BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Broward Circuit Judge Edward H. Merrigan Jr., who also served as a two-star general in the U.S. Army, has officially retired from military service after more than three decades.
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“Being able to give back to my community and the country was a great opportunity for me. It is something I really loved,” Merrigan said in a news release on Tuesday.
Merrigan, who currently oversees a felony criminal division in Fort Lauderdale, began his military service in 1994 when he enlisted in the Army.
Five years later, he transitioned to the Army Reserve, where officials said he first served as the International Law Officer with the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion in Perrine, Florida. His career included a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
“All of us in the 17th Judicial Circuit have great appreciation and admiration for his service to our nation and serving our state,” Chief Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips said.
Merrigan’s final military assignment was as commander of the 84th Training Command, based at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The role required frequent travel, sometimes up to three weekends a month, across the country.
In addition to his courtroom duties, Merrigan presides over Veterans Court, a problem-solving court within the 17th Judicial Circuit.
He launched the program in 2012 to help veterans struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.
According to Merrigan, more than 1,000 veterans have graduated from the program and had their charges dismissed.
“It’s a great opportunity to help veterans. It helps them get back on their feet and become productive members of society,” he said in the news release.
Merrigan was first appointed to the county bench in 2009 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. He was elected in 2010, and in 2014, then-Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the circuit bench. He won election in 2016 and was re-elected in 2022.
