Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed a new judge to the Florida Supreme Court, his sixth conservative appointment to the seven-member court since taking office in 2019.
While Florida Supreme Court justices are not appointed for life and must retire at age 75, they remain in office by winning periodic merit retention elections, in which voters decide whether to keep them in office or not. Between these votes, they serve a six-year term, as they are appointed by the governor for a first term and must then obtain voter approval to be reappointed.
This time, DeSantis appointed Adam Tanenbaum, a judge on the First District Court of Appeal, thereby consolidating a conservative majority on the state Supreme Court. In a speech announcing his nomination to Florida’s highest court at Seminole High School in the St. Petersburg area, where he had graduated, Tanenbaum promised to uphold the principles of “originalism.” In law, particularly in Florida, originalism is based on the idea that the Constitution and laws should be interpreted according to their original public meaning at the time of ratification, rather than according to contemporary values or attitudes. “Sometimes circumstances require boldness to bring our jurisprudence back to its historical roots,” the new judge said in his speech.
This year, the Florida Supreme Court will consider whether a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana for adults can be put to a vote in the fall of 2026, and whether the state attorney general’s office can prosecute election crimes.
Before announcing Tanenbaum’s appointment, DeSantis said the Florida Supreme Court should also exercise its administrative powers over the state’s legal profession. He cited Texas as an example, where the Supreme Court recently decided to no longer require Texas law schools to be accredited by the American Bar Association.
In line with the thinking of his newly appointed judge, DeSantis said, “I think there’s room to be very bold.”
PARDONED BY TRUMP, HE IS RUNNING FOR A SEAT IN FLORIDA
Adam Johnson, who became famous after being photographed carrying Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is entering local politics on Florida’s west coast. Convicted and then pardoned by Trump, he has officially filed his Republican candidacy for an at-large seat on the Manatee County Commission. And he did so symbolically on January 6, five years to the day after the events.
Although he pleaded guilty to trespassing in a restricted building, he now considers it a minor offense. And although he expressed regret before the judge, he now claims to regret only the sentence he received. He was sentenced to 75 days in prison, one year of probation, 200 hours of community service, and a $5,000 fine.
For his election campaign, Johnson created a logo that echoes the silhouette of the viral photo of him carrying Pelosi’s lectern.
Johnson is not the only person involved in the Capitol attack who is now seeking political office, encouraged by presidential pardons. Jake Lang, also pardoned, is running for the vacant seat of former Senator Marco Rubio.
