Judge Jackie Powell served as judge and keynote speaker for a mock trial competition at St. Thomas University-Benjamin L. Crump College of Law on Friday, May 17, 2024.
Over ninety 9th and 10th grade students from Miami Carol City High School and Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School participated in the competition with Judge Powell. The competition is a part of Judge Palermo’s Mentorship Program, which was created to encourage students and future leaders to have a strong knowledge about the United States constitution, civics and the law.

Judge Robert F. Diaz welcomed a group of interns from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law to the 17th Circuit courthouse on Friday, May 24, 2024.
Judge Diaz had the interns meet in his courtroom to be briefed on their time here at the circuit, and gave them more insight on what to expect while completing their internship.

A small group of young men from the 5,000 Role Models club of Margate Middle School came to visit the 17th Circuit courthouse on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
The students visited Judges Elijah H. Williams, Ari Abraham Porth, and Robert F. Diaz and participated in a Q&A session with each one.

Several staff members from Court Administration at the 17th Circuit attended the Administrative Services Training in Kissimmee, Florida. The training was sponsored by the Office of the State Courts Administrator and offered sessions about budget, finance and accounting, human resources, general and legal services. Discussions were also had about best practices throughout the judicial branch and trial courts.

Photographed here from left to right are Human Resources Manager Fred Cariano, Chief Deputy Court Administrator Diana Sobel, Accountant II Greissy Amorocho, General Counsel Patricia Judge-Lashley, Finance and Accounting Manager Gigi Garcia, and Trial Court Administrator Joseph M. D’Amico, Esq.

The Haitian American judges and magistrates of the 17th Circuit were honored at the Tet a Tet panel discussion in North Miami on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
At the event, Federal Magistrate Judge Peniota Agustin-Birch and Judges Florence Taylor Barner, Phoebee Francois, Danielle Sherriff, Fabienne E. Fahnestock, and Magistrate Yves Laventure participated on the panel and shared their experience with their career paths. All of the panelists were honored by the City of North Miami for their dedication to the Haitian American community with a proclamation.

The 17th Circuit’s Community Court was highlighted as part of a news story with CBS4 Miami on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Featured in the story is the Task Force for Ending Homelessness, who partner with the Community Court for the City of Fort Lauderdale and help place local residents in secure housing.

For the full news story, click on the link below:
https://tinyurl.com/CommCourtHomeless