Get I IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA CASE NO. SC05-905 In ...

A litigant who loses in a federal court of appeals, or in the highest court of a state, may file a petition for a “writ of certiorari,” which is a document asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. The Supreme Court, however, is not obligated to grant review.

The governor appoints new justices from a list of three to six names submitted by a Judicial Nominating Commission. To be eligible for appointment, a person must be a registered voter who resides in Florida and has been admitted to the practice of law in Florida for the preceding 10 years.

ing to the Florida Constitution, the Supreme Court must review all death sentences imposed by trial judges and all decisions by District Courts of Appeal declaring a state statute or provision of the state constitution invalid.

The Florida Court System County and circuit court judges are elected. District court judges and Supreme Court justices are appointed by the Governor. However, when a judicial vacancy occurs on a county or circuit court, the Governor appoints a successor.

To be eligible to serve as a justice, a person must be a Florida resident eligible to vote and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Florida for the preceding 10 years. Justices are appointed under a system called merit selection and retention.

How are Supreme Court Justices selected? The President nominates someone for a vacancy on the Court and the Senate votes to confirm the nominee, which requires a simple majority. In this way, both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the federal government have a voice in the composition of the Supreme Court.