For 1st Time Since Civil War, Chief Justice Will Keep Post
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBSMiami /AP) — Florida Chief Justice Jorge Labarga is staying on the job for another two years- something that hasn't happened since the Civil War.
The Florida Supreme Court announced Friday that justices selected 63-year-old Labarga for a second term as chief justice. Labarga, a former trial judge from Palm Beach County, was appointed to the high court seven years ago.
The chief justice is the state's top judicial official and is the administrative head of the judicial branch.
The Supreme Court said the last chief justice to have consecutive terms was Justice Charles H. DuPont. DuPont served as chief justice during the Civil War and succeeded himself in 1865 when the federal government forced the state to adopt a new constitution.
The court adopted rules in 2012 that allowed for consecutive terms.
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