The Hon. Ronald A. Herring (Ret.) served as a judge for the 10th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Herring was elected to the bench in 1994. He retired on December 31, 2006.
The 10th Judicial Circuit encompasses Hardee County, Highlands County, and Polk County. Herring held assignments in Polk County, sitting as the Administrative Judge of the Family Division (1996) and Chief Judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit (2003).
Prior to his election, Herring was a judge for the Polk County Court, a position to which he was elected in 1988. Before that, he spent one year as an assistant attorney general in the RICO Division of the Florida Attorney General's Office (1986 to 1987).
Herring received an A.A. from Polk Community College (1971) and a B.S. (1976) and an M.S.C.J. (1978) from Rollins College. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1982. He was admitted to practice in Florida in 1983.
After graduating from law school, Herring began his legal career as an assistant state attorney with the Office of the State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit. He served in that capacity until 1985, at which time he entered into private practice at H. Guy Smith, P.A.
Herring has received recognitions from the Civitan Club, the Florida Council on Crime & Delinquency, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Polk County Drug Court, the Polk County Family Lawyer’s Association, the Polk Community College, the Rotary, The Peace River Center, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
A veteran of the United States Army, Herring served in Thailand during the Vietnam War. He and his wife, Gail, reside in Lakeland, Florida, where he attended Lakeland Senior High School. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.