Justice Peggy A. Quince
Justice Quince graduated in 1970 from Howard University with a B.S. Degree in Zoology; she received her J.D. Degree from the Catholic University of America in 1975. While a law student she was active in Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Black American Law Students Association; she received an award for her work with Catholic's Neighborhood Legal Services Clinic.
Justice Quince began her legal career in Washington, D.C. as a hearing officer with the Rental Accommodations Office administering that city's new rent control law. In 1977 she entered private practice in Norfolk, Virginia, with special emphasis in real estate and domestic relations.
She moved to Florida in 1978 and opened a law office in Bradenton, Florida, where she practiced general civil law until 1980. In February, 1980, Justice Quince began her tenure with the Attorney General's Office, Criminal Division. As an assistant attorney general she handled numerous appeals in the Second District Court of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, including death penalty cases, the Eleventh Circuit
Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Her thirteen and a half year tenure at that office included five years as the Tampa Bureau Chief. Additionally, three years were spent handling death penalty cases exclusively, on direct appeal and in postconviction proceedings.
Justice Quince is a member of the Florida Bar, Virginia State Bar, the National Bar Association, the Tallahassee Association of Women Lawyers, and the George Edgecomb Bar Association. She is a former member of, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers, and the Tampa Bay Inn of Court. Justice Quince's former Florida Bar activities include membership on the Gender Equality Committee, the Criminal Law Certification Committee, and the Executive Councils of the Government Lawyers and Criminal Law Section.
Presently, Justice Quince is on the executive counsel of the Appellate Section of the Florida Bar and is the Supreme Court liaison to the Workers' Compensation Committee, the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, and the Supreme Court's Commission on Fairness. She has lectured at a number of Continuing Legal Education programs on issues involving search and seizure, probation and parole, use of peremptory challenges, postconviction relief and other appellate issues.
In 1993 Justice Quince became the first African-American female to be appointed to one of the district courts of appeal with her appointment by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Second District Court of Appeal to a term effective January 4, 1994. She was retained in office by the electorate in November 1996. On December 8, 1998, Justice Quince was appointed by the late Governor Lawton Chiles and Governor-elect Jeb Bush to the Florida Supreme Court.
Justice Quince is a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Her civic and community activities include membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the Urban League, the NAACP and TOBA, the Tampa Organization for Black Affairs.
Justice Quince has received the following honors and awards: National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Jurist Award for Outstanding Leadership Achievements and Dedicated Service to the Community At Large; Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association for Service on the Bench; Virgil Hawkins Bar Association Award for Community Service and Advancement of Equal Justice Under Law; the Virgil Hawkins Bar Association Certificate for Achievement in Jurisprudence; the Fort Lauderdale High School Award for participating in the School Law Magnet Program; the Broward County School Board Appreciation Award for Inspiration and Devotion to Our Youth; Award of Distinguished Service and Continuing Commitment to the People of Florida from the Fort Lauderdale B'nai B'rith; Proclamation from the Broward Board of County Commissioners stating that February 28, 1999, as "The Honorable Peggy A. Quince Appreciation Day;" Hillsborough County Sheriff's Black Advisory Council Appreciation Award; Lakeland NAACP Award for Contribution to Civil Rights; the African-American Production Company Personal Achievement Award; Paul C. Perkins Bar Association Appreciation Award; Florida State University College of Law Appreciation Certificate for Contributions made to Summer Law Program For Undergraduate Students; Certificate from the Office of the Attorney General, Florida Crime Prevention Training Institute for Exemplary Contributions to Crime Prevention in the State of Florida.
