The 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission received eight applications for a vacancy on the circuit bench created by the 2025 state Legislature.
The applicants will be interviewed beginning at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14 in Chief Judge Lance Day’s chambers at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St. in Jacksonville.
The applicants:
• Jordan Beard is an attorney at The Law Offices of Ron Sholes, P.A.
• Amber Donley is a general magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
• Ernie Dukes is an associate attorney at Morgan & Morgan in Jacksonville.
• Marquita Green is a general magistrate in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
• Geraldine Hartin is sole attorney at Hamilton & Hartin P.A. in Fleming Island, a special magistrate in Baker and Clay counties and a traffic court hearing officer in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
• Jenny Higginbotham is a Nassau County judge.
• Katelyn Johnston is an assistant general counsel for the city of Jacksonville and an adjunct professor at Jacksonville University College of Law.
• Nicole Deborah Saunders is an administrative law judge in the state Division of Administrative Hearings.
After the interviews, the commissioners will deliberate and then provide three to six nominees for the seat to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The nominees will then be interviewed in Tallahassee by the governor’s staff. DeSantis will either appoint one of the nominees or ask the commission to provide alternative nominees.
Except for deliberations, all proceedings of the commission are open to the public.