On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis named Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Ricky Polston.
Sasso is currently the Chief Judge at the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal, located in Lakeland. She is the fourth woman and, as a Cuban-American, the fourth Hispanic justice DeSantis has appointed to the high court since taking office in 2019. She is the seventh woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court. With this appointment, there will be three women sitting on the Florida Supreme Court simultaneously for the first time in Florida history.
“I am proud to appoint Judge Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court because her fidelity to the Constitution will help preserve freedom in our state for generations to come,” said DeSantis. “As a Cuban-American woman who understands the importance of our constitutional system and the rule of law, Judge Sasso will serve our state well.”
“I am incredibly honored that Governor Ron DeSantis is entrusting me with this position,” said Sasso. “The judiciary plays a critical and unique role in our constitutional government, and I am resolutely committed to upholding the rule of law for as long as I am privileged to serve.”
Sasso received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008, where she was a member of the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board. Judge Sasso began her career in private practice, representing clients in large loss general liability, auto negligence, and complex commercial claims in state and federal courts at trial and on appeal. She also served as a guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children. Prior to serving on the court, Judge Sasso served as Chief Deputy General Counsel for Governor Rick Scott. In this role, she represented the Governor’s Office in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts, among other duties. In January 2019, she was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. Judge Sasso was recommissioned to the Sixth District Court of Appeal from the Fifth District on January 1, 2023, by Governor DeSantis.
Sasso was raised in Tallahassee, Florida, and is married with two children. She currently serves as an appointed member of the Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee. She is also a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the Federalist Society.
William Large, the president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute, applauded the pick.
“The Florida Justice Reform Institute applauds Governor DeSantis for his bold and consistent leadership as he continues to do exactly what he promised by reshaping the Florida Supreme Court,” Large said. “The governor’s appointment of Meredith Sasso to the Florida Supreme Court cements this promise of appointing justices with a proven record of embracing textualism, and the notion that the courts should interpret our laws, not write them.
“Justice Sasso is an exceptional choice for the Florida Supreme Court due to her extensive legal experience, dedication to public service, and her strong, demonstrated commitment to upholding justice and the rule of law. We further applaud Governor DeSantis for his continuing commitment to a Court that can draw on a rich diversity of life experience,” Large added.
