County judges serve six-year terms and preside over most non-jury trials in county court. Often called “the people’s courts,” these courts handle a high volume of everyday disputes involving citizens.Their jurisdiction includes traffic offenses, misdemeanor criminal cases, violations of local ordinances, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims up to $8,000, and civil disputes up to $50,000.2024/2025 County court judge’s salary is $186,034To be eligible for county judge in Florida, a person must be a qualified elector of the county and a member of The Florida Bar for at least five years. In counties with populations of 40,000 or fewer, bar membership alone is sufficient.
Civic Positions/Experience
Practicing attorney and member of Florida Bar since 1999
Education
Graduate of Oak Ridge High School, BA (English) and JD from Florida State University
Campaign Phone
4072561209
I've been litigating cases for 27 years, and I've managed every stage of litigation from initial intake through trial and appeals. For the last several years, I've been working almost exclusively in county court, and I appreciate the importance of ensuring fairness and access for every litigant, whether they are a consumer representing themself pro se or a corporation represented by counsel. Everyone who appears in court deserves to be treated with fairness, dignity, and compassion, and everyone is entitled to equal access to justice under the law. I will work every day to extend that judicial philosophy to all who appear before me.
When public defenders are overloaded, we all suffer. Judges can help by implementing adequate courtroom management procedures and engaging prosecutors to help where they can by working with the public defenders in a collegial and productive manner, without obfuscation or delay.
It is of the utmost importance that a judge maintain independence, and that the public sustain a high level of trust in the judiciary. A judge must exercise restraint and discretion and endeavor to preserve that public trust at all times, avoiding even the appearance of impropriety. In this day and age, it is more difficult than ever but also more important that the judiciary be seen as impartial and fair. I take that obligation very seriously and will endeavor to earn the continued trust of the community from the bench.
Political environment aside, we should all be working toward finding common ground and bridging the divide threatening to tear us asunder.
I will advocate for more funding for the courts to lessen the caseloads of all court personnel and for the development of problem-solving courts and diversionary programs for certain classes of cases. In Orange County, we have a drug court, a mental health court, a veterans' court, and a teen court. These programs connect community members with resources to help lift them out of problematic circumstances, and that will help provide restorative justice and reduce recidivism. I'd like to see a similar option for people experiencing homelessness and evictions.
During the pandemic, we saw how providing access to zoom court helped improve access to justice, and I think that is another way we can adapt to meet the needs of our community.
The use of uniform trial orders in civil court has streamlined case management by providing predictability and encouraging settlement of cases without wasting court resources on uncontested issues. I’d encourage the expansion of problem-solving courts, and the use of magistrates where appropriate. A judge has an obligation to manage her caseload in a way that balances the administration of justice and stewardship of resources. Underfunding is a perennial challenge, and it’s important that our legislators understand what the courts need in terms of funding to ensure that courts run as smoothly as possible and serve our community efficiently.
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