Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed two new judges in the state’s Big Bend region: One is the current general counsel for the Florida Senate and the other previously held that role.
Jeremiah Hawkes, an associate in the Bass Sox Mercer law firm’s Tallahassee office, is the newest circuit judge in north Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit. He’s a former Senate general counsel.
And Carlos Rey, now the chamber’s general counsel, is becoming a Leon County judge. Their letters of appointment were signed Nov. 17 by the governor.
Hawkes now joins his brother on the same bench; Joshua Hawkes was appointed a circuit judge by DeSantis in 2020. They are the sons of lawyer-lobbyist Paul Hawkes, a former chief judge of the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee.
Hawkes and Rey won out over a number of other finalists for the spots, including Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan, one of the prosecutors in the recent high-profile murder trial of Donna Adelson.
The judicial vacancies were created when former Leon County Judge Jason Jones was elevated to the circuit bench and lawmakers created a new circuit judgeship in the 2nd Circuit, which includes Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties.
DeSantis has said he selects those who share his originalist, textualist philosophy – interpreting laws as written, not legislating from the bench.
Florida Senate President Ben Albitton, R-Wauchula, released a statement praising the two new judges.
“Carlos has been a trusted advisor throughout my time as Senate President. His wisdom, well-researched and thorough counsel, and good humor are highly-valued. He is fair and thoughtful – a man with the highest personal and professional integrity who is steadfastly committed to the fair application of the law and the freedoms guaranteed to us by our Constitution.
“… Jeremiah has a strong legal background with impressive accomplishments in both the public and private sectors. Like Carlos, he is a dedicated family man with rock solid integrity,” Albritton added. “From his experience working alongside law enforcement to serving in Speaker Rubio’s administration and under multiple Senate Presidents, he has a strong depth of knowledge of the law and will be an honest, fair, and impartial judge for the people of north Florida.”
According to information provided by the Senate, Rey has served as general counsel to the Florida Senate under Albritton and previous Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. Rey previously served as a senior attorney for the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections. Before working for the Senate, Rey served for several years as a lead attorney for the Florida Department of State, working under multiple governors.
Hawkes served as general counsel during the tenures of former Senate Presidents Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton. Hawkes started his legal career as an assistant state attorney in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Before coming to the Senate, he served as General Counsel for the Florida House of Representatives under then-Speaker Marco Rubio and later as general counsel for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Hawkes, a reserve commander in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, recently took a leave to serve as a temporary immigration judge, joining hundreds of other military lawyers who have been called up by the Trump administration to aid in its crackdown on immigration and its push for more deportations.
Circuit judges handle felony and juvenile cases and civil lawsuits worth $50,000 or more, among other things. County judges in part handle “traffic offenses, landlord-tenant disputes, misdemeanors” and small claims cases.
Judges who are appointed must run as no party-candidates in the next general election. They then serve six-year terms.
Circuit judges are paid $200,836 per year and county judges make $189,755 annually, according to the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
This story contains previously published material. Jim Rosica can be reached at jrosica@tallahassee.com. Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Hawkes and Rey chosen as judges in Florida’s Big Bend
Reporting by Jim Rosica, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
