Meredith Sasso named to Florida Supreme Court, becomes DeSantis’ fifth appointment since 2018

by | May 23, 2023

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  • Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Meredith Sasso as a justice on the Florida Supreme Court, making her his fifth appointment since taking office in 2018.
  • Sasso currently serves as Chief Judge at the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal and previously held positions representing the Governor’s Office in litigation before various courts.
  • The selection process for Sasso’s appointment faced challenges due to a lack of candidates, prompting an extension of the application deadline.

Gov. Ron DeSantis named Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday, serving as the governor’s fifth appointment since taking office in 2018.

Currently serving as Chief Judge at the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal, Sasso previously held the position of Chief Deputy General Counsel for Gov. Rick Scott, where she represented the Governor’s Office in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts.

Sasso’s previous experience also includes serving on the Fifth District Court of Appeal, to which she was appointed in January 2019. DeSantis recommissioned her to the Sixth District Court of Appeal from the Fifth District on January 1, 2023.

“I am incredibly honored that Governor Ron DeSantis is entrusting me with this position,” said Sasso. “The judiciary plays a critical and unique role in our constitutional government, and I am resolutely committed to upholding the rule of law for as long as I am privileged to serve.”

Sasso will succeed Ricky Polston, who notified DeSantis of his decision to step down from the Supreme Court in March. Shortly after his resignation, Polston was named as Citizens Property Insurance’s new General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer. Polston initially joined the Supreme Court in 2008 and served as Chief Justice from 2012 to 2014.

In the buildup to Sasso’s selection, the Judicial Nominating Committee was forced to prolong the deadline for candidates to submit applications for the vacant seat by two weeks.

The decision was reached after the original cutoff date failed to attract a sufficient number of candidates, with only three individuals applying for the position. The lack of applications was widely attributed to the abruptness with which the vacancy was announced, giving prospective nominees little time to prepare and submit their applications.

DeSantis most recently appointed Renatha Francis to the state Supreme Court last August, filling the vacancy of former Justice Alan Lawson, who announced his retirement in early 2022.

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