Late judge praised for his decades of service to community
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Judge Jon Morgan
Osceola County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to name the Osceola County Courthouse after Jon B. Morgan on Monday.
The longtime Circuit Court Judge was a fixture of the legal system for more than four decades. After serving on the bench for nearly 23 years, he retired in December and passed away suddenly on Jan. 28.
“I served with Judge Morgan on the Public Safety Coordinating Council and he was always a tremendous advocate for justice,” said Osceola Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington. “We have lost a valued community leader who in a 40-year career was always mindful of those he served. He left his mark on the judicial system and programs for teens, victims of domestic violence and those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues.”
Upon his retirement Morgan, 67, was called out as a “judge’s judge” by the Osceola County Bar Association. In requesting the honor, Donald A. Myers, Jr., chief judge of the 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida said Monday that Morgan was “universally respected by his colleagues, members of the bar and the entire community. Judge Morgan was always the first to arrive for work at the Courthouse and most always the last to leave.”
A memorial is planned at 1 p.m. Thursday on the lawn of Courthouse Square.
Judge Morgan served the Osceola County community during his 40 year career with nearly 23 years as a county judge, a circuit judge, and as an administrative judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. An Osceola County resident, he was a member and leader of the Osceola Bar Association, Osceola Teen Court Board of Directors, Juvenile Justice Council Executive Committee, Center for Drug Free Living Board of Directors and many other organizations throughout his career.
Judge Morgan was instrumental in the design of the county’s new courthouse in 2000 where he served as a Judge for a large part of his career.
