Florida Supreme Court Appointment

Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday tapped Jorge Labarga, a Cuban-American circuit judge he only recently named to the state appeals court, for the Florida Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Harry Lee Anstead.

By: Katie Hammond | WKRG-TV
Published: January 02, 2009

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The third time was a charm for West
Palm Beach Judge Jorge Labarga.
Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday appointed the 56-year-old West Palm
Beach attorney to the Florida Supreme Court to fill the vacancy
created by the retirement of Justice Harry Lee Anstead. It was
Crist's third appointment to the state's high court since late
August.
Just last month, Crist appointed the Cuban-born Labarga to an
appellate court and asked the Judicial Nominating Commission for
more names, drawing criticism from some JNC members who felt the
governor was politicizing the process.
Labarga, who was among the nominees in both of Crist's earlier
selections, earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the
University of Florida.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)