The state Supreme Court has named Justice Charles Canady of Lakeland as its next chief justice. He will preside over Florida’s state courts system for a term from July 1 through June 30, 2020.
He will succeed Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, who will remain on the court as a justice.
Canady, 63, becomes the 11th person in state history to serve two nonconsecutive terms as chief justice and the first to do so since 1973. Under Florida’s constitution, the chief justice is elected by the other members of the Supreme Court.
From 2010 to 2012, Canady was Florida's 54th chief justice since statehood in his first term as head of the Supreme Court and the state judiciary.
A 1976 graduate of Haverford College, Canady attended Yale Law School and received his J.D. there in 1979. He was in private practice from 1979 through 1992.
In November 1984, he was elected to the state House of Representatives, serving three terms through November 1990. He later served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 1993 through January 2001.
After leaving Congress, Canady became general counsel to Gov. Jeb Bush, who later appointed him to Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal in November 2002.
On August 28, 2008, Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Canady to the state Supreme Court, where he took office on September 8, 2008.
For more information on Canady, see the Court website: floridasupremecourt.org/justices/canady.shtml