There are seven Justices who serve the Supreme Court of Florida. Guidelines for how to choose a Justice are outlined in the Florida Constitution. When there is a vacancy, the Judicial Nominating Commission submits a list of 3-6 names to the governor who appoints a new Justice. That Justice then appears on the next general election ballot that is at least one year after appointment for confirmation by the people.
The state of Florida is split into five districts and the Florida Constitution requires that a Justice must have lived in each of the five districts. This means geography is a major component of filling a vacancy!
After that initial approval by the people, a Justice must appear on the ballot every six years for "retention". This is a good example of how state and federal branches are different for your kids, as U.S. Supreme court Justices are appointed indefinitely. Also in Florida, a Justice must retire during his 70th year of age.
A Chief Justice presides over the Supreme Court. Currently that is Chief Justice Ricky Polston. See the links section to learn more about our current Justices.
The Supreme Court is open: Monday - Friday (excluding holidays) for self-guided tours from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. To enter the Supreme Court building you must pass through a metal detector and like all of the buildings featured here, the Supreme Court is ADA accessible.

Justices