Free Republic

On Jan. 4, just days before the start of a makeover of the Florida Supreme Court, justices issued two 4-3 decisions. The cases drew relatively little attention across the state --- one dealt with Orange County elections, the other with attorney fees in a foreclosure battle. But on the losing end of the decisions were Chief Justice Charles Canady and his frequent allies Ricky Polston and Alan Lawson. Four days later, three members of the majority in those cases --- longtime justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince --- left the court because of a mandatory retirement age....

Gov. Rick Scott is moving to remove Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente from a legal challenge to his judicial appointment power... The motion also refers to statements made by Pariente while campaigning for retention... “A vote ‘yes’ will be a vote to retain me and the other two justices … A vote ‘no’ will give Gov. Scott the right to make his appointments, which will result in partisan political appointments.” “Gov. Scott strongly believes that all Floridians deserve judges that are impartial, fair and non-partisan...” “Justice Pariente’s past remarks cast grave doubt on her ability to take an objective...”...

NOTE: URL is for previous issue, current issue is currently only on paper. I have typed in these excerpts and all spelling mistakes are mine. I also inserted a paragraph tag for readability. A Passion for Justice On and off the bench, Barbara Pariente (COM'70) chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, is extending the reach of justice. by Jean Hennelly keith When lawyers stand before Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Pariente, they'd best have their homework done. With a reputation for meticulous preparation, she scrutinizes oral arguments for precision and reason. Appointed a justice to the state Supreme...