Most of Florida's Supreme Court justices boast net worths of over $1 million, according to recent financial disclosures. Public officials are required by Florida law to report full financial disclosures each fiscal year to the Florida Commission on Ethics. Total net worths include “household goods and personal effects” like art and vehicles.
Some of the justices are far wealthier than others.
Barbara Pariente, who has served since 1997 and is viewed as one of the more liberal justices, was the wealthiest member of the Florida Supreme Court in 2014. She boasted a net worth nearly three times higher than most of her judicial counterparts. In 2014, Pariente posted a net worth of over $3.72 million. On top of the highest net worth, Pariente also had no listed liabilities on her financial disclosure form.
Pariente also owns three different properties across the state. She reported many of her assets jointly with her husband, Frederick Hazouri, a former appeals court judge who now serves as a mediator.
Florida law does not require the judges to disclose the financial interests of spouses or children.
Unlike many of her fellow justices, however, Pariente’s net worth has dropped slightly over the past year. In 2013, she had a slightly larger net worth of $3.77 million. The year before, Pariente’s value fluctuated slightly -- she posted $3.63 million as her net worth in 2012.
Judge Fred Lewis was the second-wealthiest justice, posting a net worth of $3.34 million in 2014. A good portion of Lewis’ net worth comes from his property ownership. Lewis owns three houses in different parts of Florida -- two are in the greater Tallahassee area while another is in Miami.
Lewis’ value decreased over a year-long span -- his net worth in 2013 was an uptick of $300,000, bringing his net worth to $3.51 million. The year before that (in 2012), his value was slightly less than $3.5 million.
Peggy Quince had a net worth of around $1.47 million in 2014, a slight increase from nearly $1.3 million in 2013. In 2012, Quince had a net worth of around $1.1 million. Quince has mortgages on two houses (one in Tampa and one in Tallahassee) which put her out around $212,000 and $143,000 each.
Ricky Polston just topped the million-dollar mark in 2014, boasting a net worth of around $1 million. In 2013, Polston had a net worth of $952,000. Polston, too, had two liabilities through mortgages, which totaled almost $500,000. In 2012, Polston’s net worth was around $813,000.
James Perry had a net worth of over $1.31 million in 2014. Perry owns two houses -- one in Tallahassee and another in Longwood -- he also received a VOYA deferred salary of nearly $330,000 and has a New York Life insurance policy with a cash value of $15,000. Perry’s 2014 net worth is up $100,000 from his 2013 value of $1.2 million. Perry posted a net worth of a little over $1.1 million in 2012.
Chief Justice Jorge Labarga had a net worth of $811,000 in 2014. That number is an increase of $200,000 from 2013’s total of a little over $667,000. Labarga, too, saw fluctuations in his net worth, which was $710,000 in 2012.
Rounding out the justices is conservative Charles Canady, who was the least wealthy of all seven. He had a wealth of over $486,000 in 2014. His net worth has increased little (around $12,000) over the last two years.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
