The state Supreme Court is seen in this image from the Florida court system's annual report. Voters across the state are set to weigh the retention of Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees Justice Renatha Francis and Justice Meredith Sasso this Nov. 5. | Office of the State Courts Administrator
Published on October 1, 2024 at 9:05 pm
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Two Supreme Court justices are up for their first merit retention vote by Florida voters this year, while 10 appellate court judges in the Northeast Florida area are seeking to keep their seats on the bench.
Voters throughout the state will get to choose whether or not to retain Florida Supreme Court Justices Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso, both appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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High court justices and district appellate judges appear on the merit retention ballot every six years, according to the Florida Bar. If voters choose not to retain a judge, the appointment process begins over again — meaning Gov. DeSantis would appoint their replacement.
The Fifth District Court of Appeal covers Nassau, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns and eight other counties across central and Northeast Florida. The First District Court of Appeal covers Baker, Bradford and 27 other counties across Northwest Florida. So, depending on the county where a voter lives, they could see different judges on their ballot.
At the lower level, most county and circuit court races were decided in the August elections, but voters in Duval County also will decide a runoff election between county court Group 9 candidates Shayla Lee and Matthew Lufrano.
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The judges will appear on the general election ballot Nov. 5.
Corrected: This article was corrected on Oct. 3 to update the latest jurisdictional lines of Florida’s district courts of appeal, which were changed in 2023.
