Florida Supreme Court halts state Bar's role in appointments to ABA policymaking panel
In a June 12 letter to Bar executive director Joshua Doyle, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz said "many of the ABA's policies take positions on contested political and policy disputes over which reasonablepeople can and do disagree."
Muñiz, who was an official in President Donald Trump's first administration, added that the "Bar strives to avoid entangling itself, even indirectly, in contentious policy debates" and its "practice of making appointments to the ABA's House of Delegates is inconsistent with that goal."
The Florida Bar operates as an arm of the Florida Supreme Court to regulate the state's more than 114,000 lawyers. The agency "will revise our policies and procedures as directed," a spokesperson said. A request for comment is pending with the ABA.
Muñiz's letter came two weeks after the Trump administration's decision to get rid of the ABA's longstanding special access to review federal judicial candidates. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the ABA an "activist organization" that is no longer "a fair arbiter of nominees' qualifications" and "favor(s) nominees put forth by Democratic administrations."
The ABA was founded in 1878 with a "commitment to set the legal and ethical foundation for the American nation." For decades, it has reviewed candidates for federal judgeships, positions that are lifetime appointments.
"The ABA's steadfast refusal to fix the bias in its ratings process, despite criticism from Congress, the Administration, and the academy, is disquieting," Bondi said. Muñiz was Bondi's chief of staff when she was Florida's elected attorney general.
Moreover, the court in March released an administrative order to review whether those who want to practice law in Florida should continue to be required to have a diploma from an ABA-accredited law school.
The justices, who decide who gets to be a practicing attorney in the state, are "interested in considering the merits of ... continued reliance on the ABA and whether changes to the (state's attorney admission) rules are warranted." The order creates a workgroup chaired by one of its former members, Ricky L. Polston, now with the Shutts & Bowen law firm.
ABA complaints: Lawyers' group fuels Republicans' ire over its negative reviews of Trump judicial picks
The ABA's lower ratings for several of the Trump administration's judicial nominees have fed into opposition from the political right, explained Charles Zelden, a history and political science professor at Nova Southeastern University.
In Zelden's view, Trump wanted "ideological cohesion" and the ABA wanted the best judges, causing the conflict.
In Trump's first term, the president often ignored the ABA when choosing judges. And the association is known to set the standard for "cohesion, predictability and a legal system that operated in a coherent and legal manner," Zelden said.
The Supreme Court's letter, he added, demonstrates how much it has turned to the right under Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed five of the seven current justices, including Muñiz.
The letter made clear that it represents all the justices but one: Jorge Labarga.
Labarga was appointed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican who became an independent before becoming a Democrat. He was first appointed as a trial court judge by the state's last Democratic governor, the late Lawton Chiles. And he's often the sole dissenter on substantive opinions.
Muñiz's letter to the Bar is "a very Trumpian, MAGA way of viewing the events," Zelden said, referring to conservative antipathy toward the ABA.
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Bar told to stop naming delegates to ABA policymaking panel
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
5 minutes ago
- CNN
Police search for multiple suspects after NYC lounge shooting
Police search for multiple suspects after NYC lounge shooting Police have been searching for multiple shooters in a shooting stemming from a dispute at a crowded Brooklyn lounge Saturday night, authorities said Sunday morning. Police initially identified 11 victims, but they later updated that number to 12, three people dead and nine people wounded. 00:55 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 14 videos Police search for multiple suspects after NYC lounge shooting Police have been searching for multiple shooters in a shooting stemming from a dispute at a crowded Brooklyn lounge Saturday night, authorities said Sunday morning. Police initially identified 11 victims, but they later updated that number to 12, three people dead and nine people wounded. 00:55 - Source: CNN Hurricane hunters fly through Hurricane Erin Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle. 00:37 - Source: CNN Zelensky prepares for White House meeting In the wake of the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders joined Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for a conference call ahead of the leader's meeting with the US president at the White House on Monday. 01:24 - Source: CNN Nationwide demonstrations across Israel demanding hostage deal A planned nationwide strike in Israel on Sunday saw hundreds of thousands take part to call on the government to bring the remaining hostages in Gaza home. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports from Tel Aviv. 01:23 - Source: CNN Canadian government orders end to Air Canada strike After more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike seeking wage increases and paid compensation for work when planes are on the ground, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered them to return to work according to an announcement by Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu. 01:05 - Source: CNN What to expect from Zelensky-Trump meeting President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday after the two leaders had a 'long and substantive conversation.' A European official told CNN that during the call they also discussed potential 'Article 5-type' security guarantees for Ukraine. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports. 01:46 - Source: CNN Russian media reacts positively to Trump-Putin Summit Russian state TV gave a positive coverage of the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, celebrating the handshake between the two leaders. Russian officials also stated that the meeting resulted in progress on sanctions and opened up room for future negotiations. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports. 01:23 - Source: CNN F-22s that intercept Russian aircraft greet Putin on red carpet Four F-22 Raptors flanked the red carpet on the tarmac as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for his meeting with US President Donald Trump. CNN's Natasha Bertrand details how these F-22 are are the same type used to intercept Russian aircraft. 00:43 - Source: CNN London's toxic trash 'volcano' Arnolds Field landfill on Launders Lane in east London is better known to locals as the 'Rainham volcano.' The site was used as an illegal dump for years and now, every summer, it bursts into flames, sending plumes of acrid smoke over nearby homes, parks and schools. CNN's Laura Paddison speaks to residents who feel abandoned and trapped. 02:05 - Source: CNN Here's what happened during Trump-Putin meeting CNN's Kristen Holmes breaks down what happened during President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's summit in Anchorage, Alaska. 02:35 - Source: CNN Trump-Putin summit ends with no deal US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin 'made some headway' and 'great progress' in their bilateral meeting, but added that 'there's no deal until there's a deal.' 01:15 - Source: CNN Putin makes faces as journalists ask about Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respond to reporters' questions about the war in Ukraine as his meeting with President Donald Trump and top aides was set to begin. Putin appeared to make a confused expression as multiple journalists began shouting questions. 00:13 - Source: CNN Trump and Putin land in Alaska for historic summit US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at a US military base in Alaska where the two leaders took part in a red carpet greeting ahead of their talks on Ukraine. As both leaders met on the tarmac, a flyover of American military planes passed overhead, including fighter jets and what appeared to be a B-2 stealth bomber. 00:59 - Source: CNN Erin becomes Atlantic season's first hurricane Erin strengthened to become the Atlantic season's first hurricane. The storm is expected to avoid landfall in the United States but might create dangerous beach conditions along the Atlantic coast, forecasters predict. CNN's Brandon Miller breaks down the hurricane's path. 00:58 - Source: CNN
The Hill
30 minutes ago
- The Hill
Here's Trump's schedule with Zelensky on Monday
President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Monday following his controversial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. 'I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. Tomorrow we are also speaking with European leaders. I am grateful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting,' Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X late Sunday night. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in an X post of her own Sunday that she would 'join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.' The White House released a schedule that shows Trump, Zelensky and their teams will first hold a meeting, before a larger meeting is held that will also include European leaders. Here's a rundown. 12:00 p.m. European leaders are expected to be at the White House by noon EDT at the South Portico, with television crew and photographers allowed to document the arrival. 1:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Zelensky and Trump are set to greet each other an hour after the European leaders arrive, and will shortly after go into a meeting with each other in the Oval Office. Vice President Vance is also expected to attend this meeting. The last time the three met in February, there were fireworks. 2:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Trump will greet other European leaders in the State Dining Room an hour after he begins his Oval Office meeting with Zelensky. Fifteen minutes after the greetings, Trump and European leaders will take a family photo together in the Cross Hall. 3:00 p.m.
The Hill
30 minutes ago
- The Hill
Zelensky arrives in DC, says war must be ended ‘reliably'
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night, saying he was grateful for President Trump's invitation and wanted to end the war with Russia 'quickly and reliably.' He also said that if there is a peace deal, it must be set up to be lasting to avoid a situation where Russia might invade Ukraine again. He specifically noted Russia's taking of Crimea and parts of the Donbas region, saying in a post on X that a new deal couldn't be set up to give Russian President Vladimir Putin things that he could then use as a springboard for a new attack. Zelensky also criticized 'security guarantees' he said were given to Ukraine in 1994 that didn't work. 'And peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East—part of Donbas—and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack. Or when Ukraine was given so called 'security guarantees' in 1994, but they didn't work. 'Of course, Crimea should not have been given up then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022. Ukrainians are fighting for their land, for their independence,' he wrote. 'I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance,' Zelensky said. 'Russia must end this war, which it itself started. And I hope that our joint strength with America, with our European friends, will force Russia into a real peace. Thank you!' U.S. officials on Sunday said Ukraine may get security guarantees similar to NATO Article 5 guarantees in which European countries and the U.S. would commit to defending Ukraine, though not NATO itself.
