding the historic appointment of four Florida Supreme Court Justices.
Beyond his prior service on the Florida Supreme Court JNC, he has chaired the 1st District Court of Appeal JNC and 2nd Judicial Circuit JNC. He also served as General Counsel to former Govs. Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. He held the same job for two terms with the Republican Party of Florida, whose Executive Board he previously served on.
Last year, Gonzalez and other members of his law firm were part of President Donald Trump’s legal team in a lawsuit against the co-founders of his social media company, Truth Social. It was far from Gonzalez’s first high-profile case.
He also led the defense team for Transocean Ltd. following the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in 2010, when he successfully obtained orders dismissing or removing all of the more than 70 lawsuits filed against the company.
Gonzalez is a member of the Federalist Society, an influential Washington-based conservative and libertarian nonprofit that advocates for a textualist, originalist interpretation of constitutional law.
Circuit-level selections
DeSantis selected Tallahassee lawyer Nick Meros, a partner at Shutts & Bowen LLP, for the 2nd Judicial Circuit JNC.
The two are well acquainted. Meros served for nearly four years as Senior Deputy General Counsel and Chief Litigator for the Governor, a role in which he defended DeSantis in constitutional challenges to his authority and policies, the Florida Department of State in challenges to Florida’s election laws and redistricting, and numerous other agencies in high-impact cases.
He also advised DeSantis and his General Counsel on the appointments of 207 Judges to Florida’s trial and appellate courts, including two Florida Supreme Court Justices.
“I’m honored to be appointed by Governor DeSantis to the Second Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission,” Meros said in a statement. “It was a privilege to advise the Governor and his General Counsel on his appointment of judges that are fair, principled, and committed to the rule of law. I look forward to working with my fellow members to continue recommending candidates who reflect and implement these indispensable values.”
Meros was appointed through July 1, 2027.
Also for the 2nd Judicial Circuit JNC, DeSantis appointed Amanda Neff of the Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission and Jason Vail, a shareholder at Allen Norton & Blue. They’ll serve terms ending July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2026, respectively.
For the 9th Circuit, Eric Reed, another Lawson Huck Gonzalez shareholder was appointed through July 1, 2027.
Other judicial districts
— Kelvin Ready of Auburndale, an associate at GrayRobinson, joins the 10th Circuit JNC through July 1, 2027.
— Eliot Pedrosa of Miami, partner at Jones Day, enters the 11th Judicial Circuit JNC with a term until July 1, 2026.
— Todd Brister and William Lewis, both private practice lawyers, were reappointed to the 14th Judicial Circuit JNC through July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2028, respectively.
— Loren Esposito, Mark Miller and Barry Segal received appointments to the 19th Judicial Circuit JNC. Esposito and Miller, who work at McCarthy Summers Wood Norman Melby & Schultz PA and the Pacific Legal Foundation, respectively, will serve terms through July 1, 2027. Segal, who works in private practice, will serve through July 1, 2028.
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Editor’s note: This report was updated to include a statement from Meros.
