Larry Edward Franz Metz (born March 20,1955) is a retired American judge and politician from Florida. He served on the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court[3] from July 1,2018,until his retirement on July 15,2023.[4][5] Previously,he was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from November 2,2010,until his appointment as a circuit judge in 2018,was a member of the Lake County School Board from October 29,2004,until November 1,2010,and served on other boards and commissions.[6][7]
Metz was born in Abington,Pennsylvania,and moved to the state of Florida in 1968. After graduating from Northeast High School in 1972,he attended the University of Florida,where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1976. Immediately upon graduation he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps,serving full-time until 1980.[8]
He was stationed in Japan for his last year of active duty. Following his active-duty tour,Metz served for 2 years in the Marine Corps Reserve,after which he was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. While a Marine,Metz took graduate-level courses in public administration at San Diego State University but did not graduate. In 1980,he was admitted to the Florida State University College of Law,where he received a Juris Doctor with High Honors in 1983. In 1983 he began private practice as an attorney in South Florida,eventually moving to Central Florida and starting Metz Law Firm,P.A. in Lake County in 2007.[9]
In 1992,Metz ran for Congress against incumbent Democrat Congressman Harry Johnston in the newly created 19th District comprising portions of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Unopposed for the Republican nomination in the heavily Democrat district,he lost to Johnston,receiving 37% of the vote. Metz and his family moved to Yalaha in Lake County in 1997,[10][11] and he became active in Lake political circles while working for a law firm in Orlando. In 2004,when State Representative Carey Baker opted to run for the Florida Senate rather than seek re-election in the 25th District,which included large areas of northern and eastern Lake County and smaller areas of northern Seminole and southern Volusia counties,Metz ran to succeed him. He faced Alan Hays,Johnny Barto Smith,Randy Wiseman,and JoAnn Huggins in the Republican primary. Metz lost to Hays,with 29% of the vote to Hays's 35%.[12][13]
School Board of Lake County,Florida
Following his loss in the 2004 Republican primary for a state representative seat,Metz was appointed to the Lake County School Board by Governor Jeb Bush on October 29,2004. The appointment filled a vacancy created by the resignation of Dennis Reid. In 2005,Metz was selected as the board's vice chairman.[14][15]
Metz was elected to a full term on the board in 2006,winning with 54 percent of the vote against challenger Bill Mathias. His tenure involved policy considerations on financial oversight,including the establishment of a citizen audit committee and the development of an internal audit process.[16][17][18]
Metz supported a 2006 referendum that changed the Lake County school superintendent position from an elected to an appointed role,a measure which was approved by voters. That same November,he was chosen as board chairman and was re-elected the following year. The board subsequently adopted procedures for hiring an appointed superintendent.[19]
Other matters addressed by the board during this period included managing student overcrowding due to population growth,participation in a school concurrency pilot project,revisions to employee travel rules,and the planning of a medical magnet high school.[20][21]
During the 2007–2008 academic year,the school district received an "A" grade from the Florida Department of Education and achieved accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[22][23]
Florida House of Representatives
In 2010,when Hays ran for the Florida State Senate rather than seeking re-election,Metz ran in the 25th District once again to succeed him. He narrowly won the Republican primary against Rick Joyce with 53% of the vote. In the general election,he faced Frank Layne Wood,the Democratic nominee. The Orlando Sentinel endorsed Wood over Metz,noting that,"Mr. Metz wavers on SunRail,which the Legislature might see again. And he hasn't ruled out expanding offshore drilling or watering down oversight of growth."[24] However,Metz defeated Wood in a landslide,receiving 64% of the vote.
When Florida House of Representatives districts were reconfigured in 2012,Metz was drawn into the 32nd District,which included only a small portion of the territory that he had previously represented in the 25th District. He was unopposed in both the primary and the general election,and won his second term unopposed. In 2014,Metz was re-elected to his third term unopposed,as well.
While in the legislature,he sponsored legislation that targeted the Florida High School Athletic Association,which would "curtail the FHSAA's power to investigate and make athletic eligibility rulings,revamp its governance structure with the addition of more political appointees,and set a 2017 expiration date on its status as the designated governing body for high school sports."[25]
Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
On March 11,2018,Governor Rick Scott made an unannounced visit to the Florida House of Representatives during the last day of the extended regular session to announce his appointment of Metz to an open judicial seat in the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida. The Fifth Circuit consists of Citrus,Hernando,Lake,Marion,and Sumter counties. He assumed office on July 1,2018,replacing the Honorable William Law. In 2020,Metz was elected without opposition to a full six-year term. His chambers were in the Lake County Courthouse in Tavares. In his first two years on the bench,he presided over civil jury trial cases and domestic cases. Thereafter he presided over criminal felony cases,civil non-jury cases,and probate matters. Metz retired effective July 15,2023,to spend time with his family and to focus on his health.[3][4][26][27]
At his investiture,Metz spoke of the importance of the rule of law in America. "Our country does value the rule of law,which makes us superior in many ways to other countries that don’t have the rule of law,”he said. “People can invest here and know that their property rights are protected by the rule of law,and so is their safety and liberty. It’s so important to have that as the underpinning of society.”[28][29]
Additional Public Service Roles
Metz also served as a member of the Lake County Zoning Board,the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization Governing Board,the Lake County Value Adjustment Board,and the Four Corners Charter School,Inc. Board of Directors. From 2012 to 2018 Metz served as Governor Scott's appointee to the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame Council. In 2015,Governor Scott appointed Metz as one of three commissioners representing Florida at the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,also known as the Uniform Law Commission,a position to which he was reappointed and served until 2023.[30][14][31][32]
Awards and recognitions
Throughout his career in public service,Metz received numerous awards recognizing his legislative work and community involvement. In 2008,he was honored with the Lake County Community Service Award for Leadership for his contributions to civic initiatives in Lake County.[14][33]
In 2013,Metz received the "Most Valuable Legislator" Award from the Florida Chamber of Commerce,recognizing his support for pro-business legislation. This award was highlighted on the Chamber's website and noted in political reporting.[34][35]
In 2016,he was named the Lake County Golden Eagle Dinner Honoree by the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America,acknowledging his community leadership and public service. These honors were referenced in official Florida House records and a retirement announcement by the Florida State Courts.[4][36]
Parkinson’s disease
Larry Metz publicly disclosed in November 2016 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease earlier that year at age 61. He revealed this information at the conclusion of an interview with the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission,explaining that he had been aware of the diagnosis for several months and was not taking medication at that time.[37] Metz emphasized that the condition had not interfered with his work and expressed his intention to continue serving despite the diagnosis.[38][39]
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