VOTE411 Voter Guide

The juvenile judge for Division 8 will preside over juvenile delinquency, family in need of services (FINS), dependency and neglect cases (d/n), probate, and domestic relations cases.

The juvenile judge for Division 8 will also supervise and coordinate the juvenile officers and services which provide rehabilitative services to children and families.

I have over 16 years of experience in juvenile law and criminal prosecution. As a deputy prosecuting attorney for both the states of Florida and Arkansas, I prosecuted juvenile and adult defendants for misdemeanors and felonies. I handled dependency and neglect cases on behalf of the state and represented foster parents, relatives, and parents in family law cases and adoption litigation. My breadth of experience in juvenile law, combined with creativity and individualized solutions drive my wholistic approach to rehabilitation of children and families.

I plan to implement an early childhood court which ensures young children who come under the court's supervision receive services appropriate to their developmental needs and increased focus on timely meeting permanency goals.

I also plan to immediately implement additional substance abuse services for juveniles including services which address the substance abuse dynamic within the home, such as Alateen.

Circuit Court Judge, District 4, Division 8 primarily hears Juvenile Court cases: Dependency Neglect, Delinquency, and FINS. Dependency Neglect cases are filed to address the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected and are in foster care as a result. Delinquencies address behaviors by a juvenile, 10 and over, that would be a crime if committed by an adult. FINS cases address truancy, disobedience at home and/or school, and crimes committed by minors under 10. Division 8 also hears criminal cases where a juvenile is charged as an adult. Domestic Relations cases, Orders of Protection, and Probate cases arising out of a juvenile court case are also heard in this division.

I have spent the majority of my 25 year legal career practicing in Juvenile Court handling all three types of juvenile court cases. As a Prosecuting Attorney, I prosecuted both FINS and Delinquency cases. I also served as an Attorney ad Litem for 14 years representing the best interest of children in Dependency Neglect cases. While in private practice, I handled Domestic Relations, Orders of Protection, Criminal, and Appellate cases. I was appointed to the bench on March 1, 2025, where I have served as Circuit Court Judge, Division 3. I am running to continue serving as your Juvenile Judge because every child deserves safety, every parent deserves fairness, and every family deserves the chance to heal and thrive for generations to come.

I will continue to run my court with efficiency and compassion. I start court on time and end on time, always keeping children’s best interest in mind. I will continue to work with juvenile court staff to provide services and create further court programs as an alternative to detention, given that research has shown that these programs result in better outcomes for children and the community.

I preside over Juvenile (Abuse, Truancy and Delinquency), Domestic Relations (Divorce, Custody, Visitation, Paternity and Orders of Protection), Probate (Guardianships, Adoptions and Estate Administration) and Criminal proceedings. I ensure the hearings are fair by applying the rules of civil procedure and evidence. I listen carefully to testimony, discern what information is credible and decide what a fair outcome is by considering the evidence in light of the law. I write detailed legal opinions and orders. As a juvenile judge, I also supervise sixteen (16) juvenile officers and administer the juvenile court. I oversee officer training, develop policies and procedures for handling cases and create programs to rehabilitate youth.

Before I was elected as Judge in 2020,I represented children in foster care for twenty years and was certified as an attorney ad litem for both juvenile and domestic relations cases. I operated a private law firm handling juvenile and family law matters for eight years. Since 2021, I have served as judge over Division 8 and have presided over cases and received additional training in administration of cases and best practices in court. I have hired and trained officers, developed policies and procedures and built relationships with stakeholders and community partners. I am educated, diligent, respectful, compassionate and fair.

During my first term, the goal was to get the newly created Division 8 functioning. I implemented the use of technology to keep cases moving during the COVID pandemic, I secured juvenile officers to be dedicated to the division and developed operating procedures for a model juvenile court. In my second term, I will focus on measuring and improving outcomes by defining success in measurable terms, ensuring we have processes in place to gather data to evaluate our success and set goals to improve our outcomes. I plan to focus on developing more programs to combat gun violence and follow up on the ideas generated from our first FINS symposium to build better relationships with schools to better engage youth in education.