Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced a Winter Park judicial appointment to the Sixth District Court of Appeal.
Paetra Brownlee, of Winter Park, to serve as Judge on the Sixth District Court of Appeal
Brownlee has served as a Judge on the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court since her appointment by Governor DeSantis in 2020. Previously, she served as a Partner at The Brownlee Law Firm, P.A. She received her bachelor’s degree from Emory University and her juris doctor from Florida State University College of Law. Brownlee fills the judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jay Cohen.
The Sixth District Court of Appeal is composed of the Ninth, Tenth, and Twentieth Judicial Circuits of the State of Florida.
In ongoing efforts to continually improve the judicial process, the Florida Supreme Court recommended in November 2021 the addition of a sixth district court of appeal, and it was signed into law by Governor DeSantis in June 2022, creating the first new appellate court since the 1979 creation of the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
The Sixth District Court of Appeal will be composed of cases from the following counties and circuit courts: Orlando, Orange and Osceola (Ninth Circuit from 5th DCA); Hardee, Highlands and Polk (Tenth Circuit from 2nd DCA); and Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee (Twentieth Circuit from 2nd DCA).
The purpose of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal is to provide the opportunity for thoughtful review of decisions of lower tribunals by multi-judge panels. District Courts of Appeal correct harmful errors and ensure that decisions are consistent with our rights and liberties. This process contributes to the development, clarity, and consistency of the law.
