17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida

Nine new judges were officially sworn in to serve the 17th Judicial Circuit in an afternoon robing ceremony, Friday, January 18, 2013. Chief Judge Peter M. Weinstein presided over the ceremony, welcoming both circuit and county court judges to the bench.  
Those honored are:
Circuit Judges – Tim Bailey (Family); Ari Abraham Porth (Mental Health/Drug Court); Lynn Rosenthal (Criminal); Michael I. Rothschild (Criminal); Elizabeth A. Scherer (Juvenile Dependency); Laura M. Watson (Family)
County Judges – Christopher Pole (Criminal); Kathleen McHugh (Domestic Violence); Olga Levine (Criminal) 
The 17th Circuit welcomes all our new judges!

The Civil, Probate, Family, and County Court (Civil) Divisions of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court announce the implementation of a pilot program requiring registered users of the on line scheduling system to electronically transmit agreed orders to the Court pursuant to Rule 2.516. The pilot program is mandatory and is being implemented pursuant to Rule 2.516 and an Administrative Order of the 17^th Judicial Circuit.

Users of the on line scheduling system will transmit certain agreed orders. After submission of the order, the division judge will approve or disapprove the order. If approved all persons with registered email addresses for that case will receive a return email with the approved order. NO conformed order will be returned via regular mail. The receiving party shall be responsible for preserving a copy of the email order.

Please Click Here to read entire announcement.

THERE WILL BE AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING AND PROGRAM DEMONSTRATION FOR SUBMITTING ELECTRONIC ORDERS IN THE JURY ROOM, ROOM 380 BROWARD COUNTY COURT HOUSE ON THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, AT NOON. ALL PERSONS INTERESTED WHO UTILIZE THE ON LINE SCHEDULING SYSTEM SHOULD ATTEND OR SEND A PARALEGAL, LEGAL SECRETARY OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVE

ELECTRONIC ORDERS

MEETING AND DEMONSTRATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC ORDERS IN 17^TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, CIVIL, FAMILY, PROBATE AND COUNTY COURTS

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2012

NOON

JURY ROOM 3^RD FLOOR, ROOM 380

BROWARD COUNTY COURTHOUSE

201 SE 6^TH STREET

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

The 17^th Judicial Circuit is proud to recognize Senior Judge Joel Lazarus and County Court Judge Gisele Pollack, who were honored at the Broward County Crime Commission’s 33^rd annual Criminal Justice Dinner on October 18, 2012.

Receiving the Frank R. Pinter Lifetime Achievement Award was Judge Lazarus, who was cited as the “consummate Criminal Justice representative in Broward County” for his many years of service in the legal field, including his time as a prosecutor and the nearly two decades he’s spent on the bench.

Judge Pollack received the Justice Leadership Award for her role as the circuit’s misdemeanor drug court judge. 

Due to Tropical Storm Issac and the subsequent closure of the 17th Judicial Circuit court system on August 27, 2012, the Florida Supreme Court has issued the following Administrative Order for an Emergency Request to Extend Time Periods Under All Florida Rules of Procedure for Broward County.

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/clerk/adminorders/2012/AOSC12-40.pdf

Less than one month after being appointed to a circuit court judicial vacancy by Governor Rick Scott, Lynn Rosenthal was sworn in as the 17th Judicial Circuit's newest judge on August 1, 2012.  

Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Rosenthal served as an Assistant United States Attorney for 27 years, prosecuting a variety of federal crimes, as well as serving in the civil division of the U.S. Attorney's Office. Before that, the University of Florida graduate worked in private law firms as as associate attorney.

In the 17th, Judge Rosenthal will serve in the Family division, overseeing juvenile dependency cases.  

Welcome to the 17th Circuit Judge Rosenthal!

The 17th Circuit welcomes Claudette Vanni as its newest General Magistrate, covering the Probate division. She begins her new position on Monday, July 23 and brings a considerable amount of experience with her.

For more than 10 years she has worked in the area of public interest law. Magistrate Vanni was a senior attorney at the Guardian ad Litem program, and most recently worked as a senior trial lawyer at the Office of the Attorney General/Children’s Legal Services.

Magistrate Vanni received her law degree from Nova Southeastern, where she graduated with honors, and received her undergraduate degree from Saint Leo University, graduating summa cum laude.

Welcome to the 17th Circuit!

Christopher Pole was sworn in today as the newest member of the 17th Circuit’s judiciary, assigned to the county criminal bench, division MH. Judge Pole was appointed by Governor Scott, and will begin his term on Monday, July 2, 2012.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Judge Pole received his law degree at Nova Southeastern University. He began his legal career with the State Attorney’s Office, serving from 1981 until 1985. He went on to work as in-house counsel for AIG insurance for three years before going into private practice in 1988. As a solo practitioner, Judge Pole represented both criminal and personal injury defendants. Since 1993, he has been a certified criminal trial lawyer by the Florida Bar, and was an adjunct professor at his alma mater from 1993 – 1996.

Oh behalf of the entire 17th Circuit family, welcome Judge Pole!