Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso. Keep or not? What you should know

As early and absentee voting continues in Florida, more voters are researching some of the candidates on the ballot.

Among those nominees are two Florida Supreme Court justices: Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso.

Every voter in the state will be asked whether the two should remain on the state’s highest court. It is a yes or no question. If they vote yes, they will remain on the bench; if they vote no, they will be removed.

What you should know about the Florida Supreme Court

Florida Supreme Court: Supreme Court in Florida
members: There are seven judges
How many are needed to make the decision? In any case, at least five people must take part; For a decision to be made, at least four must agree
How long do they serve? Six years
How are they appointed?? Appointed to the Court by the Governor from a list of three to six names submitted by a Judicial Nominating Commission.
When are they going to vote? In the next general election, held more than a year after her appointment, the new justice will face Florida voters in a retention vote.
How much are they paid? $258,957 per year, according to Ballotpedia.

Who is Judge Meredith Sasso?

Highlights:

Received his law degree from the University of Florida in 2008
Appointed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by Governor Rick Scott in January 2019
Reappointed to the newly created Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 1, 2023
Appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by DeSantis on May 23, 2023

According to the Florida Supreme Court website, Sasso grew up in Tallahassee. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008.

“She began her career in private practice representing clients at trial and on appeal in the areas of major loss general liability, auto negligence and complex commercial claims in state and federal courts. She also served as a guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children.”

“In August 2016, Sasso joined Governor Rick Scott’s Office of General Counsel, serving as Chief Deputy General Counsel. In this role, she represented the governor in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeals, and the state and federal courts, among others.

“She is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the Federalist Society.”

Florida Supreme Court Justice Meredith Sasso’s vote

Regarding abortion: Sasso joined the majority court in voting to uphold Florida’s 15-week abortion ban in Planned Parenthood v. State. In April, Sasso, Renatha Francis and another judge dissented from a court decision that would allow voters in the general election to decide whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the Florida Constitution.
Regarding the legalization of weed: Francis and Sasso were the only dissenters to allow Amendment 3, which seeks to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, to the vote.
Regarding executive power: In June, Sasso agreed with other justices that a 2021 anti-rioter law cannot be used against peaceful protesters. She also shared a June statement upholding DeSantis’ suspension of Orlando-area District Attorney Monique Worrell.

Who is Judge Renatha Francis?

Highlights:

Appointed by Governor Rick Scott to serve as District and District Court in the 11th Judicial District of Miami-Dade from 2017 to 2019
Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the 15th Judicial District in Palm Beach County
Appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by DeSantis in August 2022

According to the Florida Supreme Court website, Francis grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, where she ran small businesses while studying full-time. She attended the University of the West Indies, majoring in political science and international relations. Her second career as a lawyer began after graduating from law school in Jacksonville. Her Florida legal page shows that she graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2010.

She clerked for six and a half years at the First District Court of Appeals before joining Shutts & Bowen, LLP, Of Counsel, in Miami-Dade, where she was a member of the Mass Litigation and Class Action practice group, representing large corporate clients.

“During her tenure as a judge, Judge Francis presided over large dockets, conducted numerous trials and resolved hundreds of cases in family, civil, probate and criminal law,” the Florida Supreme Court website states.

DeSantis had originally selected Francis to fill another Supreme Court vacancy in 2020, but the court rejected his choice because she did not have 10 years of experience as a lawyer at the time, a requirement for the job.

“Francis expressed that one of the biggest problems facing the judiciary today is the crisis of confidence in the justice system, which arises from a lack of public knowledge about the role of the judiciary.” This lack of trust is an “opportunity “explaining the structure of our government, why it is important, the role of the courts and just educating the public,” Francis said, according to the Florida Supreme Court website.

Francis is the first Jamaican American to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Renatha Francis voting results

Regarding abortion: Francis voted for the state in the April Planned Parenthood v. State case, in which a 6-1 decision upheld Florida’s 15-week abortion ban. At that point, Florida was already pushing for an even more limited six-week abortion ban, contingent on the outcome of the case. Florida’s six-week abortion ban went into effect on May 1.
Regarding executive power: Twice since last year, Francis has joined the court majority in rejecting efforts by former prosecutors to challenge her suspension by DeSantis from positions voters elected her to. She has also advocated for limiting citizens’ ability to challenge gubernatorial actions in court, according to The Tributary.
Regarding the legalization of weed: Francis and Sasso were the only dissenters to allow Amendment 3, which seeks to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, to the vote.

Here’s how Renatha Francis and Meredith Sasso voted on other cases

To see how Francis and Sasso voted on cases, visit the Opinions page on the Florida Supreme Court website.

You can also watch court hearings live and view archives of past cases online and on Facebook.

The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies describes itself as a “group of conservatives and libertarians committed to reforming the current legal system.”

“It is based on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of powers is a central part of our Constitution and that it is emphatically the task and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it is “The Society strives to promote, through its activities, both awareness of these principles and their application.”