Supreme Court Justice Charles Wells leads the list of 24 appellate judges who will be on the merit retention ballot this fall.
Voters will be asked whether the justice and the district court of appeal judges should be retained for six-year terms.
The Florida Bar polls the membership about the judges and justices standing for merit retention to assist the public with the merit retention process. Ballots were mailed on Aug. 1 and must be returned to the Bar postmarked no later than Aug. 25. The results will be published in the News .
Since voters approved merit selection and retention for the appellate judiciary in 1976, no judge or justice has lost a merit retention election.
DCA judges on the merit retention ballot include:
• First DCA: Robert T. Benton, Marguerite H. Davis, Joseph Lewis, Jr., Ricky L. Polston, L. Clayton Roberts, and William A. Van Nortwick Jr.
• Second DCA: Chris W. Altenbernd, Carolyn K. Fulmer, Morris Silberman and James W. Whatley.
• Third DCA: Gerald B. Cope Jr., David M. Gersten, Barbara Lagoa, Juan Ramirez Jr. and Vance E. Salter.
• Fourth DCA: Mark E. Polen, W. Matthew Stevenson and Martha C. Warner.
• Fifth DCA: Kerry I. Evander, C. Alan Lawson, Richard B. Orfinger, William David Palmer and Thomas D. Sawaya.
— Courtesy Florida Bar News