Elizabeth A. Kovachevich
| Elizabeth Anne Kovachevich | |
|---|---|
| Judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida | |
|
Assumed office March 9, 1982 | |
| Nominated by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | George C. Young |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 14, 1936 Canton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
St. Petersburg Junior College (Now St. Petersburg College) University of Miami Stetson University College of Law |
Elizabeth Anne Kovachevich (born December 14, 1936) is a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Early life and education
Born in Canton, Illinois, Kovachevich earned an associate degree from St. Petersburg Junior College in 1956 and a bachelor's degree in business administration from University of Miami in 1958. She then earned a law degree in 1961 from Stetson University College of Law.[1]
Professional career
Kovachevich worked in private law practice in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1961 until 1973, when she was elected a judge on the State of Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit.[2] Kovachevich was the first female judge on the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and she served as a state judge in Florida until 1982.[3]
Failed nomination to federal district court
On June 8, 1976, President Gerald Ford nominated Kovachevich to a seat on a federal district court, according to an October 12, 1976 memo to Ford by his personnel director, Douglas Bennett. The United States Senate never acted on Kovachevich's nomination before Ford's presidency ended. Her nomination was blocked through a custom known as senatorial courtesy because the Democratic Party-controlled the Senate, and Florida's Senators, Lawton Chiles and Richard Stone, Democrats, opposed her confirmation. Ford's successor, President Jimmy Carter, elected not to renominate Kovachevich.
Federal judicial service
On January 26, 1982, Kovachevich was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 4, 1982 and received her commission on March 9, 1982. By that time, the Republican Party gained control of the Senate, and Paula Hawkins, a Republican, was serving in the Senate in place of Senator Stone.
Kovachevich served as chief judge for her district court from 1996 until 2002.
Kovachevich is based in Tampa, Florida.[4]
See also
References
Sources
- Elizabeth A. Kovachevich at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by George C. Young |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida 1982–present |
Incumbent |
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