Justice David Lucius McCain

Former Justice David McCain achieved Eagle Scout rank in the Boy Scouts, one of his many achievements.  He graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1955, then served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force for two years.  McCain settled into a law practice in Fort Pierce, handling both civil and criminal cases. 

In 1962, he ventured into the political arena, running for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, but lost.  He switched party affiliations in 1966 and supported the successful candidacy of Claude Kirk for governor. 

McCain was soon appointed to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.  He ran for the Florida Supreme Court in 1968, but lost.  Then, after the death in office of Justice Campbell Thornal, in December 1970, Governor Kirk, just before he left office, appointed McCain to the Florida Supreme Court at the age of 39.

Justice McCain began to appear in statewide news reports for unreported campaign contributions from attorneys who had appeared before him at the district court.  He began drinking heavily at this time, divorced, and remarried. 

By 1974, other allegations had surfaced regarding favoring certain attorneys in his rulings and giving preferential treatment to people who had donated money to his election campaigns.  He was also accused of improperly interfering with judicial processes. 

When the Florida Legislature began impeachment proceedings against him in 1975, he resigned from the court.  By 1978, McCain was disbarred from the practice of law and had been arrested for drunken driving and other offenses.  He became involved in drug smuggling and went into hiding for the last years of his life.

Justice McCain served as Justice for four (4) years and eight (8) months from December 14, 1970 to August 31, 1975.  He was born in Sebastian, Florida, July 23, 1931, and died on November 11, 1986, in Jacksonville, Florida.