After three decades of distinguished judicial service, Judge Kevin Emas notified Governor Ron DeSantis that he will retire from the bench on March 31, 2026. In his letter, Judge Emas noted: “It has been my honor to serve the people of the great State of Florida for the past thirty years. I have been blessed with an exceptional legal staff and court clerks and was fortunate indeed to have outstanding colleagues on the trial and appellate bench, dedicated to safeguarding the independence of our judiciary and upholding the rule of law.”
Judge Emas received his J.D. (cum laude) from the University of Miami School of Law in 1982, where he served as an editor of the University of Miami Law Review. He was a member of the Law School Honor Court and the Order of Barristers. Judge Emas received his B.A. (with honors) from the University of Florida in 1979.
As a member of the trial court bench for 14 years, Judge Emas served in the Domestic Violence, Criminal, Civil and Family Divisions. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Emas was an assistant public defender (1982-83), an associate and partner with Fine Jacobson Schwartz Nash Block & England (1983-1989), and a partner with the law firm of Thornton, Rothman & Emas (1989-96).
Judge Kevin Emas was unanimously elected by his colleagues as chief judge of the Third District Court of Appeal. He served as Chief Judge of the Third District from 2019 to 2021.