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U.S. Senate makes Roy 'Skip' Dalton Jr. a federal judge
Dalton, a Central Florida attorney, will serve Middle District of Florida

By Mark Matthews, WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate agreed unanimously Monday to make Roy "Skip" Dalton Jr. -- a Central Florida attorney and counsel to former Sen. Mel Martinez -- the newest judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, one of the busiest in the nation.

A partner in the law firm of Dalton & Carpenter in Orlando, Dalton has spent more than three decades as a civil litigator, in addition to a short tenure as counsel to Martinez from 2005 to 2006. Dalton, 58, was born in Jacksonville and earned his law degree in 1976 from the University of Florida.

In comparison to other judicial candidates, whose bids can linger for years, Dalton had a relatively quick transition from nomination to confirmation: less than six months. One law professor said Dalton's ability to work with both parties explained the speed, and that it could portend his approach to the bench.

"He is someone who can work with Republicans or Democrats," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. "My sense is that he will be middle-of-the-road on hot-button social issues."

Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, said Nelson "thinks he'll be an excellent judge. In fact, he helped shepherd the nomination through to unanimous consent."

Dalton replaces Henry Lee Adams Jr., who took senior status.