Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Clay County prosecutor Pam Hazel to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), the Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office announced Thursday, Sept. 3.

Hazel directs the Clay County office of State Attorney Melissa Nelson's Fourth Judicial Circuit. She will continue in that role while serving on the JNC, where she will help screen and recommend candidates for judgeships in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties. Her term runs through July 1, 2030.

The appointment puts a Clay County official in a position that shapes the bench across four Northeast Florida counties. The nine-member commission recruits, investigates and evaluates applicants whenever a judicial vacancy opens in the Seventh Circuit. It then forwards three to six qualified names to the governor, who picks from that list.

"Judicial Nominating Commissions fill a vital role in our criminal justice system, and I am honored by Gov. DeSantis' appointment to take part in this important process," Hazel said in the announcement.

Hazel has spent 25 years as a prosecutor. Her caseload has included death penalty, sexual assault and violent crime cases. As Clay County director, she oversees cases in the Fourth Circuit's second-most populous county.

She graduated summa cum laude from Troy State University and earned her law degree from Florida State University College of Law, finishing in the top 10 percent of her class. She joined the Florida Bar in 2001.

The JNC does not select judges directly. It controls which candidates the governor may choose from, giving its members significant influence over who sits on the circuit bench. No upcoming commission meeting dates have been announced.