LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Judge Layne Smith to Florida's Second Circuit Court as another long time judge gets ready to retire.
Gov. DeSantis made the announcement Friday afternoon.
Judge Smith was raised in the capital city and has been a Leon County judge since 2015.
He previously served as the General Counsel for the Department of Lottery and Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Smith received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his law degree from Florida State University College of Law.
Smith fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James Hankinson.
Hankinson will officially retire from the court on June 30. He has presided over several big murder trials in Tallahassee during his career, including the Dan Markel Murder Trial and the Henry Segura Trial.
Florida's Second Circuit Court presides over the counties of Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla.
