DeSantis appoints 4 appellate judges, including 3 from Duval County

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed four judges to the Fifth District Court of Appeal on Dec. 16.

Because of the reorganization of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal and appellate judges transferring to the new 6th District Court of Appeal, there were four vacancies to be filled on the 5th District Court of Appeal.

DeSantis appointed:

• Joseph Boatwright II, of East Palatka, is a judge on the Putnam County Court. He joined the bench in January 2013.

He previously served as the managing assistant state attorney in the 7th Judicial Circuit and an associate attorney in private practice.

Boatwright received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, a master’s degree from Covington Theological Seminary, a law degree from The Catholic University of America, a master of laws in taxation from the University of Florida and a master of laws in judicial studies from Duke University.

• Paige Kilbane, of Jacksonville, is a judge on the 15th Judicial Circuit Court. She joined the bench in January 2021 after her appointment by DeSantis in 2020.

Previously, she was a judge on the Palm Beach County Court, an associate attorney in private practice and an assistant state attorney in the 19th Judicial Circuit.

Kilbane received bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.

• John MacIver, of Neptune Beach, is chair of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.

Previously, he was the general counsel to the state chief financial officer, deputy general counsel for the Executive Office of Gov. DeSantis and assistant general counsel for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

MacIver received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a law degree from Northwestern University.