Jorge Labarga is currently a justice of the Florida Supreme Court, taking office on 6th January 2009. On 30th June 2014, he had his victory for the position of Florida’s 56th Chief Justice and the first Cuban-American. He succeeded in the 1st July 2018 post by Charles T. Canady. His tenure will lapse on 2nd January 2023 and is currently in the news because he is standing in re-election for the same position. He is on the ballot for re-election on 8th November 2022.
Early Life
He was born on 21st October 1952 in Havana, Cuba (where he spent his infancy stage with his two siblings) and was brought up in Pahokee, Florida, in the heavily agricultural Lake Okeechobee region of western Palm Beach County, from where he received his studies. He went to Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach and received a degree in 1972. Later, he received his bachelor’s degree in B.A. in 1976 and J.D in 1979 from the University of Florida. He was brought up with his two brothers named Eddie and Aramais, a.k.a. “Dee Dee”. Jorge Labarga’s mother’s name is Miriam, and his father’s name is Jorge Labarga, Sr.
Jorge Labarga Career
Justice Jorge Labarga began his legal career in 1979 when he held the position of an Assistant Public Defender with the Public Defender’s Office in West Palm Beach. After that, in 1982, he contributed his time serving for the State Attorney’s Office in West Palm Beach. There, he handled numerous cases related to homicide. He has also worked for various private firms during his initial years of success. He worked for the firm of Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Roth, Romano & Ericksen, P.A. and began handling personal injury trial work. In 1992, he contributed to managing and finding the law firm of Roth, Duncan & Labarga, P.A., in West Palm Beach, where he practiced and specialized in personal injury litigation and criminal defense.
From 1996 to 2009, He served for the 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida. He gained limelight in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Elections when he refused a new county-only vote. He favored the statement that said-
“…an election must be held everywhere in the United States on the same day, not just in one area…”
Before joining the office as FL Supreme Court judge, Jorge was appointed as a member of the Fourth District Court of Appeal for Florida. But, he served in that position only for one day on 5th January 2009. His tenure for the position was cut short when he was quickly elevated to the position of Florida Supreme Court judge after the retirement of Justice Harry Lee Anstead. On 30th June 2014, Jorge won the 56th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida and replaced the former positioner Chief Justice Ricky Polston. With this position, he became the first person of Hispanic descent to lead the judicial branch of Florida.
Jorge Labarga Biography |
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| Real Name | Jorge Labarga |
| Birth Date | 21 October 1952 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Havana, Cuba |
| Profession | Justice |
| College | University of Florida, Forest Hill Community High School |
| Qualification | Graduate |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 5’ 10” – in Centimeters – 177 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 74 kg – in Pounds – 163 lbs |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
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Family |
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| Father | Jorge Labarga Sr. |
| Mother | Miriam Labarga |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | Eddie Labarga, Aramais Labarga |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Married |
| Who is his wife? | Zulma Labarga |
| Children | Two (Caroline, Stephanie) |
Personal Life
He is a happily married and loving man. His wife’s name is Zulma R. Labarga, and the pair produced two daughters together. The name of their daughters is Stephanie and Caroline. The elder daughter Stephanie is a graduate student from Florida Atlantic University and is known to be Omphoy Ocean Resort and Spa operations manager in Palm Beach. The youngest daughter Caroline (two years younger), is a graduate student of Florida State University and is known to be working as an art instructor for persons with developmental disabilities at Pyramid in Tallahassee. Jorge and Zulma Labarga celebrated their anniversary (34th) in August 2014.
Jorge Labarga Net worth
Labarga is known to be among the highest-paid lists of judges in Florida. He is known to earn an estimated net worth of $1,758,347 as of May 2022.
Trivia
- During his infancy stage, he and his family were living in Pahokee, Florida. He was eleven years old when he arrived in the United States.
- Jorge Labarga’s father, Jorge Labarga, Sr., had the fear for the livelihood of the whole family. He hopped a Pan Am flight to Miami, leaving behind his parents, wife, and three sons (including Jorge Labarga), hoping he would soon join the family.
- Because of the delay caused due to the Cuban Missile Crisis from 14th to 28th October 1962, the Labarga family met each other and reunited in 1963, in America, in the sugar mill town of Pahokee in Palm Beach County.
