Florida Supreme Court, Second District Court of Appeals retention election results

Five Florida Supreme Court justices will remain on the bench after voters across the State of Florida voted resoundingly to keep them there.

Additionally, voters across Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Hardee, DeSoto, and Glades counties, among others, voted to retain judges in the Second District Court of Appeal.

Lee County was still tallying votes on Tuesday night.

Justices and judges are appointed by the Governor of Florida and voters determine every six years if they will remain on the bench.

MORE: Statewide and local race results

Florida Supreme Court

Justice Charles Canady, born in Lakeland, Florida, was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Gov. Charlie Crist, according to his bio page on the Florida Supreme Court website. Canady took office on Sept. 8, 2008. He has served as chief justice three times, with his latest appointment by his colleagues in July of 2020.

Prior to that he served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives and four terms in the United States House of Representatives.

Voters have chosen to retain Canady in office.

Justice John D. Couriel, born in Miami, was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Before that, he spent time as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He prosecuted cases involving international money laundering, public integrity, healthcare fraud and human trafficking.

A native Spanish speaker, Couriel’s parents emigrated to South Florida from Cuba in the 1960s, according to his bio page. His father was one of 14,000 unaccompanied minors that came to the U.S. as part of the Pedro Pan Operation.

Couriel will also keep his seat on the Florida Supreme Court.

Justice Jamie Grosshans was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sept. 14, 2020. Before that, she had served in the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2018 by Gov. Rick Scott, according to her bio page.

Prior to her appellate court appointment, Grosshans served as an Orange County Judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she presided over criminal and civil matters.

Before becoming a judge, she worked as a prosecutor and tried numerous criminal trials.

Voters voted to keep Grosshans as a Florida Supreme Court justice.

Justice Jorge Labarga was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2009. He became the first Cuban American to lead the state judicial branch when he became the 56th Chief Justice of Florida in 2014, according to his bio. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, he was appointed by Crist to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Labarga spent time as a public defender and on the prosecution side as well, trying cases that ranged from theft to homicide. He also spent time in private practice.

Labarga will also retain his seat on the Florida Supreme Court.

Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Justice Ricky Polston to the Florida Supreme Court in 2008. He served as chief justice from 2012 to 2014, according to his bio. Before studying the law, Polston worked as a certified public accountant. He returned to the Florida State University College of Law to earn his law degree.

Voters also chose to keep Polston on the bench.

Second District Court of Appeal

Voters also voted yes or no to retain judges in the Second District Court of Appeal. The Second District Court of Appeal, located in Lakeland, is one of five intermediate appellate courts in Florida, according to Ballotpedia. It encompasses 14 counties, including Pasco, Pinellas, Hardee, Highlands, Polk, DeSoto, Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Glades, Collier, Hendry and Lee.

Voters have chosen to retain Patricia Joan Kelly, a judge in the Second District Court of Appeal.

Kelly was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001. Prior to her appointment, Kelly practiced law with firms in West Palm Beach and Tampa, according to her bio page on the Second District Court of Appeals website.

Nelly N. Khouzam has served on the Second District Court of Appeal since 2008 when she was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist. Khouzam earned her law degree from the University of Florida College of Law in 1981. Prior to joining the Second District Court of Appeal, she served for 14 years as a circuit court judge in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which is comprised of Pinellas and Pasco communities.

Voters decided to retain Khouzam.

Suzanne Y. Labrit was appointed to her seat in 2020 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Prior to that, she worked as a partner at Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey and McDermott, Will, & Emery, according to her bio page. She handled litigation and appeals involving commercial real estate, healthcare, insurance coverage and intellectual property.

Voters decided to retain Labrit.

Matthew Lucas was appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Rick Scott in December of 2014. He earned his law degree from the University of Florida, according to his bio page. After law school, Lucas went into private practice, focusing on commercial and real estate litigation and appellate work throughout Central Florida.

Prior to this appointment to the Second District Court of Appeal, he was appointed by Crist in 2010 to the Hillsborough County Court. In 2013, he was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.

Voters decided to retain Lucas in office.

Robert Morris has served as an appellate judge in the Second District Court of Appeal since 2009. Crist appointed him. He is the current chief judge of the appellate court. Before becoming a judge, Morris practiced law for 17 years, according to this bio page. He eventually formed his own corporate, commercial and real estate practice.

Voters decided to retain Morris.

Stevan Travis Northcutt was appointed to the appellate court in 1997 by then Gov. Lawton Chiles. He was retained in ffocie in the general elections of 1998, 2004, 2010 and 2016. Northcutt also served as chief justice from 2007 to 2009.

Voters decided to retain Northcutt.

John K. Stargel was appointed by DeSantis to the Second District Court of Appeal in 2020. He began his law career, according to his bio page, by working on tax and budget issues for the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Tax and Budget Reform Commission, a state constitutional commission. He eventually became a partner with the law firm of Shelby Medina and Stargel in Lakeland.

Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the Judicial Nominating Committee for the Tenth Judicial Circuit where he served for six years, according to his bio page.

Voters decided to retain Stargel.

Craig C. Villanti was appointed to the appellate court in 2003 by Bush. Prior to that, in 1990, he was appointed a traffic court magistrate for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. In 1992, he was elected circuit court judge for the same Sixth Judicial Circuit. He also served a one-year assignment in Pasco County.

Voters decided to retain Villanti.