TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A change in judges could delay the upcoming trial of accused FSU shooter Phoenix Ikner, prosecutors say.

This week, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis appointed Circuit Judge Lance Neff, who is presiding over the case, to the First District Court of Appeal.

Now, the state attorney says, Ikner’s Oct. 19 trial date will likely be pushed back.

“It’s going to cause a delay, I don’t know how much. Obviously we need to find out who our new judge is going to be,” State Attorney Jack Campbell said. “Judge Neff had taken a very aggressive stance on setting the case for trial and had set several different deadlines. It’s totally conceivable that the new judge could just step in and adopt Judge Neff’s schedule and we would see no delay, but most likely with a new judge he or she are going to need to set up their cases and start doing their organization. So my expectation, like when we have a new trial attorney come on, or a new prosecutor come on, with a new judge, it’s most likely going to cause a delay.”

Trial Court Administrator Elizabeth Garber told WCTV on Tuesday that Neff has submitted his resignation from the circuit bench effective March 15.

It will now be up to the Chief Circuit Judge Frank Allman to assign a judge to handle the Ikner case.

“The chief judge is evaluating how the vacancy created by Judge Neff’s appointment to the First District Court of Appeal will be handled,” Garber said in an email to WCTV. “No changes in the scheduling of any matter currently assigned to Judge Neff are anticipated.”

Ikner is accused of killing two people and injuring seven more when he allegedly opened fire at the FSU Student Union on April 17, 2025.

Multiple killed, injured after shooting at Florida State University:

WCTV has reached out to Ikner’s defense attorney, Blake Johnson, for comment on the change in judges and the potential impact it could have on the case.

Judge Neff’s appointment to the First DCA has created a second vacancy on the Second Circuit Bench. Judge John Cooper retired in December and DeSantis has not yet appointed a replacement.

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