Doe v. Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida

ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

HURLEY, District Judge.

Florida state trial judges are either elected or appointed. When a judicial vacancy occurs between elections, the governor, pursuant to state constitutional mandate, initiates a selection process in which a judicial nominating commission (“JNC”) solicits and reviews applicants, and then submits at least three nominees to the governor. Plaintiff is an attorney who responded to a public solicitation from the JNC for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. After reviewing the JNC’s application form, plaintiff filed this action for injunctive…