Florida Statutes Title V. Judicial Branch § 27.50. Public defender; qualifications; election

For each judicial circuit, there shall be a public defender who shall be, and shall have been for the preceding 5 years, a member in good standing of The Florida Bar. The public defender shall be elected at the general election, for a term of 4 years, by the qualified electors of the judicial circuit. The public defender shall be an elector of the state and shall reside within the territorial jurisdiction of the judicial circuit in which he or she serves.