Bradenton’s first female chief circuit judge is retiring. DeSantis to appoint replacement.
Circuit Judge Kimberly C. Bonner — the first woman to serve as chief judge in the 12th Judicial Circuit — has announced her plans to retire at the end of this summer.
In a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis dated May 2, Bonner gave her formal resignation effective at the end of business Sept. 2.
“I am tremendously blessed to have worked alongside esteemed colleagues and talented attorneys, as well the many dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that we are providing timely and fair access to justice,” she said in her letter. “Maintaining the independence and integrity of the courts is critical to preserving the rule of law and ensuring a system that is free from personal or political interests.
But with her six-year term not set to expire until January 2027, her resignation will force an appointment by DeSantis. For years, judges in the 12th Judicial Circuit have routinely retired without completing their terms on the bench, forcing an appointment rather than residents getting to vote in a new judge.
Bonner was first appointed to the county bench in 2002 by former Gov. Jeb Bush and later appointed to the circuit bench in 2013 by former Gov. Rick Scott.
In addition to serving on the county and circuit benches, Bonner is one of only a few judges who have presided over every division — county criminal, county civil, and circuit family, juvenile, criminal, civil, probate and guardianship — all three counties.
In 2019, Bonner was unanimously elected to be chief judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit, which includes Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties.
Her two-year term as chief judge was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic as she lead the circuit through the lockdown and the reopening. She issued 19 emergency administrative orders in response to COVID-19 to enable essential court hearings and implementing or removing safety protocols through different waves of the virus.
Bonner also served on the statewide COVID Continuation of Operations Workgroup from 2020 to 2021 helping to set statewide best practices for all Florida circuit and county courts.
Admitted to The Florida Bar in 1990, Bonner began her legal career in 1990 as an assistant state attorney in Sarasota. She went on to practice with Dickenson & Gibbons, as a staff attorney for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and later moved into the private sector working as in-house counsel for Allstate Insurance.
Bonner is currently pursing a doctorate in judicial studies and expects to complete her degree next year.
“I sincerely thank the citizens of Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties for the opportunity to serve,” Bonner added in her letter to the governor.
