Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of three judges to various judicial circuits in Florida.
Johnathan Lott, from Fort Lauderdale, has been appointed as a judge on the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court. Lott has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida since 2020 and previously worked as an Associate Attorney at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a juris doctor from the University of Chicago. Lott will fill the vacancy left by Judge Murphy's retirement.
Laura Moody, from Rockledge, is set to serve as a judge on the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court. Since 2019, Moody has been the Chief Legal Counsel for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and formerly served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. She obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida and her juris doctor from Florida A&M University. Moody will replace Judge Maloney following his retirement.
Darrell Hill, based in Labelle, will join the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court as a judge. Hill has been serving as a County Court Judge for Hendry County since 2018 and was previously the owner of Darrell R. Hill, P.A. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and his juris doctor from Cumberland School of Law. Hill's appointment fills a vacancy created by HB 5401.