Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz says in a free and pluralistic society, it is inevitable there will be diverging and deeply held views about what is true and just and good. But at the same time, the chief justice said, the nation has recently witnessed behaviors that no reasonable person, and certainly no one who loves the courts as an institution, can approve of.

At a time when there is “intense public interest” in the work of the nation’s courts, it is vital that organizations like the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society continue to bring people with different perspectives together to pursue the common goal of making sure people understand the importance of a strong, independent judiciary in our governmental balance of power.

That is the message Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz brought to those attending the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society’s Annual Dinner January 27 in Tallahassee.