Faces were smiling and tails were wagging as the Seventeenth Circuit marked the fifth anniversary of its Therapy Dog Program! Established in the summer of 2013 as a pilot program, Judge Susan Lebow was the first to welcome the initial two teams into her juvenile dependency hearings. More judges and more teams came aboard and now five years later, five teams bring canine companionship to the central courthouse several days a week. Currently, the teams are used in just the dependency division, helping children who need them. Plans to expand the program to other divisions is in the works.

Pictured in the group photo are, L-R: Judge Schulman, Judge Bristol, Judge Gamm, Judge Gillespie, Judge Lebow and Judge Izquierdo.

The Virgil Hawkins Chapter of the National Bar Association honored trailblazers at its annual gala last month. Included in the honors (and pictured here) are: Seventeenth Circuit Judge Michael A. Robinson; Federal Judge Charlene Honeywell (Tampa); Retired Judge Mary Rudd Robinson; Retired Judge Hubert Grimes and his wife, Daisy; Senator Perry Thurston; and attorney Nathaniel Green.

Judge Phoebee Francois was sworn in to office by Chief Judge Jack Tuter on Monday, July 2, three days after being appointed to the bench by Governor Rick Scott. Judge Francois is a former Hearing Officer in the Seventeenth Circuit.

Congratulations!