Edwin A. Scales, III

On October 18, 2013 Governor Rick Scott appointed Judge Edwin A. Scales, III to the Third District Court of Appeal, making him the first Monroe County attorney ever appointed to the Court. In 2024, Judge Scales was elected unanimously by his colleagues to serve as the Court’s Chief Judge from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.

Before his appointment, Judge Scales was a sole practitioner in Key West, Florida. His practice concentrated in the areas of appellate litigation, commercial and real estate litigation, administrative law, and mediation. Additionally, through his “of-counsel” affiliation with the GrayRobinson law firm, Judge Scales served as the General Counsel to the Florida Citrus Commission.

From 2011 thru 2013, Judge Scales served on the Florida Commission on Ethics and was its vice chairman. In 2005, Monroe County's attorneys elected Judge Scales to serve on the Florida Bar's Board of Governors, and he was re-elected to that position four times. He served on the Bar’s Executive Committee for three years and chaired both the Bar’s Legislation Committee and Citizen’s Forum.

In 2006, Judge Scales was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to the Board of Trustees of the Florida Keys Community College. He was reappointed to the Board by Governors Crist and Scott. He chaired the Board from 2007 to 2009, and again in 2011 and 2012.

From 2000 to 2005, Judge Scales served on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission for Florida's Southern District. In 2009, he was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Judicial Nominating Commission for Florida's 16th Judicial Circuit, and was reappointed to the JNC by Gov. Rick Scott in 2012.

In 2001, he was elected to serve a four-year term on the Key West City Commission, and in 2003 was appointed to the Florida Keys Tourist Development Council, where he served two years as Treasurer.Since 1999, Judge Scales has hosted the weekly "Ed Scales Show" heard on Keys radio station US-1 (104.1 FM - www.us1radio.com). He has an extensive background in both radio and television, hosting "The Legal Beagles" radio program in the Tampa Bay area from 1996 to 1998.

Since joining the Court, Judge Scales has been appointed and reappointed by the Florida Supreme Court to represent Florida’s judiciary on the Board of Directors of the Florida Bar Foundation, n/k/a Funding Florida Legal Aid. He has chaired the Foundation’s Audit Committee and is currently one of the Board’s longest serving members. By appointment of the Chief Justice, Judge Scales has served for the past several years on the Florida’s Judicial Management Council, the long-range planning committee for Florida’s judicial branch of government. Judge Scales also served on the Board of Directors of the University of Florida Alumni Association, taught the complex civil litigation courses at Florida’s College for Advanced Judicial Studies, has taught courses as part of the faculty of the National Judicial College, and regularly presents continuing legal education seminars to local bar associations.

Judge Scales was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and was raised in Lakeland, Florida. He received his B.S. in Telecommunications with Honors from the University of Florida in 1988. While an undergraduate at the University of Florida, he was appointed by Governor Bob Martinez to serve on the Florida Board of Regents from 1987 to 1988, and was tapped into the Florida Blue Key leadership honorary. He also served as the "mike man" for the Florida Gators and is a 2-year UF Varsity Letterman. In 1988, he was named the University of Florida's outstanding male graduate and was named to the University of Florida Hall of Fame. In 1991 he received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law. While in law school, Judge Scales served as President of the University of Florida Student Body, he received the Bill Fleming Memorial Award for outstanding service to the University of Florida community, and he received the Book Award for Florida Administrative Law demonstrating academic excellence in that area.