Gov. DeSantis Names 12 Florida Judges, Elevates Andrew Bain to Circuit Bench in Orlando
Why It Matters
Florida’s judiciary is undergoing one of its most significant expansions in recent memory, and Governor Ron DeSantis is shaping the courts that will handle civil and criminal matters for millions of Floridians for years to come. The latest round of 12 judicial appointments reflects the governor’s continued influence over the state’s legal landscape and his willingness to reward loyalists while filling seats created by a landmark court-expansion law.
What Happened
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of 12 judges across Florida, including several placements on newly created benches established under SB 2508, a law DeSantis signed that expanded the number of circuit and county court judges statewide. The most prominent appointment in the slate is Andrew Bain of Orlando, who will join the 9th Judicial Circuit Court bench in Orange County.
Bain’s path to the circuit bench has been anything but conventional. He originally served on the Orange County Court beginning in 2020 before DeSantis controversially tapped him to serve as Orange-Osceola State Attorney in 2023 following the governor’s suspension of Democrat Monique Worrell. Worrell defeated Bain by a landslide in the following election. After initially refusing to assist Worrell with her transition back into office — then reversing course under public pressure — DeSantis re-appointed Bain to the County Court. Now Bain receives a circuit court appointment, a step up in Florida’s judicial hierarchy.
Bain also made headlines in late 2024 when he declined to prosecute former state Rep. Carolina Amesty on felony forgery charges — a decision that drew scrutiny from critics. Despite that controversy, the governor’s office moved forward with his elevation to the circuit bench.
By the Numbers
12 — Total judicial appointments announced in the latest slate from Governor DeSantis.
6 — Appointments tied directly to SB 2508, representing half of the total picks.
22 — New circuit court judgeships created statewide under SB 2508.
15 — New county court judgeships added under the same law.
2 — New Sixth District Court of Appeal positions created by SB 2508.
The Full Slate of Appointments
Beyond Bain, the governor’s appointments span multiple judicial circuits across the state. Mark Skipper of Maitland, a county judge since 2024 and former senior attorney for the Department of Children and Families, joins Bain on the 9th Judicial Circuit. Attorneys Sonia McDowell and Theresa Savona, both of Orlando, are also headed to the 9th Circuit. McDowell, a former assistant state attorney, fills a vacancy created by the 2023 resignation of Judge Elizabeth Gibson. Savona, a partner at Cole Scott & Kissane P.A. and former chief appellate counsel for the Florida Department of Health, replaces Judge Robert Egan, who retired April 23.
In the 12th Judicial Circuit, Guy Flowers of Port Charlotte — a DeSoto County judge since 2022 and former assistant state attorney — takes a new SB 2508 seat covering DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Attorney Andrea Johnson, a partner and chair at Barnes Walker Goeth Perron Shea & Johnson, also joins the 12th Circuit, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Lon Arend.
In Palm Beach County, Dane Leitner of Jupiter, a GrayRobinson shareholder and former Ward Damon partner, takes a newly created 15th Judicial Circuit seat. Marci Rex, in her 15th year as an assistant U.S. attorney, joins the Palm Beach County Court to fill the vacancy created when Judge Danielle Sheriff was elevated in December.
The governor tapped two judges for the 1st Judicial Circuit, which serves Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. Matthew Gordon, a Santa Rosa County judge since 2024, and attorney Paul Bailey, a shareholder at Welton Law Firm since 2015 and former appellate law clerk, both take seats vacated by the simultaneous resignations of Judges Jan Shackelford and Linda Nobles in January. Byron Donalds, another prominent Florida figure, recently highlighted the state’s conservative values in a commencement address at Southeastern University.
Rounding out the slate, Hillary Ellis of Lakewood Ranch, a former assistant state attorney currently with The Law Place, and David Peters of Harmony, former general counsel for anti-human trafficking nonprofit Rapha International, join county courts in Manatee and Osceola counties, respectively. Florida officials have separately been engaged on legal and regulatory matters in Washington, with hospital leaders recently advocating for healthcare accessibility and affordability before federal lawmakers.
Zoom Out
Florida’s court expansion under SB 2508 mirrors a broader national trend in which growing states face mounting caseloads that strain existing judicial capacity. States such as Texas and Georgia have also moved in recent years to create new judgeships to address backlogs in civil and criminal dockets. In Florida, DeSantis has used each vacancy and newly created seat as an opportunity to install judges aligned with his judicial philosophy — a practice consistent with how governors of both parties have traditionally approached appointments.
What’s Next
The newly appointed judges will be sworn in and begin their duties on their respective benches in the coming weeks. Several of the SB 2508 appointees will face voters in future judicial retention