Middle Schoolers Try “Murder” Case at Mock Trial: State of Fla. vs. Teaberry Olson

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Middle Schoolers Try “Murder” Case at Mock Trial: State of Fla. vs. Teaberry Olson

It was a whodunnit of the craziest kind and the middle schoolers who were “trying” the case were determined to ferret out the truth. Did Tee Olson kill a homeless woman who was blackmailing him because his cafe served horsemeat? Could the meat delivery guy offer any clues? And what about the teen who usually loitered by the dumpster but disappeared after the murder? Students from Sunrise Middle School, William Dandy Middle School, Seminole Middle School, Nova Middle School, and Beachside Montessori Village argued their cases before Judges Michele Towbin Singer and Kenneth A. Gottleib in search of a verdict.

by Sallie James — December 12, 2024 in Announcements

Celebrating Decades of Public Service: 5 Judges Retire

Nearly 60 county and circuit court judges celebrated decades of service, friendship and memories at a special luncheon to honor five retiring judges whose years on the bench totaled a combined 125 years of service. Retiring judges included: Judge Louis H. Schiff, 28 years; Judge Robert W. Lee, 27 years; Judge Robert F. Diaz, 32 years; Judge Terri-Ann Miller, 18 years; and Judge John Murphy III, 20 years. Thank you for dedicating your lives to so many years of public service. Onto the next chapter! Enjoy your retirement. Read our press release HERE.

by Sallie James — December 11, 2024 in Announcements

Visiting the Courthouse & Learning About the Law

Students from Sawgrass Springs Middle School got a close up look at how court interpreters do their job, then visited Judges Michael J. Orlando, Deborah Carpenter-Toye and retiring Judge Robert F. Diaz in their respective courtrooms. Each judge took time to explain the in-progress proceedings, then fielded questions from the students during impromptu Q&A sessions. Special thanks to Phillippe Dumoulin, who took time to explain and then demonstrate how court interpreting works so the students could watch and learn.

by Sallie James — December 10, 2024 in Announcements

Making a Difference by Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders

Helping students in grades 6-12 develop leadership skills and academic success is what the Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders program is all about. It’s also why Judge Jackie Powell recently visited Lauderdale Lakes Middle School to induct the 2024-2025 board members of the Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders Club into office. That day, 46 students took an oath to pursue academic excellence under her watch. This peer-to-peer mentoring program focuses on student engagement and school completion. Goals include increasing graduation rates, reducing dropout rates, improving academic advancement and helping students progress. Thank you Judge Powell for making such a difference! Judge Powell was recently honored by the Caribbean Bar Assocation for community service. Read our press release here: http://www.17th.flcourts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Judge-Jackie-Powell-Award.pdf

by Sallie James — December 9, 2024 in Announcements

Last Call: Retiring Judge Teaches Traffic Hearing Officer Course for Last Time

He’s done it dozens of times in his 28-year judicial career, but the traffic hearing officer class that Judge Louis H. Schiff taught this week stood out from all the rest: the class of 12 lawyers who gathered at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building to prepare for a start date of February 2025 was to be the last class Judge Schiff would teach before he retires at the end of December 2024. An amazing legacy by any account. Enjoy your retirement Judge Schiff – well deserved!

by Sallie James — December 6, 2024 in Announcements

Celebrating Our Judicial Assistants With Holiday Cheer – and Plenty of Sweets!

A big shout out to the hard-working judicial assistants who keep the judges of the 17th Judicial Circuit organized and on track year round. Behind the scenes, they schedule hearings, update judges’ calendars and zip in and out of the case management system making sure everything falls into place at the right time. Judges and their judicial assistants this week celebrated the upcoming holidays with a hot lunch, sweet treats and a few party hats during the annual festivity. A good time was had by all. Happy Holidays!

by Sallie James — December 5, 2024 in Announcements