The Hon. Meredith Charbula is a judge for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John Skinner.
The 4th Judicial Circuit encompasses Clay County, Duval County, and Nassau County. Charbula has held assignments in Duval County, presiding over cases in the Criminal Division and the Probate Division.
Prior to her appointment, Charbula was a judge for the Duval County Court, a position to which she was named by former Governor Rick Scott in 2017. Before that, she was the Director of the Legal Division of the Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit (2014 to 2017) and an associate at Arnold & Sichta (2013 to 2014).
Charbula earned a bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University. She then completed a J.D. at Florida State University College of Law (1987) and an LL.M. in military law at the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School (1994). She is also Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Florida Bar (2008)
After graduating from law school, Charbula began her legal career as an assistant state attorney in the Office of the State Attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit. She served in that capacity for two years, eventually leaving to become a judge advocate for the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army. She was deployed to Yugoslavia, where she sat as command judge advocate and legal advisor to the task force commander.
Charbula returned to civilian life in 1997. She became deputy general counsel to the Florida State University College of Law. However, her time there was brief. Later that year, she moved to the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution. She served as Chief Assistant Prosecutor until 2003, at which time she became an assistant attorney general in the Capital Appeals Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office.