Florida First District Court of Appeal Judge Bradford L. Thomas , who was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in 2005 has announced his plans to retire from his position after a distinguished 20-year career, including a term as chief judge from July 2017 to June 2019.
Before being named to the bench, Judge Thomas served in Bush’s administration as the Public Safety Policy Coordinator in the Governor’s office.
Thomas graduated from Florida State University in 1977, and the University of Florida’s College of law with honors in 1982. After graduation, Thomas worked in private practice in Big Pine Key, and served as Assistant Director of the Appellate Advocacy Program at the University of Florida College of Law from 1982 to 1984.
From there, Thomas worked as the Assistant General Counsel in the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation from 1984 to 1987, moving on to work as the Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Division from 1987 to 1989. He was Assistant General Counsel to the Florida Parole Commission from 1989-1991 and served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Second Judicial Circuit from 1991-1996, Staff Director on the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee from 1996-1997 and was the was Director of the Florida House of Representatives Justice Council from 1997-1999,
Thomas officially leaves office on February 28.