MEET THE CANDIDATES VYING FOR SANTA ROSA COUNTY JUDGE APPOINTMENT

• Eight attorneys applied to be the next Santa Rosa County judge after the seat opened up following the elevation of Matt Gordon
• A Judicial Nominating Commission will hold public interviews of the candidates on June 1 before selecting a maximum of eight to send to Gov. Ron DeSantis
• From that pool, DeSantis will appoint one of them as a judge

With the elevation of Judge Matt Gordon from county to circuit court, Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to appoint Gordon's replacement in Santa Rosa County court, and eight attorneys are vying for the spot.

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the First Judicial Circuit will hold interviews June 1 for the eight candidates seeking the judgeship after DeSantis' general counsel David Axelman issued a letter for the JNC to convene and send the governor six names to consider.

The interviews, which are open to the general public, are scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. June 1 at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building at 190 W. Government St. The following eight candidates are scheduled to be interviewed:

• Andrew Abreu, current shareholder and attorney for Kubicki Draper
• Casey Etheridge, current assistant public defender for the First Judicial Circuit
• Stephen Johnson, current assistant public defender for the First Judicial Circuit
• Patrick King, current assistant state attorney in the First Judicial Circuit
• Eunice Maling, current attorney for Legal Services of North Florida Inc.
• Molly Snyder, current conflict counsel in the First Region Office of Criminal Conflict
• Jeffrey Sumey, current assistant public defender in the First Judicial Circuit

Although all of their judicial interviews are open to the public, the JNC will convene a private deliberation immediately following the final interview. Once a maximum of six names are finalized, those names will be sent to DeSantis to appoint a new judge.

How are circuit judges selected in Florida?

According to The Florida Bar, circuit court and county court judges normally are elected in nonpartisan races for six-year terms.

"If a circumstance arises where there is a mid-term vacancy, the governor fills the position by appointment, through a merit selection process, after receiving recommendations from a judicial nominating commission," The Florida Bar website says. "To retain their seats at the end of their terms, judges must be reelected. Judges who were appointed through vacancies must sit for election at the end of the remainder of those terms."

What are judges paid in Florida?

According to an appropriations bill signed into law in 2025, the salaries of Florida judges in fiscal year 2025-26 are:

• County judges: $189,755
• Circuit judges: $200,836
• District Court of Appeal judges: $223,318
• State Supreme Court justices: $264,136