More on the ballot: Supreme Court
Florida voters will determine Nov. 8 whether or not three of the seven Florida Supreme Court justices will remain on the bench. Appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, Justice Charles Canady and Justice Ricky Polston will stand the retention election next week.
Additional retention candidates are six judges on the 4th District Court of Appeal (DCA), Cory Ciklin, Dorian Damoorgian, Jonathan Gerber, Robert Gross, Spencer Levine and Melanie May. The district spans the counties of Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee.
This merit retention system, often referred to as the assisted appointment method of judicial selection, was established in 1971 by Gov. Reubin Askew to address improprieties as justices were serving. The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission regulates conduct within the state’s court system to allow allegations against the judges to be investigated. Once determined, the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission will recommend to replace a justice who is then appointed by the governor.
The Florida Supreme Court faced issues with Republicans in 2012 when action was taken to attempt to unbench Labarga, Canady and Polston, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Retaliation resulted in an agreement to sustain their positions in office. The merit retention system continues to advocate for a bipartisan court system.
The nine members of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commissions screen potential candidates for replacement in the Florida Supreme Court. The commission is composed of lawyers, non-lawyers and are selected by the state bar or executive branch.
If the justice’s term is retained, the term lasts for six years starting the January after the merit retention election. Confirmation in the retention is determined by two-thirds or more of voters, according to the Naples Daily News.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, a 2016 poll of 3,000 lawyers, 84 percent of votes supported to retain Canady and Polston while 91 percent voted to retain Labarga in the Florida Supreme Court system. While the poll conducted for the six judges on the 4th DCA, between 1,072 and 1,334 lawyers responded to the survey, the polls indicated Gerber received 92 percent, Gross with 91 percent, May with 90 percent, Ciklin and Damoorgian with 89 percent and Levine with 86 percent retention votes.
More Stories
USF SG court rules on presidential election results after delay
Students might have noticed that the official announcement for the Student Government (SG) presidential elections for the upcoming term was delayed. Here’s a look at what slowed down the process. Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and Sumit Subhash Jadhav won the election with 1,702 votes. However, Alexa Matos and Rithvik Lee Pack, presidential candidates and runner-ups, filed […]
Trouble following USF divestment debate updates? Here’s what to know.
Since last fall, a group of USF students have been calling for the university to divest. With months of protests and news, here’s a breakdown of the divestment movement. Related: USF student leaders narrowly pass divestment measure On Oct. 7, a designated terrorist group, known as Hamas, launched an attack on Israel, according to a […]
USF ditched its trademark green regalia. Are students digging it?
With commencement around the corner, seniors are sizing up the newly redesigned caps and gowns they’ll don next week. But does the new regalia get the Bulls’ approval? Students can’t agree. Last fall, USF replaced its signature green regalia with a black cap and gown with green accents. The placement of university seals on the […]
Recording in USF’s MSC isn’t allowed. Here’s how you can get approval.
Students from various majors are starting to record their last video projects for their classes as finals week approaches. It’s all fun and games until students are prohibited from recording in one of the most iconic USF buildings — the Marshall Student Center (MSC). However, Althea Johnson, a USF spokesperson, said recording isn’t entirely prohibited […]
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]