The Hon. Richard A. Howard is a judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jeb Bush in 2000.
The 5th Judicial Circuit encompasses Citrus County, Hernando County, Lake County, Marion County, and Sumter County. Howard has held assignments in Citrus County, presiding over cases in the Family and Criminal Divisions. He also played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Citrus County Mental Health Court in 2008, and, in 2019, he was appointed to serve as administrative judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit.
Prior to his appointment, Howard was a sole practitioner in his own private practice, a law firm he opened in 1993. Before that, he handled personal injury, criminal defense, and domestic relations cases as an attorney in private practice. Part of this time was spent as a partner at Brick, Davis, Marlowe & Howard (1990 to 1993).
He received a B.A. in criminal justice from the University of South Florida in 1975. Howard went on to earn a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 1978.
After graduating from law school, Howard began his legal career as an assistant state attorney with the Office of the State Attorney for the 6th Judicial Circuit. He was first assigned to the Child Support Enforcement Unit in Pinellas County before being assigned to a criminal docket in Pasco County, where he worked as a senior trial attorney until 1985. He was subsequently transferred to the 5th Judicial Circuit and was promoted to serve as its division supervisor.
Howard received the Distinguished Service Award for Judicial Service from the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency Chapter 27 (2010).
