DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — A list of five local lawyers and one magistrate is on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration to replace outgoing Duval County Court Judge Pauline M. Drake.
The Judicial Nominating Commission for the Fourth Judicial Circuit interviewed 12 applicants Tuesday to fill the vacancy created by Drake's retirement.
The final six nominees are:
Janet L. Abel
Abel is the circuit director in the Fourth Circuit for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel. She is originally from Kentucky and graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2001.
Jeffrey Davenport
Davenport is an attorney serving as general counsel for the Clay County Sheriff's Office. He graduated from the Florida Coastal School of Law in 2008. Davenport served as an assistant state attorney for nearly eight years, with 11 months' experience as a bankruptcy, debt and foreclosure defense and criminal defense attorney, before representing the Clay County Sheriff's Office, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Robin E. Lanigan
Lanigan has been a general magistrate and hearing officer in the Fourth Judicial Circuit since October 2016, presiding over family law matters including dissolution of marriage, adoption, child support, custody and modifications, as well as domestic violence compliance, Backer Act and Marchman Act cases. She was in the second graduating class from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2000. Lanigan worked as a sole practitioner handling family law, civil and criminal law cases. She also taught at FSCJ for several years in its paralegal program as an adjunct professor.
Matthew Ian Lufrano
Lufrano is a criminal defense attorney working in private practice at the law firm Johnson and Lufrano, P.A. in Jacksonville. He graduated from law school at the University of Florida in 2009. He served as an assistant public defender in Jacksonville for four years before forming a criminal defense firm with a friend and colleague.
Rhonda Denise Peoples-Waters
Peoples-Waters is a criminal defense, personal injury and auto accident attorney at the law firm Rhonda Peoples-Waters, P.A. She graduated from the University of Florida School of Law and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1999. Before entering private practice, Peoples-Waters served as an attorney in the public defender's office in Jacksonville for more than seven years, including serving as the Division Chief of the Repeat Offender Court Division.
Julie K. Taylor
Taylor is general counsel of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, representing Chief Judge Mark Mahon and the judges of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. She graduated from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1996. Taylor served as an assistant public defender for four years before transitioning to private practice as partner in the law firm of Stone, Taylor and Associates. Taylor later served as senior division chief of the juvenile division of the state attorney's office and director of county court and juvenile court.
DeSantis now has 60 days to appoint a judge from among the nominees. You can read more about the judicial nominating process here.
