SIXTH CIRCUIT JNC ANNOUNCES COUNTY COURT JUDICIAL VACANCY
On September 24, 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis convened the Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission to select and submit the names of highly qualified candidates to fill the Pinellas County Court vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen T. Hessinger.
The Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission seeks applications for nominations from all persons who meet the eligibility requirements for county court judges described in Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Please note residency requirements.
Judicial applications must be received no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, October 9, 2026, and be delivered electronically to: Petra Justice at [email protected]. Applicants will receive a written confirmation within 24 hours that the electronic submission has been received. Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
The application form may be downloaded from the Governor’s web site. Applicants must complete the current application posted for judicial vacancies.
Applicants must submit:
- One signed, unredacted copy of the application (as a .PDF) with attachments and a recent photo.
- One signed copy of the application (as a .PDF) with attachments that has personal information not subject to public disclosure redacted as permitted by applicable public records laws.
Applicants receiving interviews will be notified of the date and time of his or her interview. Interviews will be conducted in person with an anticipated interview date of October 21, 2026 (subject to change). A list of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission members is available on the Florida Bar’s website. Questions should be directed to Petra Justice, Chair, Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.
###
EDITORS: Please note The Florida Bar is not an association and "Association" is not part of our name. Proper reference is "The Florida Bar." Local bar organizations are properly termed "associations."