Chief Justice Labarga pledges to address access to justice issues.

"It has been a long, long journey from fleeing Cuba as a boy, to the sugarcane fields of Pahokee, to the halls of the Supreme Court, to the judicial system's highest position."

Those were Justice Barbara Pariente's words, as she congratulated her friend and colleague, Jorge Labarga, as the first Cuban-American to ascend to chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

The Passing of the Gavel Ceremony June 30 at the Supreme Court was recognition of Labarga's stellar achievements, an historic occasion of joy for Hispanics, testament to the three branches of government working together, and a celebration of diversity.

"Clarence Darrow once said that 'you can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedoms.' In a sense, these simplistic words define the role that this great nation has taken during the course of its existence," said 61-year-old Labarga.

"As a young child, I watched my parents dream of an American-style democracy turn into a Marxist nightmare. Thanks to their foresight, my brothers and I arrived in this great nation over 50 years ago, when I was about 11 years old.

"It was a period in the early '60s, when our country was still struggling with the question of racial justice, when women were not provided with the same opportunities as men, and when a young and inspiring young president almost failed to get elected simply because he was Catholic.

"While it can be said that we still have a ways to go, we have certainly come a long way since those dark days. It is absolutely imperative that we continue to strive to be a country and a state of inclusion, and not exclusion.

"As one looks at the present composition of the United States Supreme Court and the present composition of the Florida Supreme Court, it can be readily seen that both institutions look like the face of America. It is also imperative that every effort is made to ensure that this court's members--the true face of America--appear at every level of our judicial system. This is how our judicial system should look, from county courts to circuit courts to appellate courts."

The crowd broke into applause.

As outgoing Chief Justice Ricky Polston remarked, Labarga, the court's 56th chief justice, is a man "whose background underscores this state's diversity, its commitment to representation of all its citizens, and its enduring faith in the principles of liberty and equal justice enshrined in our state and federal constitutions."

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