DeSantis can fill spot on state Supreme Court
Justice Luck was confirmed to federal appeals court by Senate
TALLAHASSEE – Florida Supreme Court Justice Robert Luck was confirmed to a federal appeals court by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, giving Gov. Ron DeSantis another vacancy to fill on the state’s high court.
The Senate vote of 64-31 put Luck on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals based in Atlanta and ended his 10-month stint on the Florida Supreme Court. Luck previously served on Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal for two years prior to his appointment to the Florida Supreme Court and on the Miami-Dade circuit court starting in 2013, when he was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott.
“Justice Luck is a native Floridian who has dedicated himself to a career in public service,” said Scott, now a U.S. Senator, following his confirmation. “I’m confident Justice Luck will continue to serve our state and nation well, and I am honored to support his confirmation to the federal bench.”
Luck was the second appointee named to the court by DeSantis, who had to fill three vacancies on the Florida Supreme Court immediately after taking office Jan. 8. DeSantis named three conservatives to the bench, replacing three liberal justices forced to leave because of age limits in the state constitution, transforming a 4-3 liberal majority on the court into a 6-1 conservative majority.
Now DeSantis could have another two openings to fill. Justice Barbara Lagoa, DeSantis’ first appointee to the court, was also nominated to the 11th Circuit, and the Senate is scheduled to vote on her confirmation later this week, according to Scott’s office.
To fill the vacancies, DeSantis will convene the Judicial Nominating Commission, a nine-member panel chosen primarily by DeSantis. The commission will vet and interview applicants before selecting three to six nominees before DeSantis, who must choose from their list.
Once the JNC is convened, it has 60 days to present DeSantis with a slate of candidates, and DeSantis
has 60 days to make the appointment after that.
There is no confirmation by the state Senate for Florida Supreme Court appointees.
“Based on the Governors appointments to date, it is clear that Florida has a great pool of talent from a broad range of backgrounds and we look forward to reviewing the new list of recommendations from the JNC,” DeSantis spokeswoman Helen Ferre said in an email.