S P E C I A L F E A T U R E b y : L y n d s e y E . S i a r a – T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l C i r c u i t
Beyond the robe : Judge Darren Farfante
The eighth segment of this recurring series on Thirteenth Judicial Circuit judges features Judge Darren Farfante . Assisting Judge Farfante in his newly appointed role as the Executive Chair of the Circuit ’ s Professionalism Committee , I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the experiences that brought him to this point . Born into a family of mostly University of Florida graduates — though his mother is a proud alumnae of the University of Tampa — Judge Farfante would eventually become a “ quadruple Gator ” by earning his B . S ., J . D ., M . Acc . and L . L . M . all from UF . The youngest of three , Judge Farfante recalls frequent family trips to visit his older siblings at UF .
With rich Spanish heritage , the Farfantes have been Tampanians since the early 1900s ; Judge Farfante ’ s parents were born in Ybor City , and his childhood was rooted in West Tampa . He ultimately married his high school sweetheart , Evelyn ; their first date was Jesuit High School ’ s homecoming dance his senior year . They married after Evelyn completed her studies at UF and while Judge Farfante was pursuing his L . L . M . in Taxation ; their honeymoon was timed perfectly with his spring break . They just celebrated their 24th anniversary .
Because of his interest in business , Judge Farfante pursued accounting as an undergraduate . He also always knew he wanted to attend law school , and recognized an early interest in tax law . After enjoying a legal position at the State Attorney ’ s Office during law school , though , he identified an additional ( and he thought competing ) interest in litigation . With a professor ’ s guidance , he learned all his
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Judge Darren Farfante
“ it doesn ’ t matter what you do , as long as you invest yourself in what you choose ; pour yourself into it .” — Judge Darren Farfante
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