The Seventeenth Circuit Court wishes to recognize Judges Ken Gottlieb and Natasha DePrimo for their tireless service in Tallahassee working for the state court system.

Congratulations to Judge Jeffrey Levenson who was honored with the 2019 American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Judge of the Year Award, Fort Lauderdale Chapter, at their annual reception on January 25, 2020!

ABOTA’s mission is to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Friday, January 24, 2020, the Seventeenth Circuit, in conjunction with the Broward Bar Association, hosted its annual Judicial Procession and State of the Circuit address. Chief Judge Tuter talked about the year in review to the audience, taking time out to recognize some special honorees including two men who successfully completed Community Court and now have their lives back on track, and a staff member from our Self-Help Center’s 2-1-1 Broward agency who was credited with saving the life of a person in crisis who was on-site to seek help.

Additionally, the Broward County Bar Association presented Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips and Judge Dan Kanner with 2020 Friend of the Bar awards. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness also received the recognition.

In acknowledgment of January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Seventeenth Circuit announces the logo contest winner for RISE Court, a specialized sub-division within the juvenile dependency and delinquency divisions which addresses the unique and special needs of children known or suspected of being a victim of human trafficking. RISE stands for Restoring Independence, Strength and Empowerment.
“The symbolism of the sunflower is a meaningful representation of our court,” Judge Stacy Ross, the presiding judge of RISE Court, told the 15 year-old artist when asked what was liked most about her logo submission. As Judge Ross elaborated, “the sunflower logo represents resiliency, growth, strength and the desire to always seek the light. Sunflowers are special flowers in that they always follow the sun. No matter how weak the light, young sunflowers find the sun and turn themselves to it. This is what we strive for with each child in RISE Court.”
In further support of raising awareness of human trafficking, the Broward County Women Lawyers Association and the Broward County Hispanic Bar Association recently hosted “Human Trafficking in Plain Sight: A Panel Discussion on How Lawyers Can Detect and Protect Clients Caught in its Clutches.” Judge Ross moderated the discussion, which focused on educating attorneys on how to best serve their clients in relation to the complex legal issues surrounding human trafficking.

Last week was Broward County’s Inaugural Bilingual High School Conference entitled Our Bilingual Journey: The Challenges and Benefits of Bilingualism in the Legal Profession. Judge Navarro, Judge Diaz, and Judge Levine as well as members of the Hispanic Bar Association and Broward Hispanic Lawyers group were on hand for the event to help students during Q&A and breakout sessions.