Court Administration led an informative tour of the courthouse for a group of students from TLA-The Language Academy of Fort Lauderdale, FL on Thursday, September 1st, 2022. The tour included a visit to a felony courtroom, discussion of the jury selection process, and views of the Office of the Public Defender.
Circuit Judge Michael Robinson received the 2022 Judicial Diversity Initiative Award for Broward County on August 11, 2022. The award is given to an esteemed jurist serving the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit who promotes and enhances diversity in the legal profession and on the bench. Congratulations, Judge Robinson!
Please join us in celebrating the reopening of the Susan J. Aramony Courthouse Clothing Closet by attending the upcoming Open House set for Thursday, August 25, 2022 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Room NW5830. The clothing closet is dedicated to the memory of Judge Susan J. Aramony, and has served thousands of individuals involved in the court system who are in need of clothing or accessories for school, court or other special occasions. Thank you to all of those who donated items, and to all of those persons who volunteered countless hours to help organize and set up the closet for this reopening.
Members of the felony drug court team recently attended the National Association for Drug Court Professionals Annual Conference in Nashville, TN. Pictured are Judge Susan Alspector, General Magistrate Rudy Morel, Drug Court Manager Russell Edwards, and Court Program Specialist Lisa Garfield.
Ten years ago this summer, the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit began its Veterans Court, offering rehabilitative services to veterans of the armed forces who are accused of certain crimes. Friday, July 22, 2022, a ceremony marking the occasion was held in the Judicial Complex and included opening remarks from Chief Judge Jack Tuter, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Judge Elijah Williams, and speeches presented by Judge Edward Merrigan, presiding Judge of Veterans Court, Keynote Speaker James Heaton, Esq., senior director of Mission United and Dr. Giovanna Delgado, Psy. D., Assistant Chief of Psychology of Miami VA Healthcare System.
To-date, the program has helped more than 1,000 veterans in our community; more than 200 are currently participating in the Veterans Court program.
Many of the Seventeenth Circuit’s County Court Judges attended this year’s Conference of County Court Judge of Florida, held mid-July in Bonita Springs, Florida. It is an annual conference that offers continuing education classes for County judges across the state. Florida’s Chief Justice Carlos Muniz swore in the Honorable Kenneth Gottlieb as this this year’s President of the Conference.
