The Hon. Frederick R. Hardt (Ret.) was a judge for the 20th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Hardt was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jeb Bush in 2003 and re-elected in 2006 and 2012. He retired after reaching the state's mandatory retirement age in 2019.
The 20th Judicial Circuit encompasses Charlotte County, Collier County, Glades County, Hendry County, and Lee County. Hardt held assignments in the Felony, Civil, and Probate/Guardianship Divisions.
Hardt graduated with his B.B.A. in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, in 1969. He went on to earn a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1972.
After graduating from law school, Hardt served as trial counsel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Navy. He reached the rank of lieutenant commander after completing his service in 1975. He then began his civilian legal career as an attorney in private practice in Wisconsin. Then, in 1983, Hardt relocated to Florida. He continued his work in private practice, serving as a partner at Hardt & Stevens as well as a civil litigation attorney at Roetzel & Andress.
His memberships have included the Collier County Republican Executive Committee and the Collier County State Committee of the Republican Party of Florida. He has also been involved with the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association, the Board of Trustees of the North Collier Hospital and Naples Community Hospital, and the Pelican Bay Municipal Services District Board, and he has taught as an adjunct professor at Hodges University.