Justices honored, but one could be headed for the exits

September 24, 2019

Jim Saunders

TALLAHASSEE --- On the job since January, Florida Supreme Court justices Robert Luck and Carlos Muniz were honored and formally sworn in during an investiture ceremony Tuesday.

But Luck might already have one foot out the door.

President Donald Trump this month nominated Luck and Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa to seats on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Luck and Lagoa, who were both appointed to the Supreme Court in January by Gov. Ron DeSanits, still need U.S. Senate confirmation to the federal appeals court.

But the potential quick exits of Luck and Lagoa --- who had an investiture ceremony in May --- drew ribbing Tuesday of Luck, who at age 40 has already served as a circuit judge, a state appellate judge and a Supreme Court justice.

“I think probably from the time he was, like, a baby, people thought he’d be a judge, it seems like,” DeSantis said speaking during the ceremony in the Supreme Court courtroom filled with friends, family members and supporters of Luck and Muniz. “I mean, he’s really born to do this, clearly has a passion for it.”

A friend of Luck, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, drew laughs as he spoke during the ceremony.

“Welcome, everyone, to the annual Robert Luck investiture,” he said. “I did the math, and it appears that Robert moves to a new court every few years, so this has become a little bit of a tradition.”

But DeSantis, whose appointments of Luck, Muniz and Lagoa helped create a solid conservative majority on the Supreme Court, also made clear that he is already thinking about the process of replacing Luck and Lagoa if they are confirmed to seats on the Atlanta-based appeals court.

“The White House called and asked if I would be disappointed if they plucked two of my picks, and I said absolutely not,” DeSantis said. “Put good people on the court, and that’s what we want to see in the federal judiciary as well. But I do think this means, Mr. Chief Justice, I will see you probably next year for two more of these. So we’re ready.”

Investiture ceremonies typically take place months after justices join the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Charles Canady calling Tuesday’s event a “milestone” in the court’s history.

DeSantis praised the knowledge and experience of Muniz, whose past positions included deputy general counsel for former Gov. Jeb Bush and chief of staff for former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“He worked for Gov. Bush, and Bush said, ‘That’s the smartest guy that’s ever worked for me,’” DeSantis said. “That says a lot, because Jeb’s had a lot of great people come through. And I think you see that, it was readily apparent this is somebody who really, really had strong intellect and I think is a great addition to the court.”