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Gov. Scott fills three vacancies on Hillsborough bench

 
Published May 1, 2015

Two new judges will join the Hillsborough judiciary this spring, and a third has been promoted. It is not exactly a diverse crowd — all three are white men in their 40s who graduated from the University of Florida Law School and practiced civil law.

Gov. Rick Scott's office announced Thursday that Mark D. Kiser, 41, a civil attorney based in Tampa, has been selected to fill a vacancy created by the governor's appointment of Hillsborough Circuit Judge Matthew Lucas to the Second District Court of Appeal.

Kiser is a shareholder at the law firm of Trenam Kemker, where he has worked since 2003, primarily on cases involving construction law, whistleblower claims, and medical health care fraud.

Also on Thursday, Scott chose Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Nash, 43, to fill an opening on the Circuit Court created by the resignation of Judge Ed Bergmann.

Nash has been a county judge for less than two years. In 2013, Scott appointed him to fill a vacancy, and a year later when his seat was up for election, he fended off a challenge by a former prosecutor and the son of a well-known attorney.

Nash, who specialized in business law before becoming a judge, has ties to Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, whom he befriended when they were students at UF. In previous interviews, he has dismissed the idea that he has political connections to Scott. His promotion creates a vacancy on the county bench that will be filled by someone of Scott's choosing.

In late March, Scott announced the appointment of Wesley D. Tibbals, 41, of Tampa, to Hillsborough's Circuit Court to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Debra Behnke.

Tibbals has practiced law with Akerman, LLP since 2000. He has been assigned to the domestic relations/family law division, where he will start on May 11. He replaces Judge Richard A. Nielsen, who will move to the circuit civil division.