Jorge Labarga is an American lawyer who is a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and took office on January 6, 2009. On June 30, 2014, he had his win for the position of Florida’s 56th Chief Justice and first Cuban. He succeeded Charles T. Canady’s July 1, 2018 post. His term expires on January 2, 2023, and is currently in the news as he is running for re-election to the same position. He is on the ballot for re-election on November 8, 2022.
Early life
He was born on October 21, 1952, in Havana, Cuba (where he spent his childhood with his two siblings) and grew up in Pahokee, Florida in the heavily agricultural region of Lake Okeechobee in western Palm Beach County, from where he received his received studies. Labarga attended Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach, graduating in 1972. He later received his BA in 1976 and JD in 1979 from the University of Florida. He grew up with his two brothers named Eddie and Aramais, also known as “Dee Dee”. Jorge Labarga’s mother’s name is Miriam and his father’s name is Jorge Labarga, Sr.
Jorge Labarga career
Judge Jorge Labarga began his legal career in 1979 when he held the position of the assistant public defender with the West Palm Beach Attorney’s Office. Then, in 1982, he served with the West Palm Beach District Attorney’s Office. There he worked on numerous cases involving homicides. In his early years of success, he also worked for various private companies. He worked for Cone, Wagner, Nugent, Roth, Romano & Ericksen, PA, and began handling personal injury litigation. In 1992, he helped direct and found the law firm of Roth, Duncan & Labarga, PA, in West Palm Beach, where he practiced and specialized in personal injury and criminal defense litigation.
From 1996 to 2009 he served for the 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida. In the US presidential election of 2000, he came into the limelight when he opposed a new vote only at the county level. He preferred the statement that said:
“…an election must be held on the same day throughout the United States, not just in one area…”
Prior to joining the FL Supreme Court Justice, Jorge was appointed a member of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals for Florida. But he only served in that position for one day on January 5, 2009. His tenure for the position was curtailed when he was quickly promoted to the position of Justice of the Florida Supreme Court following the resignation of Justice Harry Lee Anstead. On June 30, 2014, Jorge won the 56th Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, replacing former Positioner Chief Justice Ricky Polston. With this position, he became the first person of Hispanic descent to head the Florida Department of Justice.
Jorge Labarga Biography | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Jorg Labarga |
| Date of birth | October 21, 1952 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 70 years |
| Place of birth | Havana, Cuba |
| profession | justice |
| University | The University of Florida, Forest Hill Community High School |
| qualification | graduate |
Physical Statistics | |
| Height | in feet inches – 5′ 10” – in centimeters – 177 cm |
| weight | in kilograms – 74kg – in pounds – 163 pounds |
| hair color | light brown |
| eye color | Brown |
Jorge Labarga family | |
| Father | Jorge Labarga Sr. |
| mother | Miriam Labarga |
| sister | – |
| Brothers | Eddie Labarga, Aramais Labarga |
relationship status | |
| Marital status | Married |
| Who is Jorge Labarga’s 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 couple gave birth to two daughters together. Her daughters’ names are Stephanie and Caroline. Elder daughter Stephanie is a graduate student at Florida Atlantic University and is known for being the operations manager of Omphoy Ocean Resort and Spa in Palm Beach. Youngest daughter Caroline (two years younger) is a graduate student at Florida State University and is known to work as an art teacher for people with developmental disabilities at Pyramid in Tallahassee. Jorge and Zulma Labarga celebrated their anniversary in August 2014 (34th).
Jorge Labarga net worth
Labarga is known to be one of the highest-paid judges in Florida. He is known to earn an estimated net worth of $1,758,347 as of May 2022.
Facts About Jorge Labarga
- During his childhood, he and his family lived in Pahokee, Florida. He was eleven years old when he came to the United States.
- Jorge Labarga’s father, Jorge Labarga, Sr., feared for the livelihood of the entire family. He boarded a Pan Am flight to Miami, leaving behind his parents, wife, and three sons (including Jorge Labarga) with hopes that he would soon join the family.
- Due to the delay caused by the October 14-28, 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Labarga family met and reunited in America in 1963 in the sugar mill town of Pahokee, Palm Beach County.