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, 2024, it had 141 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024).
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A New Tool Makes Comparing State Constitutions Easier
Scholars, practitioners, and judges can quickly see how constitutional provisions differ or overlap with a resource from the nonprofit American Juris Link.
How State Courts Pushed Back on an Infamous U.S. Supreme Court Case
Dred Scott, widely considered a stain on the U.S. Supreme Court’s history, denied citizenship to Black Americans in 1857. Many state supreme courts refused to follow it.
Florida High Court to Hear Case Alleging Congressional Map Is Racially Discriminatory
Voting rights groups say Gov. Ron DeSantis designed a map that purposely harmed Black voters.
Universal Injunctions in State Courts
Debates over whether a judge in a single county can issue a statewide injunction are brewing. States should not follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s approach.
Choice of Law in an Era of Abortion Conflict
When a citizen of an anti-abortion state travels to another state to receive the procedure, which state’s law should apply?
As Executions Rise, A Conversation with an Attorney Whose Clients Are Facing the Death Penalty
John Mills, whose client on Oklahoma’s death row was granted a new trial by the U.S. Supreme Court this term, discusses his anti-death-penalty advocacy.
Extreme Heat Exacerbates Dire Prison Conditions, With Few Paths to Relief
People behind bars are particularly vulnerable to harm during heat waves and climate-related disasters. Advocates should consider state constitutional solutions.
The History of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States, and What Might Come Next
Until the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, the country was a patchwork of laws regarding who could marry.