Justice Charles T. Canady | Voting for Justice

County court judges are elected in the Primary by voters and serve 6 year terms. At the end of each term, if they are not challenged, they win the election automatically. If the vote in the Primaries is too close, the candidates may also appear on the General Election ballots.

Job Details

They oversee the majority of non-jury trials in Florida. Most of their cases involve traffic offenses, misdemeanors, and civil disputes of $30,000 or less. They are eligible for assignment to the Circuit Court. ‍

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn More About County Court

Appointment Process

While county judges are meant to be elected, sometimes a vacancy is created from a judge leaving their position. The county courts are contained within a circuit court, and use the circuit court's Judicial Nominating Commission.

Circuit court judges are elected in the General by voters and serve 6 year terms. At the end of each term they run for the seat again. If they run unopposed, they win the election automatically. If a vacancy is created between elections, they are appointed by the Governor.

Job Details

They oversee criminal and civil cases. This includes felonies, family law, civil cases above $30,000, probate, mental health, and some appeals. ‍

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn More About Circuit Court

Appointment Process

While circuit judges are meant to be elected, sometimes a vacancy is created from a judge leaving their position or a new position being created. There is a Judicial Nominating Commission for the each of the circuit courts. The Commission includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the Governor to serve a 6 year term. Voters choose to keep the Justice or to remove them from office. If the Justice is voted out, the Governor appoints a new Justice.

Job Details

This Court reviews the decisions of lower courts. There are seven Justices. At least five Justices must be on a panel for a case and at least four must agree. If a person is unhappy with a ruling from this court, they can request that the U.S. Supreme Court review the decision. These requests are often denied.

The Florida Supreme Court can also turn down requests for review. It must review certain rulings, though. These include final orders imposing death sentences, decisions declaring a State statute or part of the State Constitution invalid, bond validations, and certain orders of the Public Service Commission on utility rates and services.

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn more at the Florida Supreme Court Website

Appointment Process

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Supreme Court includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

Appeal court judges are appointed by the Governor to serve a 6 year term. At the end of each term, voters choose to keep the judge or to remove them from office. If the judge is voted out, the Governor appoints a new judge.

Job Details

The Appeal Court reviews the decisions of lower courts with a three judge panel. If a person is unhappy with a ruling from this court, they can request higher courts to review the decision. These requests are often denied.

The Florida Appeal Courts are divided into five districts. This site focuses on the 5th District, which includes the following counties: Orange, Osceola, Volusia, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Lake, Marion, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Brevard, and Seminole.

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

‍Learn More About Florida's Courts of Appeal

Appointment Process

There is a Judicial Nominating Commission for the each of the Appeal Court districts. The Commission includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

County court judges are elected in the Primary by voters and serve 6 year terms. At the end of each term, if they are not challenged, they win the election automatically. If the vote in the Primaries is too close, the candidates may also appear on the General Election ballots.

Job Details

They oversee the majority of non-jury trials in Florida. Most of their cases involve traffic offenses, misdemeanors, and civil disputes of $30,000 or less. They are eligible for assignment to the Circuit Court. ‍

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn More About County Court

Appointment Process

While county judges are meant to be elected, sometimes a vacancy is created from a judge leaving their position. The county courts are contained within a circuit court, and use the circuit court's Judicial Nominating Commission.

Circuit court judges are elected in the General by voters and serve 6 year terms. At the end of each term they run for the seat again. If they run unopposed, they win the election automatically. If a vacancy is created between elections, they are appointed by the Governor.

Job Details

They oversee criminal and civil cases. This includes felonies, family law, civil cases above $30,000, probate, mental health, and some appeals. ‍

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn More About Circuit Court

Appointment Process

While circuit judges are meant to be elected, sometimes a vacancy is created from a judge leaving their position or a new position being created. There is a Judicial Nominating Commission for the each of the circuit courts. The Commission includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the Governor to serve a 6 year term. Voters choose to keep the Justice or to remove them from office. If the Justice is voted out, the Governor appoints a new Justice.

Job Details

This Court reviews the decisions of lower courts. There are seven Justices. At least five Justices must be on a panel for a case and at least four must agree. If a person is unhappy with a ruling from this court, they can request that the U.S. Supreme Court review the decision. These requests are often denied.

The Florida Supreme Court can also turn down requests for review. It must review certain rulings, though. These include final orders imposing death sentences, decisions declaring a State statute or part of the State Constitution invalid, bond validations, and certain orders of the Public Service Commission on utility rates and services.

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

Learn more at the Florida Supreme Court Website

Appointment Process

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Supreme Court includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

Appeal court judges are appointed by the Governor to serve a 6 year term. At the end of each term, voters choose to keep the judge or to remove them from office. If the judge is voted out, the Governor appoints a new judge.

Job Details

The Appeal Court reviews the decisions of lower courts with a three judge panel. If a person is unhappy with a ruling from this court, they can request higher courts to review the decision. These requests are often denied.

The Florida Appeal Courts are divided into five districts. This site focuses on the 5th District, which includes the following counties: Orange, Osceola, Volusia, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, Lake, Marion, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Brevard, and Seminole.

Judicial candidates must be impartial. They are not allowed to run on a platform or declare a party affiliation.

‍Learn More About Florida's Courts of Appeal

Appointment Process

There is a Judicial Nominating Commission for the each of the Appeal Court districts. The Commission includes 9 members. 5 are directly appointed by the Governor. The other 4 are also appointed by the Governor, but from a list of 3 nominees provided by the Florida Bar. If the Governor doesn’t like the list, he can request a new one until he finds a nominee he likes.

Candidate Case Rulings

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Advisory Opinion: Adult Use of Marijuana

Florida Supreme Court

April 2021

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Advisory Opinion: Prohibits Possession of Assault Weapons

Florida Supreme Court

June 2020

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Advisory Opinion: Adult Use of Marijuana

Florida Supreme Court

April 2021

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Candidate Background

Judicial Background

2008 - present: Justice, Florida Supreme Court. Appointed by Governor Charlie Crist. He won the retention vote by 68.01% in 2016 and 67.5% in 2010.
2002 - 2008: Judge, 2nd District Court of Appeal. Appointed by Governor Jeb Bush. In 2004, he won the retention vote by 74.6%.

Additional Background

Before he became a judge, Canady had experience as an attorney and a politician.

He had about 15 years of experience as an attorney. He has never tried a case to completion. For the first 13 years, he practiced real estate law in private firms.

Canady held a political office twice and ran unsuccessfully twice. When he started his political career, he ran as a Democrat, then he switched to the Republican Party.

1993 - 2001: United States House of Representatives, District 12. He ran as a Republican. He was elected by 52.1%. He was re-elected two times with 65.0% and 61.6% of the vote. He then ran unopposed to serve a 4th and final term. In this role, he developed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 1995. In 1999, he was also one of 13 U.S. House managers who prosecuted President Clinton in the Senate impeachment trial. (Read Canady's impeachment arguments.)
1990: Unsuccessful run for Florida Senate, District 12. He lost in the General Election. He switched parties from Democrat to Republican while campaigning for the seat.
1984 - 1990: Florida House of Representatives, District 44. He ran as a Democrat. He won the Primary by 68.2% (uncontested in the General election). He was re-elected twice with 71.2% and 68.9% of the vote.
1982: Unsuccessful run for Florida House of Representatives, District 44. He ran as a Democrat. He lost in the Primary Election.

After retiring from politics, he returned to law. He was General Counsel to Governor Jeb Bush. In this role, he acted as legal advisor, supervising the department's litigation in state and federal courts around the country. He left the role after about 2 years, when Governor Bush appointed him to be judge.

Before starting his legal career, he was a summer associate at two law firms.

In 2018, he was on President Trump's list of potential candidates for the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy. He was on the Board of Directors of Care Net (1996 -2000) and HUG (Home for Unwed Girls, 1980s).

This judge is a member of the Federalist Society.

Expected Retirement

2029

This judge is a textualist, who uses an interpretation of the Constitution that is advocated by the Federalist Society.

additional resources

Note: Some sources, like the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Today, and Tampa Bay Times, have a limited number of free articles.

Political Career

* Appointed instead of running for election because of a vacancy between election cycles.

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Florida Supreme Court Counties

Alachua County

Baker County

Bay County

Bradford County

Brevard County

Broward County

5th District Court of Appeals Counties

Brevard County

Citrus County

Flagler County

Hernando County

Lake County

Marion County