Judge Robert Hinkle
North Florida U.S. District Court
Robert Lewis Hinkle was born in November 1961 in Apalachicola, Florida. He earned an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He was a clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He was in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, then in Tallahassee, Florida. He served as an adjunct professor of law at Florida State University.
Hinkle was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. He was confirmed by the Senate and received his commission in August 1996. He served five years as chief judge and took senior status in 2016.
In the News…
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee blocked a recently enacted Florida law that was meant to authorize the state to penalize social media companies when they ban political candidates, with the judge saying the law likely violated free speech rights.
Two tech trade groups had filed the lawsuit against Florida over the new law. The preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law was issued the day before the law was set to go into effect.
“This order preliminary enjoins enforcement of the parts of the legislation that are preempted or violate the First Amendment,” the judge said in the order. “The plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the merits of their claim that these statutes violate the First Amendment,” Judge Hinkle wrote.
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees citizens the right to free speech.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Hinkle today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Robert Hinkle
North Florida U.S. District Court
United States Court House
111 N Adams St
Tallahassee, FL 32301
