The 17^th Judicial Circuit is delighted to announce the election of Veronica N. Walker to the County Court bench. Judge-elect Walker defeated opponent Debi Gheorge Alten in the August 18^th election and will be sworn in next January.

Judge Walker currently is an Assistant State Attorney in the Broward State Attorney’s Office where she has worked since 2017. She is the lead prosecutor in the Hate Crimes Unit and is also assigned to the Public Corruption Unit. Judge Walker is a graduate of Tennessee State University and the Barry University School of Law.

“I am deeply humbled and grateful to the people of Broward County for placing their trust in me to serve as their next County Court Judge,” Judge Walker said. “Throughout my career as a prosecutor, I have had the privilege of serving this community and seeing firsthand the profound responsibility that comes with our justice system. I look forward to continuing that service from the bench and to treating every person who enters my courtroom with fairness, dignity, and respect.”

She added, “I am especially grateful to my family, friends, colleagues, volunteers, and the many people throughout Broward County who encouraged and supported me along this journey. It will be the honor of my career to serve the community I love.” #17judteam

PACE Center for Girls recently celebrated the graduation of its students, marking an important milestone in their journeys. Judge Kal Evans, a longtime member of the PACE Center for Girls Board, attended the ceremony. He said graduation is always one of his favorite PACE events because it offers an opportunity to see the results of the students’ and staff’s dedication. The ceremony was especially meaningful as a student speaker shared her story of overcoming adversity while pursuing her goals. Congratulations to all the PACE graduates for a job well done!

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court is pleased to announce the investiture of County Court Judge Jeremy I. Franker. The ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. on August 28th in Courtroom 17150. The investiture formally marks Judge Franker’s entrance into judicial office and is an important tradition recognizing service to the court and the community.

Judge Hope Tieman Bristol, Administrative Judge for Unified Family, and Judge Jose Izquierdo, who presides in Dependency, led a Broward County team to the ZERO TO THREE Safe Baby Courts Conference in Boston last week.

Judge Izquierdo presented on his work with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Court. In Broward County, the 17th Judicial Circuit established a collaborative framework with the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Court to better handle cases under the federal ICWA. Judge Izquierdo spearheaded this initiative to help bridge state dependency proceedings with tribal jurisdiction and customs.

Judge Bristol attended the conference with her Early Childhood Court team, gaining valuable insight into the latest approaches to supporting infants, young children and their families involved in the child welfare system.

We’re proud of our judges and teams for sharing their expertise, learning from colleagues across the country, and bringing innovative approaches back to Broward County. (Pictured in the insert, left to right: Judge Jose Izquierdo, Judge Hope Tieman Bristol, ChildNet Director of Case Management ECC Diane Rufus, ChildNet Dependency Case Manager Supervisor ECC Sherelle Young, ChildNet Early Childhood Court Dependency Case Manager Tyquisha Lee, and Trent Baker, Juvenile Problem-Solving Courts Program Coordinator.)

Members of the Florida Association of Problem-Solving Courts (FAPSC) recently attended the All Rise RISE26 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, representing Problem-Solving Courts from Judicial Circuits throughout the State of Florida.

This group brought together judges, court administrators, program managers, coordinators, and other Problem-Solving Court professionals from across Florida to share knowledge, exchange innovative ideas, and learn the latest evidence-based practices in treatment courts and justice innovation.

Their participation reflects Florida’s strong statewide commitment to the continued development, advancement, and success of Problem-Solving Courts, while providing an opportunity to collaborate with treatment-court professionals from across the nation.

The FAPSC members attending RISE26 proudly represented the many Judicial Circuits and Problem-Solving Court programs that serve Florida communities every day.