Former Judge Paul Hawkes on Judicial Salaries – Part 1

Judge Paul Hawkes spent nine years serving as a judge on the First District Court of Appeal. Prior to becoming a judge, Paul Hawkes worked as Chief of Policy for Speaker Tom Feeney. Paul Hawkes had served with Tom Feeney when they were both elected to the Florida House in 1990. They also both left the Legislature at the same time with Tom Feeney running for Lt. Governor, and Paul Hawkes running for Judge in 1994. When he began his service as a judge, Paul Hawkes experienced a pay reduction of over $15,000 per year. Florida, if we wish to provide our citizens with the highest quality and most diverse Judges possible must pay competitive wages.

While he was on the First DCA Judge Paul Hawkes would frequently joke that although he did not know the name or the gender of the next judge that would be appointed to the court he could predict that it would be a Tallahassee government employed lawyer. Of the 10 judges appointed to the court after Judge Paul Hawkes all of them had worked for state government immediately before beginning their tenure on the court. Of the current 15 judges on the court, all but two, as did Judge Paul Hawkes, came directly from state government.  

The First DCA represents 32 of Florida’s 67 counties. Thousands of lawyers live and work in the district. Jacksonville, Gainesville, Pensacola, and Tallahassee are all in the District. Judge Paul Hawkes, as did 9 of the next 10 judges appointed, all worked in Tallahassee before joining the court. No one would suggest that only government lawyers, or only lawyers from Tallahassee, are qualified to serve on the First DCA.