At the 2017 Conference of County Court Judges, Judge Jane Fishman was recognized as the conference choice for the “County Judges Were There” presentation. This recognition honors a single County Court Judge in the State of Florida each year who has had a leading role in the administration of justice. Judge Fishman was recognized for her many achievements, including her leading role in the advancement of judicial education on both the state and national levels. Congratulations Judge Fishman!

  
The Conference of County Court Judges of Florida awarded Broward County Judge Robert F. Diaz the Harvey Ford Award at its annual conference in July, 2017.
As the highest honor bestowed on a county court judge by the Conference of County Court Judges, the Harvey Ford Award recognizes a county court judge who has demonstrated the highest level of service to the community, the legal profession, and to the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida.
Judge Diaz was appointed and elected in 1992, and again in 2012. He serves at the Broward County Central courthouse in the misdemeanor criminal division. Some of Judge Diaz’s accomplishments include the following:
•Received the “Adjunct Professor of the Year” 2017 for Nova Law School where he has taught the Street Law Program for 26 years.

•Voted the Law Related Education Judge of the Year by the Florida Bar in 1996.

•Served as a volunteer faculty member for Florida’s New Judges College, training new judges for 23 years.

•Visits at least 15 high schools and middle schools each year to expose students to law and the justice system.

•Helped create the Broward Young Lawyers for Literacy program where young lawyers help 1st and 2nd grade students learn to read.    

 The award is named for Broward County Judge Harvey Ford, who died in 1995, and was known for his outstanding and dedicated community and professional service.

The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit celebrated the dedication ceremony of its new, 20-story courthouse tower on May 11, 2017. The west tower is now fully operational!

Baseball and the Law: Cases and Materials, a law school textbook co-authored by the Seventeenth Circuit’s Judge Louis Schiff, was recently honored with a 2017 Research Award by the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR). The award honors outstanding research projects that have “significantly expanded our knowledge or understanding of baseball…” as decided by a three-judge panel within SABR. A world-wide organization, SABR boasts many major and minor league baseball officials, broadcasters and writers, as well as numerous former players. Primarily, the membership consists of “just plain fans” — anyone interested in baseball can join. While the original purpose of SABR was to band together baseball historians, statisticians and researchers, it is not necessary to engage in research to become a member.

Well done, Judge Schiff!

Friday, February 10, 2017 marked the third and final judicial robing ceremony of the year in the Seventeenth Circuit, by the official swearing in of the last five of the circuit’s 13 new judges. 

The Honorable Chief Judge Peter M. Weinstein presided over all three ceremonies which took place on Thursday, January 19, Friday, January 27, and Friday, February 10. 

January 19 Robing Ceremony, pictured left to right: Judge Barbara R. Duffy, Judge Michael Lynch, Judge Florence Taylor Barner, Judge Kim Theresa Mollica

January 27 Robing Ceremony, pictured left to right: Administrative County Court Judge Sharon Zeller, Judge Deborah Carpenter-Toye, Judge Jennifer Wigand Hilal, Judge Jose Izquierdo, Judge Martin S. Fein

February 10 Robing Ceremony, pictured left to right: Administrative County Court Judge Sharon Zeller, Judge Keathan B. Frink, Judge Andrea Ruth Gundersen, Judge Betsy Benson, Judge Kathleen McCarthy, Judge Michael Davis

The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit’s Judge Louis Schiff has again been recognized for Baseball and the Law: Cases and Materials, a law book he co-wrote and published in 2016. The Marquette Sports Law Review, deemed by many as the most prestigious sports law journal in the United States, has published a robust, 19-page review, aimed at giving guidance to law professors who wish to teach baseball law and adopt the book.  

Reviewer Russ VerSteeg concludes his introduction of the review by saying “…Schiff and Jarvis present cases and notes that help us appreciate, understand, and gain insight into some of the most important legal and social issues of the past and present. Antitrust, labor unions and collective bargaining, civil rights (e.g., issues relating to race, gender, and sexual orientation), the reserve clause, betting, gambling, drugs (both recreational and performance-enhancing), alcohol, violence, accidents and injuries, cheating, agency, family law, immigration law, environmental law, and communication technologies (e.g., radio, television, and Internet) all enter the mix of the interface between the sport of baseball and the law. The abundance of information and wealth of knowledge that this text offers makes it an invaluable resource.”

To read the full review, follow this link: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1700&context=sportslaw

Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce the election of Judge Jack Tuter as its next Chief Judge. The role of Chief Judge assumes overall administrative responsibility of the circuit court, its staff, and its 90 judges. The Chief Judge is elected by a majority of the judges within the circuit. Judge Tuter officially begins as Chief Judge on July 1, 2017. 

The current Chief Judge, Peter M. Weinstein, is completing his third and final term as Chief Judge. He was first elected as Chief Judge in 2011 and that term will conclude on June 30th of this year. Judge Weinstein intends to remain on the bench in the Probate and Guardianship division.
First appointed in December 2005, Judge Tuter has served for many years as the administrative judge of the Circuit Civil division in the Seventeenth Circuit. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from University of Memphis and was admitted to the bar in 1982. 
Judge Tuter expressed his sincere thanks for the support of the judiciary and is looking forward to his new role.