The state of Florida has historically had a liberal Supreme Court, posing challenges for conservative governors to advance their agendas. However, Governor Ron DeSantis‘ strategic moves have reportedly resulted in a significant reshaping of the state court.
Behind-The-Scene Maneuvers: Unusually, three liberal justices of the state Supreme Court retired simultaneously, providing DeSantis with an opportunity to tip the balance towards a conservative majority, according to a report by the Washington Post.
Florida received assistance in this endeavor from a covert panel led by Leonard Leo, a key figure behind the conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court. The panel allegedly assessed judicial nominees during a confidential gathering in Orlando three weeks before DeSantis assumed office as governor. Within two weeks of his inauguration in January 2019, he appointed three new justices, effectively flipping the court’s composition from a 4-3 liberal majority to a 6-1 conservative majority.
The members of the secret panel, believed to include a former Florida senator and Chris Kise, a member of former President Donald Trump‘s legal team in a classified document case, played a role in selecting the conservative justices, as per the report.
More recently, DeSantis handpicked two additional justices of his choice to replace two previously appointed by Republican predecessors, further solidifying the conservative stance of the Florida Supreme Court.
Florida As Vanguard Of Conservatism: The report highlights that Florida now boasts one of the most conservative state Supreme Courts in the nation. Consequently, the state has become a battleground for contentious “culture war” legislation encompassing immigration, race, and sex education.
Notably, DeSantis consistently points to the transformation of the state court in Florida as a blueprint for potential judiciary reforms if he were to be elected as president. The report suggests that, if given the opportunity, DeSantis would likely move the U.S. Supreme Court even further to the right than Trump did during his tenure.
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