An assistant state attorney assigned to the St. Lucie County office has been appointed a judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit that covers the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County.
Robert Stone Jr., 44, a lifelong Indian River County resident from a family with deep ties in local prosecution, was selected to fill the seat left vacant by the May resignation of Brett Waronicki, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Oct. 9.
“I thank God for the opportunity,” said Stone Oct. 10. “My emotions are still settling.”
He said he was “thankful for the appointment” and support of Gov. DeSantis.
Stone applied to the Office of General Counsel 19th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission in July.
He said of his selection to the seat: “It was a long journey,” achieved, in part through the “incredible support (of) friends.”
“I’m very excited to serve the people of the 19th and do my best to follow the law and do what is right,” he said.
His application to the nomination commission includes letters of recommendation from the sheriffs of Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, along with State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl, the St. Lucie County Clerk and Comptroller Michelle Miller and the Indian River County Republican Executive Committee, among others.
Stone has been an assistant state attorney for seven years, and for five years before that worked in criminal defense, family law, probate and juvenile delinquency matters at Stone & Stone Attorneys at Law.
He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2014 after attending Barry University School of Law. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from Indian River State College, according to the 127-page application.
Stone said he, his sister and father had all been assistant state attorneys in the 19th Judicial Circuit and that it is the first time in the circuit’s history two siblings serve as judges.
His father Robert Stone was the first state attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit and his sister, Robyn Stone, was appointed to an Indian River County judgeship by the governor’s office in 2020.
“The joy he has in all this you really can’t measure it,” said Stone of his father’s response to his appointment. “To see his kids fulfill his dream of becoming a judge as well as following his footsteps, I know he’s very proud of us.”
Stone said he will take the bench Oct. 31 following his last day as a state prosecutor Oct. 30.
Waronecki has entered a drug court diversion program, to serve a year of probation to resolve criminal charges stemming from an April traffic stop. The charges will be dropped provided he successfully completes drug court.
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Robert Stone Jr., an assistant state attorney, chosen by governor to fill circuit judge seat
Reporting by Corey Arwood, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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