DeSantis appoints three judges to courts serving Manatee County
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced three judicial appointments Friday to courts that serve Manatee County, including two attorneys with local ties.
DeSantis appointed Bradenton attorney Andrea Johnson and Desoto County Judge Guy Flowers to the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, while naming Lakewood Ranch attorney Hillary Ellis to the Manatee County Court, according to the governor’s office.
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit serves Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties, while Manatee County Court handles misdemeanor, traffic and lower-level civil cases.
Johnson fills a vacancy created by Judge Lon Arend’s resignation. Ellis and Flowers fill new judicial roles created by 2025’s Senate Bill 2508, which expanded the number of judges statewide.
Who are the new Manatee County judges?
Johnson has worked as partner and chair at Barnes, Walker, Goethe, Perron, Shea & Johnson P.L.L.C. since 2025, according to the governor’s office. Before that, she practiced as a solo attorney at the Law Offices of Andrea M. Johnson. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a law degree from Stetson University.
Ellis has worked as an attorney with The Law Place since 2023 and previously served as an assistant state attorney in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a law degree from Faulkner University.
Flowers has served as a county judge in DeSoto County since 2022 and previously worked as an assistant state attorney in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Barry University and his law degree from Stetson University.
The appointments were part of a broader round of 12 judicial appointments announced statewide Friday by the governor’s office.
How long will judges serve?
Per the Florida Constitution, judges appointed to circuit and county courts serve for at least one year before facing voters. After one year, they must run in the next available election cycle to secure a full six-year term on the bench.
That means all three of the newly appointed judges would not appear on the ballot until 2028. The seats are non-partisan and typically decided during the August primary election.
