--- title: "Jorge Labarga | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jorge-labarga" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-22" --- # Jorge Labarga Supreme Court of Florida · Justice ## Profile - Court: Supreme Court of Florida - State: Florida - Role: Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-22 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Supreme Court of Florida, 2009-present - He later practiced personal injury and criminal defense law at Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Roth, Romano & Ericksen, P.A. (1987–1992) and as a founding partner at Roth, Duncan & Labarga, P.A. (1992–present) - Jul 1, 2014 – Jun 30, 2018: Chief Justice of Florida, first Cuban American to hold the post, and the first to serve consecutive terms in a century - Cuban-American justice of the Florida Supreme Court, appointed in 2009, and the first Cuban American to serve as Chief Justice of Florida’s highest court - 1996–2008: Judge, 15th Judicial Circuit Court (Palm Beach County), serving in family, civil, and criminal divisions - Began as an Assistant Public Defender in West Palm Beach (1979–1982), then joined the State Attorney’s Office (1982–1987), trying cases from theft to homicide ### Education ### Additional information - He graduated from Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach (1972), obtained a B.A. in political science from the University of Florida (1976), and a J.D. from the University of Florida School of Law (1979) - Born October 21, 1952, in Havana, Cuba, Labarga emigrated to the U.S. at age 11, settling in Pahokee, Florida. - Date of birth: 1952-01-01 - Birth place: Havana ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media and still photography Scope: statewide Electronic media and still-photography coverage is allowed in Florida public trial and appellate proceedings under Rule 2.450's equipment and conduct standards, always subject to the presiding judge's control of decorum, distractions, and fair administration. Evidence excerpt: Subject at all times to the authority of the presiding judge to: (i) control the conduct of proceedings before the court; (ii) ensure decorum and prevent distractions; and (iii) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause, electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings in the appellate and trial courts of this state shall be allowed [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [Official roster](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [Supreme Court of Florida official judicial roster](https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2490838/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0142.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4044/jorge-labarga/) - [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/4044/jorge-labarga/) - [Official biography source for Jorge Labarga](https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/the-court/about-the-court/justices/justice-jorge-labarga) - [FLORIDA'S SUPREME COURT JUSTICES](https://www.flcourts.gov/content/download/524088/file/florida%27s-supreme-court-justices.pdf) - [Jorge Labarga: Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court](https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/jorge-labarga-chief-justice-of-the-florida-supreme-court) - [Wikidata: Jorge Labarga](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6278188) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jorge-labarga", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jorge-labarga", "name": "Jorge Labarga | KnowJudges", "description": "Jorge Labarga, Supreme Court of Florida. 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Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450). Collected 2026-07-26.