Judge Jared Smith was defeated by Hillsborough County voters in August, under a year after he made headlines for rejecting a teenager’s permission for an abortion based on her grades.
In less than two weeks, he will retire from the bench. But by that time, Ron DeSantis, the governor, will have given him an even greater job.
Three candidates for the new 6th District Court of Appeal were announced by DeSantis’ office on Tuesday. They included Smith, who has held a position on the 13th Judicial Circuit Court since the governor elected him to it in September 2019.
In January, Smith made a decision saying that a 17-year-old woman could not end her unexpected pregnancy. Her “overall IQ,” which he considered to be below average, was called into question since, while her statement claiming her grades were “Bs,” her GPA is presently 2.0. A 2.0 GPA would not be similar to a “B” average.
Under Florida law, teenagers who want to get an abortion must get their parents’ permission and notification. The teenager requested the judge to ignore that requirement, which the judge may do if there is “clear and powerful evidence” that the youngster is “sufficiently mature.”
According to Smith, she isn’t. Smith’s decision was later overturned by an appeals court.
But after the following outrage from progressive organizations and the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, Smith was forced to answer for his actions at the ballot. By a 3.7-point margin, voters chose that they would rather have lawyer Nancy Jacobs, who had previously made two unsuccessful attempts for the position.
