Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appointed a Lakeland judge to the Florida Supreme Court.
According to a news release, DeSantis named Meredith Sasso, who currently serves as chief judge in the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
Sasso, of Cuban-American descent, is the fourth woman and fourth Hispanic justice to be appointed to the Supreme Court since DeSantis was elected governor in 2019.
She also is the seventh woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court.
“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,” DeSantis said in a news release. “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.”
With Sasso's appointment, three women will serve on the Florida Supreme Court simultaneously for the first time in state history.
Sasso was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2019 and recommissioned to the Sixth District Court by DeSantis in January.
Prior to that, Sasso served as Chief Deputy General Counsel for Gov. Rick Scott, representing the governor's office in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts.
“I am incredibly honored that Governor Ron DeSantis is entrusting me with this position,” Sasso said in the release. “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 replaces Ricky Polston, who retired in March.
Sasso, who received her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008, began her career in private practice, and also served as a guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children. She is a member of the conservative Federalist Society and a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, according to the news release.
She was raised in Tallahassee, and is married with two children.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
