Ronald P. Higbee

Judge Higbee received a Bachelor's of Science in Criminology cum laude in 1975 from Florida State University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Florida with honors in 1978. He was a member of the United States Navy serving in the Judge Advocate General's Corps both on active duty and in the Reserves attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander before separation from the Reserves. He was an Assistant State Attorney in Jacksonville from 1984 until 1986 and served in the private sector from 1986 until 1988. He was an Assistant Public Defender from 1988 until 2002 where he served in the felony, special defense, and homicide divisions. In addition, he was a supervisor for three years of all the County Court attorneys for the Public Defender's Office. He was appointed by Governor Bush to fill a new County Court division and became a judge on January 2, 2002. In June 2002 he was appointed to the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee for the Florida Bar. Judge Higbee retired on June 30, 2021, and is now a senior judge.