A state court of last resort / Established 1851

Supreme Court of Florida

Tallahassee · A court of last resort in Florida.

The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in Florida. Its justices are chosen by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission, followed by retention elections. This page lists every justice to serve on the court, current and former, with when they joined the bench and whom they succeeded.

Justices in history

Currently serving

Merit selection

Selection

6-yr

Term

Current bench verified against the court’s official roster, 2026-07-02.

Current justices

Former justices

Justice	Years
James E.C. Perry	2009
Charles T. Canady	2008
Ricky Polston	2008
Kenneth B. Bell	2003–2008
Raoul G. Cantero III	2002–2008
R. Fred Lewis	1998
Peggy A. Quince	1998
Barbara J. Pariente	1997
Harry Lee Anstead	1994–2009
Charles T. Wells	1994–2009
Major B. Harding	1991–2002
Stephen H. Grimes	1987–1997
Gerald Kogan	1987–1998
Rosemary Barkett	1985–1994
Leander J. Shaw Jr.	1983–2003
Raymond Ehrlich	1981–1991
Parker L. McDonald	1979–1994
James E. Alderman	1978–1985
Frederick B. Karl	1977–1978
Arthur J. England Jr.	1975–1981
Joseph Woodrow Hatchett	1975–1979
Alan C. Sundberg	1975–1982
Ben F. Overton	1974–1999
Hal P. Dekle	1971–1975
David L. McCain	1970–1975
James C. Adkins Jr.	1969–1987
Joseph A. Boyd Jr.	1969–1987
Vassar B. Carlton	1969–1974
Wade L. Hopping	1968–1969
Richard W. Ervin	1964–1975
Millard F. Caldwell	1962–1969
Stephen Cornelious O'Connell	1955–1967
B Campbell Thornal	1955–1970
E Harris Drew	1952–1971
John E. Mathews	1951–1955
B. K. Roberts	1949–1976
T Frank Hobson	1948–1962
Paul D. Barns	1946–1949
H. L. Sebring	1943–1955
Alto L. Adams	1940–1951
Elwyn Thomas	1938–1969
Roy H. Chapman	1937–1952
Armstead Brown	1925–1946
Rivers H. Buford	1925–1948
William G. Terrell	1923–1964
Walker Anderson	1851–1853

How a justice reaches this court. Justices of the Supreme Court of Florida are appointed by the governor to 6-year terms and then face yes-or-no retention elections. The governor appoints from a Judicial Nominating Commission list, after which justices face yes-or-no retention votes every six years. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any justice to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.

Source: Current roster: Supreme Court of Florida — Justices (official court website) and CourtListener / Free Law Project (bulk data); selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data as of 2026-07-02 (official roster); historical bench 2026-03-31 (CourtListener bulk snapshot). Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).