Appearing before Fourth District Court of Appeal Judge Carole Y. Taylor will soon be a thing of the past, as the esteemed jurist has announced plans to retire March 31.

Taylor became the first black woman judge to serve in her post in 1998, after also being the first black judge to serve on the Broward Circuit. Former Gov. Lawton Chiles appointed her on both occasions.

Taylor's legal career began at the Legal Aid Society of Durham County in North Carolina, where she was a staff attorney before moving to the University of Florida to serve as associate university attorney. Taylor later became an assistant public defender in Broward County and an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida.

Taylor rose to the Broward County Court bench in 1991 after a stint in private practice for Miami firm Sams, Ward, Newman, Beckham & Elser. She later opened her own firm, before she was elevated to the circuit bench in 1995.

Judge Burton C. Conner described Taylor as someone who "walks the walk of everything one would want from a great appellate judge."

"She is calm, very respectful, open-minded, inquiring, collegial, and intelligent in her views and legal analysis," Conner said. "She has authored several en banc opinions with no dissents, which speaks volumes about her skills in the collaborative decision-making process of the appellate court. We will miss her greatly."

Judge Martha C. Warner said she can always count on Taylor to be well-prepared, kind and compassionate.

"And yet, she's very firm," Warner said. "When she decided a case, she was firm and strong in her legal rulings, but she wasn't afraid to change her mind when it was pointed out that she might have been wrong."

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Decades in court

Taylor chaired the court's diversity committee for several years, encouraging the retention of more diverse staff.

She also loves music, according to her colleague Warner, who said the plan is to focus on her jazz piano classes after stepping down.

"She's a lot of fun," Warner said. "I think that's wonderful—that's she's already been able to see the life after you leave this job. She already has this plan, and it just sounds wonderful to totally divorce yourself from what you do and yet be so excited in the new life you're going to have, the new experiences you're going to have. "

It's not really a retirement, the way Judge Alan O. Forst sees it, as Taylor is " still a young person" embarking on new endeavors.

"I have had the privilege of serving with Judge Taylor for seven years. That's just a blip in her judicial career of about 29 years, over 20 of them on this court," Forst said. "This longevity is hard for me to comprehend, because I view the Judge Taylor that I see now as a young person, because of her vitality and the diligent review she applies to each case."

Taylor has been the court's collegial glue, according to Forst, who has fond memories of driving her to bar functions—before she replaced her "old and beat up" car with one that wasn't made during the first Bush Administration.

"At the court, everyone has an opinion—that's what we do for a living! But we are all of one opinion concerning Judge Carole Taylor—she's awesome!" Forst said. "I'll miss working with her, but wish my friend well in the next phase of her career and life, and look forward to keeping in touch."

Fourth DCA Judge Melanie May said her fellow jurist's retirement will leave "a void in this court," which covers Palm Beach, Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.

"Throughout her time here, she brought a quiet, thoughtful approach to not only the cases before the court, but to our entire court family," May said. "Always one who reached out to staff with support and gratitude, she insured everyone knew they were appreciated. We wish her much happiness and lots of well-deserved time to spend with her family and friends."

Taylor was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1977, and obtained her bachelor's and law degree from the University of North Carolina.

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