Renatha Sian Francis was born in 1977 in Portmore, Jamaica. She is an American lawyer who has been serving as a justice on the Supreme Court of Florida since 2022. Before this, she was a circuit judge in Palm Beach County from 2019 to 2022.
Early Life and Education
Renatha Francis grew up in Jamaica, where she attended St. Hugh's High School. She went on to the University of the West Indies, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in 2001. While studying in Jamaica, she ran a bar and a trucking company.
In 2004, she moved to Florida and graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 2010. Renatha Franc began her legal career as a law clerk at Florida's First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee from 2011 to 2017.
Legal Career
After her clerkship, Renatha Francis briefly worked as a litigator at the law firm Shutts & Bowen in Miami. In 2017, she was appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court by Governor Rick Scott. The following year, she was promoted to Miami-Dade Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court and then appointed to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Palm Beach County in 2019, where she worked in the probate and family division.
Supreme Court Nomination
On January 23, 2020, Renatha Francis name was included on a list of candidates for two openings on the Florida Supreme Court. Governor Ron DeSantis announced her appointment on May 26, 2020. If confirmed, she would have been the first non-Cuban Caribbean-American on the court. However, she was ineligible at the time because the Florida Constitution requires justices to have been a member of the Florida Bar for ten years.
Due to this ineligibility, the Florida Supreme Court ruled on August 27, 2020, that her appointment was invalid. Renatha Francis withdrew her name from consideration, and later, Governor DeSantis recommended her for a federal judgeship, but she was not appointed.
Return to the Supreme Court
In 2022, following Justice Alan Lawson's retirement, Renatha applied to succeed him, now eligible for the position. On August 5, 2022, Governor DeSantis announced her appointment to the Supreme Court of Florida, effective September 1, 2022. Renatha Francis became the first Jamaican-American justice on the court.
She is the mother of two sons and was previously married to her late husband, Phillip.
FAQs
1. What is Renatha Francis real name?
Renatha Francis full name is Renatha Sian Francis.
2. How old is Renatha Francis?
Renatha Francis was born in 1977, making her approximately 46-47 years old.
3. What is Renatha Francis nationality?
Renatha Francis is American.
4. What is Renatha Francis ethnicity?
Renatha Francis is Jamaican-American.
5. What is Renatha Francis educational background?
Renatha Francis attended St. Hugh's High School, the University of the West Indies (Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude), and Florida Coastal School of Law (Juris Doctor).
6. What is Renatha Francis career?
Renatha Francis is a lawyer and currently serves as a justice on the Supreme Court of Florida. Previously, she served as a circuit judge in Palm Beach County and worked in various legal positions, including as a law clerk and litigator.
7. Does Renatha Francis have any siblings?
Public information does not mention any siblings.
8. Who was Renatha Francis husband?
Renatha Francis was married to Phillip Francis, who is now deceased.
9. How many children does Renatha Francis have?
Renatha Francis has two sons.
10. What is Renatha Francis political affiliation?
Renatha Francis does not explicitly state her political party or political beliefs, but she was appointed by Republican governors (Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis), which may suggest an alignment with conservative politics.
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