TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston announced his retirement on Monday, opening the door for a fifth nomination to the state’s high court for Governor DeSantis.
“I truly am grateful for the opportunity to work with such great jurists, lawyers and all those involved with the judiciary,” Polston, 67, wrote in his resignation letter. “It has been my great honor to serve the people of Florida in the judiciary for over 22 years.”
“I am grateful for the public trust placed in me during my judicial career,” Polston added.
Chief Justice Carlos Muniz said in a statement: “Ricky Polston is a good man, and he has been a treasured colleague, friend, and role model to all of us on the Court. We are grateful for Justice Polston's decades of exemplary service to the people of our state.”
Polston’s resignation means that Governor Ron DeSantis will make his fifth nomination since he began his first term in 2019. His previous appointments include Muniz, John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans and Renatha Francis.
A PREFERENCE FOR CONSTITUTIONALISTS
In the past, DeSantis has been drawn to candidates with ties to the Federalist Society, a conservative, libertarian think tank that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
“In the history of it, I think the clearest [goal] is trying to find strict constructionists who will weigh very carefully everything that’s put before them,” Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) told WFSU last year. “I think most of us are just looking for strict constructionists versus some kind of activist.”
On Twitter, the governor called Polston a “remarkable Justice” and “stalwart for the rule of law,” upholding both the state and U.S. constitutions.
Thank you to Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston for 15 years of service to Florida’s highest court. Justice Polston has been a remarkable Justice and was stalwart for the rule of law and the constitution of FL & the U.S.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 20, 2023
These are big shoes to fill!
Appointed in 2008 by Governor Charlie Crist – a Republican at the time – Polston was considered a conservative justice. He served as chief justice from 2012 to 2014. Polston received his first judicial appointment in 2001 via Governor Jeb Bush, where he served on the District Court of Appeals.
