Two Florida Supreme Court justices and 23 District Appeals Court judges face merit retention votes on the November ballot. In a merit retention vote, voters decide if a judge initially appointed by the Governor should remain in their role based on their performance. A majority of voters decide the election’s outcome. If not retained, any vacancy is filled by appointment by the governor.
In this Post
In this post, I share what I learned from researching the two Supreme Court justices up for merit retention votes. All Florida voters vote on the Supreme Court justices, so that portion of the post will be relevant to all readers.
Then, I share my research on five of the 23 judges facing merit retention votes. This will only be relevant to voters who live in Florida’s Sixth Appellate District, which includes voters in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties.
Find your Appeals Court District here. If you do not live in the Sixth District, the websites I used in my research may be good sources for you to research the judges on your own ballot.
Learn about Florida’s court system and the judicial merit retention process in my primer on The Judicial Branch of Florida’s Government. Another good resource is the Florida Bar’s webpage, The Vote’s In Your Court.
The Supreme Court Justices on the Ballot
The two Supreme Court Justices on this year’s ballot are Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso.
Justice Renatha Francis
Renatha Francis was born and raised in Jamaica. She received a B.S. from the University of the West Indies in 2001 and a J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2010.
She was a law clerk at Florida’s Sixth District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee from 2011 to 2017, then worked briefly as a litigator in private practice before being appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court in 2017 by then-Gov. Rick Scott. Scott elevated her to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in 2018, and Gov. Ron DeSantis laterally appointed her to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court in 2019, where she served in the probate and family division.
DeSantis appointed her to the Supreme Court in 2022 to succeed Justice Alan Lawson upon his retirement. This is her first merit retention vote.
Affiliations
Francis is the court’s first Jamaican-American justice and is a member of the Federalist Society.
Sources
- Florida Supreme Court Bio
- Full Court Press Newsletter: Welcome, Justice Francis
- Wikipedia
- Ballotpedia
- Voting for Justice: Central Florida Candidate Guide
In the News
“Francis went so far as to predict what she believes is the actual intent behind the [2024 abortion access ballot] initiative. She specifically argued that the goal was to ‘abrogate meaningful abortion laws,’ ‘eliminate’ further legislative participation in the issue, ‘vastly expand’ one’s right to an abortion at any time in their pregnancy, and, ultimately, redefine abortion as a ‘health issue.’”
- Florida’s three female Supreme Court justices explain dissent of allowing abortion ballot access, Florida’s Voice, 4/5/24
“Francis is part of DeSantis’ sweeping remake of the Florida Supreme Court into a more conservative institution. He has appointed four of the seven justices on the high court, and they will decide key cases, including whether to uphold Florida’s new law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy without exceptions for victims of rape or incest.”
- DeSantis appoints Federalist Society member to Florida Supreme Court, Politico.com, 8/5/22
“Francis sat before the nine members of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission in January [2020]. She told them she wanted to help preserve our constitutional form of government. The way to do that, she said, is to ‘adhere to the original public meaning of the text,’ an approach which ‘ensures judges aren’t legislating from the bench,’ a concept she called ‘one of the greatest challenges to our democracy.’”
- Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, 11/20/20, Video (from ~34:50 to ~1:04:00)
“Her appointment was hailed for adding diversity to a court that lacks it. An immigrant from Jamaica, she would be the only Black justice and the only female. But as the initial praise subsided, there came whispers in Florida’s legal community: Why her?”
- How did Renatha Francis ascend to Florida’s highest court?, Tampa Bay Times, 8/21/20
Justice Meredith Sasso
Meredith Sasso is a Cuban American born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2008.
She worked as a lawyer in private practice and as a guardian ad litem for abused or neglected children before being appointed the chief deputy general counsel for then-Gov. Scott in 2016.
Sasso was appointed by Gov. DeSantis to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2019 and was retained in 2020 with 70.7 percent of the vote.
In January 2023, DeSantis recommissioned her to the newly created Sixth District Court of Appeal, where her colleagues elected her to serve as its first Chief Judge.
Five months later, DeSantis appointed her to the Supreme Court to succeed Justice Ricky Polston, who resigned to become general counsel and chief legal officer at Citizens Property Insurance Corp. This is her first merit retention vote on this Court.
Affiliations
Sasso is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the Federalist Society.
According to her 2018 Application for Nomination to the Fifth District Court of Appeal, she previously served as Commissioner–Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and had been a member of the Martin County Bar Association, Orange County Young Republicans, Seminole County Inns of Court, and Central Florida Women Lawyers Association, among other affiliations.
Sources
- Florida Supreme Court Bio
- Full Court Press Newsletter: Welcome, Justice Sasso
- Wikipedia
- Ballotpedia
- Voting for Justice: Central Florida Candidate Guide
- Application for Nomination to the Fifth District Court of Appeal, 12/21/18, retrieved 8/4/24
In the News
“Justice Meredith L. Sasso expressed concerns with voters’ understanding of [Amendment 4]’s legal implications, as well as their understanding of terms like ‘viability.’”
- ‘The people of Florida aren’t stupid’: Court pushes back on arguments against abortion amendment, WFLA.com, 2/7/24
“Justice Meredith Sasso … told John Bash, attorney for the amendment’s sponsor, Smart and Safe Florida, that the summary incorrectly used the word ‘allow’ when it failed to state explicitly marijuana would remain federally illegal.”
- Florida Supreme Court hears challenge to recreational marijuana amendment, Tallahassee Democrat, 11/8/23
“DeSantis regularly singles out Michael Sasso, a trial lawyer and president of the Orlando Federalist Society chapter, for important assignments…. Sasso shared her personal recusal rules in her Supreme Court application.”
- New Supreme Court Justice Meredith Sasso’s husband Michael, a DeSantis go-to favorite, could create conflicts for her, Florida Bulldog, 5/29/23
“The appointment means that five of the Supreme Court’s seven sitting justices are DeSantis appointees, which has allowed the governor to steer the court firmly to the right.”
- DeSantis continues shifting Florida Supreme Court rightward with new appointment, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 5/23/23
The Sixth DCA Judges on the Ballot
Judges Paetra Brownlee, Roger Gannam, Joshua Mize, Jared Smith, and Keith White are the five judges on the Sixth District Court of Appeals seeking merit retention.
Judge Paetra Brownlee
Paetra Brownlee was raised in Orlando, Florida. She earned a B.A. in International Studies at Emery University in 2004 and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law in 2009.
She began her legal career at a boutique appellate litigation firm and later joined her husband at The Brownlee Law Firm, P.A.
Gov. DeSantis appointed Brownlee to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in 2020, where she served until her appointment to the Sixth District Court of Appeal in July 2023. This is her first merit retention vote.
Affiliations
Brownlee is a member of the Appellate Practice Section of the Florida Bar, the Orange County Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee, the George C. Young American Inn of Court, and the Federalist Society.
She has served on the Judicial Nominating Commissions for the Ninth Judicial Circuit and the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
Sources
- Florida Courts Bio
- Ballotpedia
- Welcome the Ninth Circuit’s Newest Judge Paetra T. Brownlee
- Voting for Justice: Central Florida Candidate Guide
In the News
“Brownlee has presided over a number of cases in Orange County during her time as a circuit judge, including one in 2022 where a mother, Victoria Triece, sued the school district…. Brownlee ruled that Triece volunteering at her child’s school didn’t constitute a right, and so her case was dismissed.”
- Florida judge behind OnlyFans mom, UCF murder cases appointed to district court, ClickOrlando.com, 7/12/23
“The lawsuit attempted to stop development on county wetlands and named bodies of water as plaintiffs… The lawsuit was dismissed last week, with Judge Paetra T. Brownlee saying that a state law was passed in 2020 that disallowed granting legal rights to any ‘part of the natural environment.’”
- Orange County judge tosses out first test of rights-of-nature amendment, Orlando Weekly, 7/12/22
“Judge Brownlee said that nothing in the Natural Resources Amendment prevented state law from preempting local laws and that the language of the Natural Resources Amendment ‘requires simply that there be some reasonable level of legislative action, with the Legislature [being] empowered to determine, within reason, what is adequate.’”
- Two Lakes, Two Streams and a Marsh Filed a Lawsuit in Florida to Stop a Developer From Filling in Wetlands. A Judge Just Threw it Out of Court, Inside Climate News, 7/7/22
Judge Roger Gannam
Roger Gannam was born in Savannah, GA, and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Florida in 1996 and a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1999.
He began his law career at Lindell & Farson, P.A., in Jacksonville, practicing complex business litigation and class action defense. For the next eight years, he specialized in business and consumer litigation, including prosecution of consumer class actions, and worked pro bono in religious liberty litigation.
In 2014, Gannam began working for Liberty Counsel, “a Christian ministry that proclaims, advocates, supports, advances, and defends the good news that God in the person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept him as Lord and Savior.” In 2016, he became its assistant vice president of legal affairs.
Gannam was appointed to serve as a judge on the Sixth District Court of Appeal by Gov. DeSantis in August 2023 to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court.
Affiliations
Gannam is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Federalist Society.
According to Voting for Justice, he has belonged to The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity, Alliance Defending Freedom, Florida Family Policy Council, and Pacific Justice Institute.
Sources
- Florida Courts Bio
- Ballotpedia
- FL Governor Appoints Liberty Counsel Attorney to State Appeals Court, Liberty Counsel, 8/11/23
- Voting for Justice: Central Florida Candidate Guide
In the News
“For the better part of a decade, Gannam has made headlines for his legal battles against LGBTQ rights for the Liberty Counsel, an evangelical organization the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as an extremist hate group.”
- Gov. DeSantis appoints anti-LGBTQ lawyer to appeals bench, Florida Politics, 8/11/23
“Roger Gannam … has sued the City Council with hopes of invalidating the human rights ordinance. Gannam … is now serving [as] an unofficial legal consultant for Empower Jacksonville.”
- Empower Jacksonville group looking to repeal HRO has ties to Orlando anti-LBGT organization, The Florida Times-Union, 9/2/17
“Wherever LGBT ‘rights’ laws are passed, discrimination against people of faith follows… These are real, law-abiding people who were sued, fined, harassed, threatened — even put out of business — not for mistreating anyone but for refusing to endorse and promote someone else’s same-sex wedding.”
- Guest column: LGBT people in Jacksonville do not need a Human Rights Ordinance, by Roger Gannam, The Florida Times-Union, 12/8/15
Judge Joshua Mize
Joshua Mize received his undergraduate education from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.
He began his legal career in private practice, first at Bush Ross, then at Ackerman, and then at Morris, Manning & Martin. From 2018 to 2021, he was a sole practitioner in his private practice, Mize Law, PLLC.
Mize was appointed by Gov. DeSantis to serve as Circuit Judge on the Ninth Judicial Circuit in 2021 and was elected without opposition in 2022. In 2023, DeSantis appointed him to the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
Affiliations
Mize is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Federalist Society.
According to Voting for Justice, Mize was president of the University of Florida’s Federalist Society chapter (2008-2010) and a board member of the Federalist Society’s DC Young Layers chapter (2017-2018). He was also a member of the National Rifle Association, College Republicans, Law School Republicans, and Republican National Lawyers Association. While in law school, he was also an editor of Florida Law Review (2009-2010).
Sources
In the News
Nothing of note.
Judge Jared Smith
Jared Smith received a B.B.A. in accounting from Fort Hays State University and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law. While in law school, Smith ran as a Republican for the Kansas State House of Representatives but dropped out during the primary and endorsed another candidate.
Immediately following law school, from 2000 to 2002, he clerked at the Kansas Supreme Court.
From 2002 to 2006, Smith served in the U.S. Air Force as part of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. After leaving the Air Force, he specialized in civil law, primarily construction law, at a Florida statewide law firm. In 2014, he obtained his board certification in construction law from the Florida Bar.
In 2017, Smith was appointed to the county bench by then-Gov. Scott, and was elected in 2018 by Hillsborough County voters in a contested election.
Smith was appointed by Gov. DeSantis to the circuit bench in 2019 and to the Sixth District Court of Appeal in 2022. This is his first merit retention election.
Affiliations
Smith is a past president of the Stann Givens Family Law Inn of Court and has presided over several middle school mock trials.
Sources
In the News
“Jared Smith, the Hillsborough circuit judge whom voters ousted in August after his controversial ruling in an abortion case, won’t have to hang up his judicial robe after all. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Smith to fill one of the three vacancies Tuesday on the newly created 6th District Court of Appeal…”
- DeSantis elevates Florida judge who lost reelection after blocking teen’s abortion, Miami Herald, 12/22/22
“In the Jane Doe case decided in January, Circuit Judge Jared Smith denied permission for a 17-year-old to obtain an abortion without her parents’ consent. Smith said she failed to demonstrate sufficient maturity, intelligence and other qualities to make the decision.”
- After abortion ruling, Hillsborough County judge faces challenger, Tampa Bay Times, 6/10/22
Judge Keith White
Keith White was born in Hawaii and raised in Florida. He received a B.S. degree in engineering from the University of Central Florida in 1989 and a J.D. degree from Florida State University in 1992.
White practiced law with Broad and Cassel from 1992 until 2011. From 1996 to 2001, he also served as a councilman for the City of Maitland.
He was appointed to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, in 2011, was reelected in a contested race in 2012, and ran uncontested in 2018. He joined the Sixth District Court of Appeal on January 1, 2023, following his appointment by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Affiliations
White serves on the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Contract and Business Cases.
He is a member of the Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Federalist Society, the George C. Young American Inn of Court, the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association. He also serves as a volunteer for the Student Ministry of Grace Church.
White formerly served as Vice Mayor, Councilman, and Board of Zoning Adjustment Member for the City of Maitland. He was Chairman of the University of Central Florida Alumni Association Board of Directors and was a Guardian ad Litem through the OCBA.
Sources
In the News
Nothing of note.
Next Steps
I hope this information about the justices and judges seeking another six-year term on the bench is helpful to you. Thanks for wanting to be a more informed voter!