90.7 WMFE and 89.5 WMFV are Central Florida's primary provider of NPR programming and Classical Music. Part of the community since 1965, providing quality national and local news and programming. We inspire and empower all Central Floridians to discover, grow and engage within and beyond their world.
Support for 90.7 WMFE is provided by

Central Florida News


1st Black man on Florida Supreme Court has died. He was 88.

by The Associated Press (AP)

Photo: Joseph Woodrow Hatchett


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The first Black man to serve on the Florida Supreme Court has died.

The court announced Saturday that Joseph W. Hatchett died in Tallahassee. He was 88. No cause of death was given.

Hatchett was the first African American on the state high court when he was appointed by then Gov. Reubin Askew in 1975.

In 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter named Hatchett to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hatchett graduated from Florida A&M University in 1954, then earned his law degree in 1959 from the Howard University School of Law.


Get The 90.7 WMFE Newsletter

Your trusted news source for the latest Central Florida news, updates on special programs and more.

GET THE LATEST
Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected.

WMFE Journalistic Ethics Code | Public Media Code of Integrity

TOP