Florida's highest court is trying to determine whether it needs to step in to avoid what some are calling a possible "constitutional crisis."
The Florida Supreme Court held a nearly hour-long hearing Wednesday where an attorney for Governor Rick Scott squared off against an attorney representing the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF) and other groups.
The LWVF urged the court to avoid the "crisis” that could emerge if Scott replaces Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince before his successor takes the oath of office.
Age limits will force those three Supreme Court justices to retire the day Scott leaves office in January 2019.
Scott has said he plans to name their replacements that morning. But those appointments could tip the 4-3 balance of the court from progressive to conservative.
LWVF argued that if Scott attempts a “midnight appointment” and chooses the successors before the deadline, it will draw lawsuits and send the court system into chaos.
The court has not set a timetable for when it might rule.