LAKELAND, Fla. — Sheriff Grady Judd made history Tuesday morning when he took the oath of office to begin his fifth term as the top law enforcement officer in Polk County.
Judd, who has a way with words and a knack for creating viral moments, ran unopposed in 2020 and became the first sheriff in the county's 160-year history to win a fifth time.
His swearing-in was held at the Lakes Church on Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady administered the oath.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony was private -- but streamed online.
Sheriff Judd began his career at the Polk County Sheriff's Office as a dispatcher in 1972 and became a deputy two years later. He rose to the rank of colonel before being elected sheriff in 2004.
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