Senator pitches judicial term limits, age requirement

Florida capitol building

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Senate Republican on Wednesday proposed a constitutional amendment that would place term limits on Florida Supreme Court justices and appeals-court judges and also require such jurists to be at least 50 years old.

The proposal (SJR 482), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, comes as House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, has made a priority of pursuing judicial term limits.

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If lawmakers approve Hutson's proposal during the legislative session that starts March 7, it would go before voters in 2018. Under the proposal, Supreme Court justices would be limited to two full six-year terms, while judges on the state's district courts of appeal would be limited to three full terms.

Also, lawyers would have to be at least 50 years old to be eligible to serve on the Supreme Court or on the district courts of appeal.

The proposal also would require Supreme Court appointees to have served at least one prior year as a judge.