Hon. John Jay Gontarek

John Jay Gontarek is a former judge of the First Circuit Court in Florida, having been elected to the position in 2012 and serving from January 2013 until the end of his term in 2019. Prior to his judicial appointment, he operated his own law practice, The Law Office of John Jay Gontarek, P.A. He earned a B.A. from the University of Florida in 1977 and a J.D. from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1980. Gontarek’s election to the bench was unopposed, marking a notable achievement in his legal career.