Jorge Labarga
Justice · Supreme Court of Florida
High confidence· verified August 3, 2026
Justice · Supreme Court of Florida
What applies in this courtroom
0 verified requirements govern practice before Judge Jorge Labarga across the judge, division, county, circuit, and statewide layers.
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Justice — Supreme Court of Florida
Jorge Labarga was born in Cuba in 1952. He arrived in the United States at the age of 11 where he initially lived with his family in Pahokee, Florida. He graduated from Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach in 1972 and received his B.A. (1976) and J.D. (1979) from the University of Florida.
Justice Labarga began his legal career in 1979 as an Assistant Public Defender with the Public Defender's Office in West Palm Beach, assigned to the appellate, misdemeanor and felony trial divisions. In 1982 he joined the State Attorney's Office in West Palm Beach, where he tried cases ranging from theft to homicide. In 1987 he joined the firm of Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Roth, Romano & Ericksen, P.A., and specialized in personal injury trial work. In 1992 Justice Labarga participated in founding the law firm of Roth, Duncan & Labarga, P.A., in West Palm Beach, where he continued to specialize in personal injury litigation and criminal defense.
Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Justice Labarga to the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, in and for Palm Beach County, in 1996. In that capacity he served in the family, civil and criminal divisions. He also served as the administrative judge of the civil division.
In December 2008 Justice Labarga was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. On January 6, 2009, he took office on the Florida Supreme Court after appointment by Governor Crist. He is the 84th Justice to take office at the Florida Supreme Court since statehood was granted in 1845. On July 1, 2014, he became the 56th Chief Justice of Florida -- the first Cuban American to lead the state judicial branch. He held that office for two terms until June 2018, the first chief justice to serve consecutive terms in a century.
Published by the Supreme Court of Florida on this judge's own profile page and reproduced verbatim — BenchPath does not write or paraphrase judicial biographies. Read it on the court's site →
84th Justice; appointed 2009.
Captured verbatim from the court's own published pages and orders during circuit verification. Chambers practices change without notice — confirm anything time-critical with the judicial assistant. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
30-day recheck scheduled with the source monitor. | Biography captured 2026-08-03 from this officer's own page on the court's site; family sentences removed per BenchPath's published-professional-record rule.
This tab lists judge-and-division rules only, and this judge's division publishes its practice at the county, circuit, and statewide layers instead — 0 verified requirements still govern this courtroom. The Full Premium Report assembles every one of them, cited.
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No judge-scoped deadlines on this tab. Deadlines are extracted only when the source rule text states them — we never infer or calculate dates the rule does not explicitly contain.
Timing shown here is quoted from the rule text. Compute your actual date against the court's calendar and the rule itself — not legal advice.
Verbatim passages from opinions this judge authored for the court, quoted from the court's published PDF and hash-verified against it. The note under each quote restates only what the court itself said.
“Based on our analysis set forth above, we conclude that the record filing made by Chemrock during the sixty-day grace period provided by rule 1.420(e) met the requirement for record activity contained in the rule, thus precluding dismissal for lack of prosecution.”
In everyday terms: The court read Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.420(e) to mean that a filing placed in the court record during the sixty-day grace period counts as record activity, and that a case with such a filing cannot be dismissed for failure to prosecute.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
“We conclude that the safe harbor provision does not apply to a case where claims found to be frivolous by a trial court were originally filed before the safe harbor provision took effect.”
No rule-level sources registered yet — judge-level provenance is listed in the Overview tab.
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In everyday terms: The court explained that the twenty-one-day safe-harbor notice in section 57.105(4), Florida Statutes, is substantive and operates prospectively only, so it does not reach claims that were already on file before the provision became law.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
“we hold that section 733.212(3) bars an objection to the qualifications of a personal representative, including an objection that the personal representative was never qualified to serve, if the objection is not timely filed under this statute, except where fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct with regard to the qualifications is not apparent on the face of the petition or discovered within the statutory time frame.”
In everyday terms: The court explained that the probate statute's three-month window governs objections to who serves as personal representative, including claims that the person was never qualified at all; the only exception the court recognized is qualification fraud, misrepresentation, or misconduct that the petition did not reveal and the objector could not discover in time.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
“As we will explain more fully below, we conclude that a farm tractor is a dangerous instrumentality. Accordingly, we quash the decision of the First District in Rippy.”
In everyday terms: The court held that a farm tractor is a dangerous instrumentality under Florida law, reasoning that a tractor is a motor vehicle whose weight, speed, and mechanism make it peculiarly dangerous when in operation.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
“Because Dr. Boemi failed to advance the specific ground of objection relied upon by the district court for reversal, we conclude that it was not preserved for appellate review.”
In everyday terms: The court applied the preservation rule that an appellate point must rest on the same specific ground stated to the trial judge when the objection was made; a ground raised for the first time on appeal was not preserved.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
“As we explain below, we conclude that the applicable state statute of limitations in this case was tolled pursuant to section 1367(d) of the federal supplemental jurisdiction statute.”
In everyday terms: The court explained that when state-law claims are pending in federal court under supplemental jurisdiction, federal law pauses the running of the Florida limitations period, so the clock was stopped while the federal case proceeded.
Verbatim excerpt reproduced from the court-published official slip opinion (hash-registered evidence document; author line verified: LABARGA, J.). The plain-language note restates only the reasoning stated in the opinion. Excerpt containment-verified against the extracted official text with whitespace normalization. Published under the owner's standing release authority, 2026-08-07.
Quotes are reproduced verbatim from the court's published opinion; the plain-language note describes the court's stated reasoning only. Procedural information, not legal advice.
No verified ruling summary yet. BenchPath generates ruling summaries from opinion and docket corpora (CourtListener where covered) and publishes them only after human review — fabricated judicial analytics are exactly what this platform refuses to ship.
Use the live case-law search below to see what exists for this judge today.
Rippy v. Shepard
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Burgos v. State
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Hill v. Davis
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Florida Insurance Guaranty Ass'n v. Devon Neighborhood Ass'n
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Chemrock Corp. v. Tampa Electric Co.
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Bionetics Corp. v. Kenniasty
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Krause v. TEXTRON FINANCIAL CORP.
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Greenfield v. Daniels
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
Florida Parole Commission v. Spaziano
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
In Re Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases-Report No. 2010-02
Supreme Court of Florida · Opinion
How Florida’s appellate courts disposed of the 80 opinions in BenchPath’s corpus (January 12, 2005–April 11, 2012) that name this judge as the lower-tribunal judge — the courts’ own disposition labels, counted verbatim. This is a census of the appellate record we hold, not a complete case history, an affirmance rate, or a performance rating.
Florida appellate and Supreme Court opinions naming this judge as the lower-tribunal judge, taken verbatim from each court’s official slip opinion (source-hashed). Descriptive record, not a rating. Showing the 50 most recent; all 80 are counted in the outcome census above.
Miakkar Brown v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Meme v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Meme v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Christopher Dean v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Zeman v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Meme v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Bernabe v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Walker v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Button v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Barrow v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Knowles v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Knowles v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Pozo v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
McCloud v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Lamar v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Harmon v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Acosta v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Jackson v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Newby v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal
Schull v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Aosta v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Allen v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Lazcano v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Perkins v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Dawson v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Ceasar v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Crenshaw v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
State v. Lyons
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Brown v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Hosang v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal
Valeus v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Kidd v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Prophet v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Figueroa v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Fuller v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Kane v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Tucker v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Camerlengo v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal
Reed v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Brown v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Pacheco v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Bermudez v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Acosta v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal
Brooks v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
King v.State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Way v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Daniel v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Cortes v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Potes v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Mena v. State
Fourth District Court of Appeal · Palm Beach County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
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