Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston, who announced his resignation from the bench last week, will become the new general counsel and chief legal officer of the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Citizens’ Board of Governors on Wednesday unanimously approved Polston’s appointment. The justice announced on March 20 that he would resign from the high court effective this Friday.
Amid what many observers consider a statewide insurance crisis, the company has been taking on more and more homeowner policies over the past year as several insurers left the Florida property insurance market, leading to higher premium costs.
“When the stars align, best stay out of the way,” Citizens’ chairman, Carlos Beruff, said in a prepared statement. “Justice Polston’s accounting, insurance litigation and judiciary experience make him uniquely qualified to lead Citizens’ legal team as general counsel. We are lucky to have him.”
Polston, who once worked as a certified public accountant, was appointed to the court in 2008 by former Gov. Charlie Crist, and he served as chief justice from 2012 to 2014. While chief justice, he had to deal with hundreds of thousands of court filings related to a wave of foreclosures nationwide. The judge was also recognized for his modernization efforts as the courts transitioned to mandatory electronic case filings.
“After a fulfilling career in the Florida judiciary, I’m excited to join CEO Tim Cerio and the strong leadership team at Citizens for this new chapter of my professional life,” Polston said in a prepared statement. “Citizens is critical to bringing stability to Florida’s insurance market, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Last week, the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) met to establish a timetable for finding Polston’s replacement.
“They have met at the Governor’s Office and initiated their process,” Paul Flemming, the high court’s spokesman, told the Florida Record. During several previous Supreme Court vacancies, officials acted quickly to ensure the court was fully staffed, he said.
The JNC will accept applications through April 3. Then the panel will determine which applicants they want to interview, according to the JNC, which expects the interviews to take place on April 12.
Typically, the JNC gives DeSantis a list of six recommended candidates, and the governor has 60 days to make the appointment.