Blacks kept off Florida judgeship list

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 3 (UPI) -- The Florida Supreme Court ruled Gov. Charlie Crist crossed constitutional bounds by trying to have blacks added to a judgeship candidates list.

Crist in December requested the judgeship nominating commission provide additional names after "three well-qualified African-Americans" were not included in the list sent him for a vacancy on the 5th District Court of Appeal.

But the state's highest court ruled Thursday the governor must pick from the six names he was given.

"While we applaud the governor's interest in achieving diversity in the judiciary -- an interest we believe to be genuine and well-intentioned -- the Constitution does not grant the governor the discretion to refuse or postpone making an appointment to fill the vacancy on the 5th District Court of Appeal," Justice Jorge Labarga wrote for the court.

Crist responded in a written statement that he was "disappointed" but would abide by the court's decision, The Miami Herald reported.

"I remain committed to ensuring that the diversity of the people of Florida is represented in our judiciary," Crist said.