TALLAHASSE, Fla. – A longtime Florida Supreme Court justice is retiring, giving Gov. Ron DeSantis his fifth vacancy on the bench.
Justice Ricky Polston was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008. Before his appointment to the supreme court, he was a judge with the Florida First District Court of Appeal. He also served as chief justice from 2012 to 2014.
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Polston did not give a specific reason for his resignation in his letter to DeSantis on Monday.
His resignation is effective March 31.
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With Polston leaving the bench, DeSantis will have to appoint a fifth justice to the Florida Supreme Court.
DeSantis has already appointed four of the seven justices currently on the bench: Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz, and justices John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans and Renatha Francis.
This has allowed DeSantis to remake the Supreme Court into a more conservative panel.
DeSantis will pick his nominee from a list of choices offered up by the Florida Judicial Nominating Commission, and the Florida Legislature confirms DeSantis’ appointment.
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