The vacancies stem from the death of William Nelson of Fort Myers and the retirement of William Blackwell of Naples.
Fred Hardt of Naples earned the backing of the regional Judicial Nomination Commission as one of the finalists, and he merits the governor's selection from a competitive field.
The other five include two judges eager to make the step up from the Lee County Court bench.
Hardt helped lead the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association in its formative years. An attorney for 30 years, Hardt distinguished himself by using the bully pulpit of the chairmanship of the Collier County GOP to demand stricter local ethics codes after Stadium Naples. He helped lead the call for gubernatorial intervention after the initial prosecutor -- later deemed conflicted for being an investor -- stopped short of filing criminal charges.
Hardt's name ought to resonate within the governor's office for good reason. He knows how to use power for public benefit. He would make a worthy judge.
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Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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