Florida
Florida’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Florida. The court has six justices and one chief justice, who is selected by the supreme court justices for a two-year term. (Source: Florida Constitution).
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints a candidate to the Supreme Court of Florida from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, a justice may stand for a six-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Florida’s next general election. Justices may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. When a seat on the court opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a judicial candidate from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 75, but a justice who has served one half of their term can complete the rest of the term.
State Constitution
Florida has had six constitutions adopted between 1839 and 1968. As of January 1, 2026, it had 141 amendments. (Data on file with John Dinan, Wake Forest University.)
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Hemani Is Not the End of Drug-and-Gun Litigation
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that it was unconstitutional to disarm a person based on regular marijuana use contains lessons for state judges, policymakers, and litigants.
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As the U.S. Supreme Court deals another blow to trans rights, a new survey finds that almost 55 percent of related state cases from 2022 to 2024 had a positive impact on trans lives.
A Territorial Death Penalty Case Carries a Warning for the States
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State Constitutions Must Better Protect Children
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250 Years of State Constitutions
Early state charters are essential to understanding the American founding.
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Lawmakers are rigging districts for their own political purposes, and state courts are letting it happen.
Florida Judge Refuses to Temporarily Block New State Congressional Map
Voting rights groups claim the new map, expected to result in four additional Republican seats, violates the Florida Constitution’s ban on partisan gerrymandering.
The Many Versions of State Constitutional Lockstepping
The practice of interpreting state constitutions identically to their federal counterpart is often criticized in blanket terms. But the ways state courts lockstep vary widely.