ORLANDO, Fla. — Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Joseph W. Hatchett died on Friday. Hatchett died In Tallahassee. he was 88 years old.
Hatchett was the first African-American appointed to Florida’s highest court in 1975 by then Gov. Reuben Askew.
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Former President Jimmy Carter named Hatchett to the 5th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in 1979.
Hatchett graduated from Florida A&M University in 1954 and went on to earn his law degree in 1959 from Howard University School of Law.
Hatchett also worked as a federal prosecutor and in private practice.
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No cause of death has been released.
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Associated Press contributed to this article.
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