7th Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano to resign at year's end to care for his parents

Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano, who just presided over the trial of cop killer Othal Wallace, has announced that he will resign effective at the end of the year to care for his parents.

Zambrano wrote a letter dated Tuesday to Gov. Ron DeSantis stating he intends to resign Dec. 31. The governor will appoint his replacement from a short list of applicants.

Zambrano was an assistant state attorney for the 7th Circuit before then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the circuit bench in 2005.

"I have had the honor of serving the people of the State of Florida for 33 years. Resigning is a difficult decision for me. I have spent my entire career as an advocate and student of the law and have immensely enjoyed a very fulfilling career," Zambrano wrote in the letter.

Zambrano was the first Hispanic judge in the circuit, which covers Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties. He is also currently the only Hispanic judge in the circuit. He has presided over cases in both Volusia and Flagler counties.

Zambrano, whose term doesn't end until January 2027, writes that some might wonder why a person would resign before the end of their term.

"I wish to leave no doubt as to the reasons for my retirement. Below is a picture of my 91-year-old father caring for my 80-year-old mother — who is currently in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease. Together they sacrificed so much of their lives in caring, supporting and raising me to be the person I am today, and allowing me the opportunity to study, practice and uphold the laws."

"They taught me that God comes first in our family. And family comes right after God. They taught me that caring for family is paramount in our lives. I accomplished all I've done and have achieved the American dream because of their unwavering support and love.

"I believe it is now my responsibility to be by their side and care for them in the waning days of their lives."

Zambrano, 60, was born in Panama, where he's parents still live. Zambrano also said in an interview that he will be doing some farming in Panama where his family has a farm with cattle, rice, teak wood and mangoes.

'Fair-minded, hard-working'

Circuit Judge James Clayton, the longest serving circuit judge in the circuit with 21 years on the bench, said he first met Zambrano when Zambrano was a misdemeanor prosecutor in DeLand.

“Raul was fair-minded, hard-working — never overzealous, empathetic to both the victim and the defendant,” Clayton said.

“He’s not full of himself and he’s got a great sense of humor,” Clayton said.

“Zambrano is probably my best judicial friend,” he said. “I’m really going to miss him.”

Judge Z

Zambrano, aka Judge Z, wrote that he worked as a state attorney for 15 years for former State Attorneys John Tanner and Steve Alexander. And he thanked former Gov. Bush for "the vote of confidence in appointing me circuit judge."

As an assistant state attorney, Zambrano prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including that of Roy Lee McDuffie for the murders of two Deltona Dollar General store clerks, and of Stanley Quaggin, who shot and killed a 14-year-old boy in a junkyard in DeLand.

As a judge, Zambrano presided over the trial of cop-killer Wallace, whom the judge last week sentenced to the maximum 30 years in prison.

Zambrano also presided over the trial of Luis Toledo, who is serving three consecutive life terms for killing a mother and her two children.

Zambrano also thanked "the thousands of jurors" who served in the trials he presided over and prosecuted. He wrote "I've impacted thousands of lives and I pray that my work bettered society in some way."

Zambrano earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and he earned his law degree from Stetson University. He is also a pilot and has a commercial pilot's certificate.

He served as chief judge from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2021, for the circuit.

And he quoted from a Jackson Browne song to end the letter.

"But in the famous words of the song 'Running on Empty,' 'I'd love to stick around but I'm running behind.' Farewell, thank you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano to resign at year's end