Thirteen sitting judges and working attorneys have applied to be the next judge on the state’s 1st District Court of Appeal, based in Tallahassee.
Of those, 12 were picked to be interviewed Feb. 24 by the court’s Judicial Nominating Commission, said that panel’s chair, Amber Nunnally of the Shutts & Bowen law firm’s Tallahassee office.
The eventual appointee, to be decided by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, replaces Adam Tanenbaum. He was recently named to the Florida Supreme Court. Many of those who applied this time have tossed their hat in before.
The 1st DCA has long been seen as a particularly prestigious posting because, among other things, it handles civil appeals that contest decisions and actions of the governor and state agencies.
In order of the interview schedule, the applicants are:
Another applicant, Fort Lauderdale attorney Susan Jorgensen, was not selected for an interview.
How are appellate judges selected in Florida?
According to The Florida Bar, “They are appointed by the governor after being screened by judicial nominating commissions (JNCs). They face their first retention votes within two years and thereafter, if retained, every six years.”
And according to the governor’s office, “Applicants interview with the JNC, which then determines by majority vote which applicants to recommend to the governor for consideration.
“The JNC … nominate(s) no fewer than three and no more than six applicants to the Governor. The governor (then) has 60 days to appoint a judge from among the nominees.”
The 1st DCA hears cases from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, and 14th circuits, encompassing 29 counties in the state’s Panhandle and Big Bend.
What are judges paid in Florida?
The Office of the State Courts Administrator reports the following pay as of the 2025-26 budget year:
Information on the applicants was gathered from official Florida Bar profiles and online searches. Some content in this story was previously published. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jrosica@tallahassee.com. Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 1st DCA judge: 12 applicants vying for prominent court seat
Reporting by Jim Rosica, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
