Special to the News-Sun
Tenth Circuit Judge J. David Langford is retiring from the bench after 18 years of service effective June 30.
A member of Frostproof High School's class of 1968, Langford has degrees from Polk County Community College, the University of Florida and the University of Florida College of Law.
Prior to being elected county judge in 1987, Langford served as an assistant state attorney for the 10th district, practiced law privately, served as Avon Park's city attorney, board attorney for then South Florida Community College, and bank attorney for Sun Bank of Highlands County. He lives in Avon Park.
He was appointed to the circuit court in 1989, serving ever since. From Jan. 2007 to June 30, 2011, Langford served as chief judge of the circuit.
Langford's retirement opens a vacancy on the bench. The Tenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission announces it is accepting applications for the position.
Applicants for this circuit judgeship must have been a member of the Florida Bar for the preceding five years, must be registered to vote in the state of Florida, and must reside in Highlands, Hardee or Polk County at the time the successful applicant is sworn into office.
Application forms for the judgeship may be obtained from the Nominating Commission chair, Cassandra Larkin Denmark, Anthony & Partners, LLC, 415 E. Main St., Suite B, Suite 216, Bartow, FL 33830; (813) 273-5616, ext. 285. Application forms in various word processing formats are available on the Florida Bar website at www.flabar.org. The original and nine copies of the completed application (no notebooks or binders) must be delivered to the Commission Chair no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 9. In the past, applications that were not delivered by the specified deadline were not considered by the commission. The commission's interview of the applicants is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, April 15-16 at the Law Offices of Hardin & Associates, P.A., 1905 Bartow Road.
Commission members are Benjamin W. Hardin Jr., Richard E. Straughn, Kenneth B. Evers, Timothy McCausland, Victor Smith, Donald Wilson, Jr., John Hugh Shannon, Robert Swaine, and Denmark.
Saturday, March 16, 2013 - www.newssun.com/031713-JNC-Langford