After interviewing seven applicants May 7 for the vacancy created by the retirement of Duval County Judge Ronald Higbee effective June 30, the 4th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee sent the names of five candidates to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration.
The commission convened and interviewed the applicants at the Duval County Courthouse. The public was allowed to watch the interviews on Zoom.
The nominees:
• Margaret Gibbs Gulliford is an assistant state attorney in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
In her interview, Gulliford said being appointed to the county bench would be an opportunity to start slowly and get a good foundation for the future, possibly as a circuit court judge.