T. Kent Wetherell II

Thomas Kent Wetherell II (born August 26, 1970) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida and former Florida state court judge.

This article is about the Florida judge T. Kent Wetherell II. For the former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, see T. K. Wetherell.
T. Kent Wetherell II
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Assumed office
July 12, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJohn Richard Smoak Jr.
Judge of the Florida First District Court of Appeal
In office
October 1, 2009 – July 12, 2019
Appointed byCharlie Crist
Succeeded byAdam Tanenbaum
Personal details
Born
Thomas Kent Wetherell II

(1970-08-26) August 26, 1970
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
ParentsT. K. Wetherell (father) Virginia Bass Wetherell (stepmother)
EducationFlorida State University (BS, JD)

Early life and education

Wetherell was born on August 26, 1970, in Daytona Beach, Florida.[1] He earned his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, from Florida State University and his Juris Doctor, with high honors, from the Florida State University College of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as an articles editor of the Florida State University Law Review.[2]

Wetherell spent four years in private practice at the Tallahassee firm Hopping Green Sams & Smith, where his practice focused on representing landowners and developers on land use matters before local governments and state agencies and representing corporate clients in administrative rule challenge and bid protest hearings. Before becoming a judge, he served for two years in the Office of the Florida Attorney General as Deputy Solicitor General.[2]

State judicial service

Wetherell served for seven years as an Administrative Law Judge of the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings, where he heard a wide variety of cases, involving rule challenges, bid protests, hospital certificates of need, environmental permit challenges, employment discrimination claims, and professional license disputes.[2]

He was appointed a Judge of the Florida First District Court of Appeal by Governor Charlie Crist and took office on October 1, 2009.[1] His service on the state court terminated when he was appointed a federal district judge.

Federal judicial service

On April 26, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Wetherell to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. On May 7, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge John Richard Smoak Jr., who assumed senior status on December 31, 2015.[3] On October 17, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[4]

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Wetherell for a federal judgeship.[5] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[6] On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 18–4 vote.[7] On July 9, 2019, the Senate voted 82–16 to invoke cloture on his nomination.[8] On July 10, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 78–15.[9] He received his judicial commission on July 12, 2019.

References
  1. "Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II". Florida First District Court of Appeal. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  2. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Thirteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees and Seventh Wave of United States Marshal Nominees, White House, April 26, 2018 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. "Fifteen Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, May 7, 2018
  4. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for October 17, 2018
  5. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019
  6. "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019
  7. Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 7, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee
  8. Roll Call Vote 116th Congress - 1st Session United States Senate Vote Summary: Vote Number 192, United States Senate, July 9, 2019
  9. Roll Call Vote 116th Congress - 1st Session United States Senate Vote Summary: Vote Number 195, United States Senate, July 10, 2019
Legal offices
Preceded by
John Richard Smoak Jr.		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
2019–present		 Incumbent
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