Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschDecember 5, 2017

Florida takes the top spot among the states in more than a few lists, but it earned a “distinction” from the American Tort Reform Association which said the Sunshine State was the No. 1 “Judicial Hellhole” in the country. Florida was one of eight states or judicial districts getting a write up in 2017-2018 Judicial […]

Jim RosicaJune 14, 2017

When Gov. Rick Scott appointed a conservative jurist to the state’s Supreme Court in December, he made clear he wasn’t done. “I will appoint three more justices the morning I finish my term,” he said, referring to the mandatory retirement in early 2019 of the court’s liberal-leaning triumvirate of Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy A. Quince and […]

Jim RosicaApril 6, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court no longer will allow its justices to keep working indefinitely on open cases after they leave the bench, according to a new rule released Thursday. After Justice James E.C. Perry officially retired on Dec. 30, Chief Justice Jorge Labarga allowed him to finish work on opinions as a “senior justice,” following decades of court practice. […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 24, 2017

Orlando Republican Rep. Eric Eisnaugle has officially dropped his 2018 re-election bid according to documents posted with the Florida Division of Elections. Eisnaugle also filed paperwork to step down as the chairman of the PAC Committee for Justice and Economic Freedom, appointing Joseph Clements in his place. The committee hadn’t brought in any money since […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 3, 2017

Florida’s chief justice Friday publicly defended his decision to allow Justice James E.C. Perry to continue working on cases after his retirement. On Dec. 1, Jorge Labarga assigned Perry “senior” status for a period after his mandatory Dec. 30 retirement. News since surfaced that the Florida House of Representatives, led by Republican Speaker Richard Corcoran, was preparing a legal challenge […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 10, 2017

Conservative blogger Ed Whelan isn’t giving up his position that retired Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry continuing to work on pending cases “appears to be in plain violation of Florida law.” Whelan wrote on National Review Online last week that Perry was wrongly “displac(ing)” Justice C. Alan Lawson, the newest conservative jurist on the state’s high court. […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 4, 2017

Christian D. Searcy doesn’t consider himself “the most political person” but suggests you don’t need a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing on Florida’s judicial nominating panels. Searcy, president of the Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley personal-injury law firm, reacted to Tuesday’s news about the state’s Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNCs). Gov. Rick Scott had […]

Associated PressDecember 30, 2016

Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry has reached his final day in office. Perry is stepping down Friday because he reached the mandatory retirement age for justices. Perry was appointed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist to the court in 2009. He was the fourth black justice appointed to the court. During his tenure, he was […]

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 […]

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 […]

Tag: C. Alan Lawson
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Florida takes No. 1 spot on ‘Judicial Hellholes’ list

Progressive groups sue over Rick Scott’s judicial appointment power

Supreme Court tweaks its ‘senior justice’ rule after controversy

Eric Eisnaugle closes down 2018 campaign

Jorge Labarga answers critics about James E.C. Perry’s ‘senior’ service

Blogger still irate over Justice James E.C. Perry’s continued presence at Supreme Court

Is Rick Scott co-opting Florida’s judicial nominating process?

Closing statement: Florida Supreme Court justice steps down

Rick Scott picks C. Alan Lawson for Supreme Court

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