Judge Robert Hinkle
North Florida U.S. District Court
Robert Lewis Hinkle was born in November 1961 in Apalachicola, Florida. He earned an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He was a clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He was in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, then in Tallahassee, Florida. He served as an adjunct professor of law at Florida State University.
Hinkle was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. He was confirmed by the Senate and received his commission in August 1996. He served five years as chief judge and assumed senior status in 2016.
In the News…
Federal Judge Robert Hinkle issued a temporary injunction stating that three children in Florida can continue with prescribed puberty blockers, despite a state law that prohibits gender transition interventions for minors.
Although the judge’s ruling applies only to the three families who sued, the judge wrote, “Gender identity is real.” He said “proper treatment” includes mental health therapy that can then be followed by hormone treatments and puberty blockers. “Florida has adopted a statute and rules that prohibit these treatments even when medically appropriate,” he said.
“There are risks attendant to not using these treatments, including the risk — in some instances, the near certainty — of anxiety and depression and even suicidal ideation. The challenged statute ignores the benefits that many patients realize from these treatments and the substantial risk posed by foregoing the treatments,” Judge Hinkle wrote.
The Florida Board of Health did not offer an immediate reply to the judge’s order.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Hinkle today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Robert Hinkle
North Florida U.S. District Court
United States Court House
111 N Adams St
Tallahassee, FL 32301
