A Palm Beach County circuit judge who was a leader in the Republican Party has been appointed to the 4th District Court of Appeal.Judge Edward Artau, who was appointed to the circuit bench by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014, on Wednesday was elevated to the appellate court by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.Artau, who graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and is the son of Cuban immigrants, replaces Judge Carole Taylor, the first African-American woman to serve on the West Palm Beach-based appeals court.The appointment means it will be the first time since 1994 that there are no black judges on the court that hears appeals from Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.While two black circuit court judges also were recommended for the post, one has since been appointed to the Florida Supreme Court. DeSantis appointed Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the state’s highest court last month even though she won’t be eligible to serve until...
