Janet L. Abel
Galen Douglas Bauer
Brooke Brady
Melina E. Buncome
Luis Bustamante
Kevin Carlisle
Meredith Charbula
Michael Fackler
Charles M. Greene
Margaret Gibbs Gulliford
Lucy Ann Wiggins Hoover
James E. Kallaher
Robin E. Lanigan
Stacey L. Myers
Alphonse B. Perkins
Julie K. Taylor
David G. Tucker
Leatrice Williams Walton
Attorneys, magistrates, a sitting circuit judge, a sitting county judge and a professor have submitted their names to the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission for consideration to succeed Circuit Judge John Skinner.
The commission will interview the applicants beginning at 8:30 a.m. March 5 in the chief judge’s conference room at the Duval County Courthouse. The interviews are open to the public.
On March 5, the commission will submit up to six nominees to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who may select one of the nominees within 60 days or request that the commission submit additional candidates.
Circuit director, state Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel
Age: 43
Education: University of Dayton School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001
Bio: Abel began her career as an assistant public defender in 2001 in Jacksonville. After private practice from 2006 to 2008, she joined the state Office of Regional Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel where she practices criminal law, including death penalty cases.
Partner, Spohrer Dodd
Age: 40
Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2005
Bio: Bauer was a clerk at the Spohrer firm while in law school, then joined the firm as an associate. He was named a partner in 2009 and primarily practices personal injury and wrongful death litigation. He is board-certified in aviation law and serves on The Florida Bar Aviation Law Certification Committee.
4th Circuit general magistrate and hearing officer
Age: 42
Education: Stetson University College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001
Bio: Brady began her career as an assistant state attorney in Clearwater. She then moved to Jacksonville, where she was in private practice for two years before joining the State Attorney’s Office. Brady was appointed general magistrate in 2017.
4th Circuit assistant public defender
Age: 53
Education: Nova Southeastern University Law School, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1994
Bio: Buncome is a former assistant public defender in the 17th Judicial Circuit and was in private practice before becoming an assistant public defender in Jacksonville in 1997. She currently is the Circuit Court Division chief.
Assistant state attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit
Age: 49
Education: Florida State University College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1993
Bio: Luis Bustamante manages the state attorney’s office in Bradford County. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and a 40-year resident of Florida, he is a registered lobbyist before the Legislature on behalf of the Office of State Attorney.
Owner, Carlisle Law Firm
Age: 38
Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2010
Bio: Carlisle began his career as an assistant public defender in the 14th Judicial Circuit in Panama City. In September 2013, he came to Jacksonville and joined the Office of Criminal Conflict & Regional Counsel. In July 2017, he opened his private practice
Duval County Judge
Age: 61
Education: Florida State University College of Law, J.D.; The Judge Advocate General’s School, LL.M; admitted to The Florida Bar in 1987
Bio: Charbula was appointed to the bench in the Duval County Court in November 2017. She is a former 4th Circuit assistant state attorney, a former assistant attorney general for the state of Florida and an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army.
Shareholder at Milam, Howard, Nicandri, Gillam & Renner
Age: 47
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2002
Bio: Fackler began his law career in 2002 as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger. He then was an associate attorney at the McGuireWoods firm from 2004 until 2007, when he joined Milam Howard as an associate. He became a shareholder there in 2016.
Circuit judge, 17th Judicial Circuit
Age: 62
Education: Nova Southeastern Law School, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1983
Bio: Greene is a circuit judge in Broward County, elected in 1990 and subsequently re-elected without opposition. He previously was an assistant state attorney in Fort Lauderdale, in private practice and the legal adviser to the Boca Raton Police Department.
4th Circuit assistant state attorney
Age: 32
Education: Stetson University College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2012
Bio: Gulliford is a former associate claims counsel at Fidelity National Financial and currently is an assistant state attorney in the Special Victims Unit.
Visiting professor at the University of North Florida
Age: Redacted on application
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D.; University of Arkansas School of Law, LL.M;, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1987
Bio: Wiggins Hoover is a former supervisory special agent with the FBI Office of General Counsel and former district director for U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho. She has been a visiting professor at the University of North Florida since 2017.
Managing partner, Kallaher, DeLuca & Naughton
Age: Redacted on application
Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2001
Bio: From 1989 to 1997, Kallaher was a U.S. Navy flight instructor and was honorably discharged from the reserves in 2013 with the rank of commander. He was an assistant state attorney in the 4th Judicial Circuit from 2001 to 2003 before going into private practice. Kallaher, an Orange Park resident, specializes in insurance defense commercial litigation and construction defect litigation.
4th Circuit general magistrate and hearing officer
Age: 49
Education: Florida Coastal School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 2000
Bio: Lanigan was in private practice specializing in family law until she was appointed general magistrate in October 2016. She hears cases involving dissolution of marriage, child support, custody, paternity, adoptions, Baker Act and Marchman Act proceedings.
Mortgage loan originator, Cardinal Financial Co.
Age: 54
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990
Bio: Myers began her career as an assistant state attorney in Jacksonville, then in 1994 joined the faculty of the University of Florida Levin College of Law while working at the state attorney’s office in Gainesville. She went into private practice in 1997, then in May 2016 became a licensed mortgage loan originator.
4th Circuit assistant public defender
Age: 58
Education: University of Kansas School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990
Bio: Perkins began his career as a certified legal intern at the 4th Circuit Public Defender’s Office while in law school and became an assistant public defender after he was admitted to the Bar. He has tried more than 400 criminal cases.
Court counsel for the 4th Judicial Circuit
Age: 47
Education: Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1996
Bio: Taylor is a former assistant public defender, private practice attorney and assistant state attorney. In her role as court counsel, she assists the chief judge, circuit judges and county judges with the administration of court-related functions such as researching and writing administrative orders and advising the court on contract and human resources matters.
Regional Counsel. Northeast Region, Florida Department of Children and Families
Age: 56
Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1987
Bio: Since he was admitted to the Bar, Tucker has spent most of his career with state agencies, including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Senate and currently, the Department of Children and Families. He became regional counsel at DCF in 2009 and was certified in 2013 by The Florida Bar board of governors in state and federal government and administrative practice.
Tucker also serves as a hearing officer on payroll matters, leave disputes, child care licensing and background screening issues.
4th Circuit magistrate and child support hearing officer
Age: 64
Education: Howard University School of Law, admitted to The Florida Bar in 1986
Bio: Williams Walton was in private practice for one year in Washington, D.C., until moving to Jacksonville and becoming a staff attorney at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 1984. She was appointed magistrate in 1999.
