Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This court is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.

Court[edit]

The Lake County Court is one of five county courts in Florida's Fifth Circuit Court.

Judges[edit]

• Terry T. Neal
• Brian Welke^[1]

Former judges[edit]

• James R. Baxley
• Donna F. Miller

See also[edit]

• Lake County, Florida
• Courts in Florida

External links[edit]

• 5th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, "Lake Judicial Officials"

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Elections[edit]

See also: Florida judicial elections

Florida is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in Florida, click here.

• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• Florida local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• Florida judicial elections, 2014
• Florida judicial elections, 2012
• Florida judicial elections, 2010

Selection method[edit]

See also: Nonpartisan elections

Like the circuit courts, the Florida County Court selects its judges through nonpartisan elections. County judges serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seats.^[2][3]

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the county courts employ the same assisted appointment method that the appellate courts use. Judges selected this way serve for at least one year, after which they must run for re-election.^[4]

Qualifications
To serve on one of these courts, a judge must be:

• a qualified elector;
• a state resident;
• under the age of 75; and
• admitted to practice law in the state for five years prior to assuming the bench.

Note that this final requirement—that judges be qualified to practice law in the state for at least five years—is the one piece that breaks from the qualifications of Florida appellate judges, who need a minimum of 10 years. In counties of 40,000 people or fewer, this requirement is waived altogether.^[2]

Election rules[edit]

Primary election[edit]

To get on the ballot, candidates for judicial office are required to obtain signatures equal to at least one percent of the number of registered electors in the geographic boundary of the district.^[5] Trial court judicial candidates compete in nonpartisan primaries designed to narrow the field to two candidates for the general election. Candidates who receive a simple majority (fifty percent plus one vote) of the vote in the primary are considered winners and are not on the ballot in the general election unless a write-in candidate qualifies for the same office. Candidates who are unopposed for any office do not appear on the ballot and are considered automatically elected.^[6][7]

General election[edit]

In the general election, trial court candidates compete in nonpartisan elections. Partisan organizations and political parties are forbidden from endorsing, supporting, or opposing candidates for office.^[8]

Retention election[edit]

Retention elections for appellate judges ask voters a "yes" or "no" question of whether or not to retain a judge to another term. The judges do not face competition on the ballot. If a majority of votes are in favor of a particular judge, that judge will be retained to a new term.^[9]

Footnotes[edit]