2024 13 3RD AMENDED
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This is an administrative order by the Chief Judge of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court establishing and updating the judicial assignments for judges across four counties (Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie), specifying which judges handle which types of cases and court functions, effective March 10, 2025.
The Chief Judge ordered specific assignments of judges to handle defined categories of cases and court functions across the four counties, with administrative judges designated for specific divisions and judges assigned to various committees and specialized courts, effective March 10, 2025.
[1] Judicial assignments to specific case types and dockets are determined by administrative orders of the chief judge.
[2] Chief judges have the authority to assign judges to oversee specific divisions, committees, and programs within the court system.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Modifications to assignments as set forth herein shall be effective March 10, 2025”
Establishes the effective date for the judicial assignments
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe order addresses the assignment of judicial responsibilities across the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, comprising Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, a…
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Honorable Victoria Griffin All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection; Assist with Mental Health Court/Veterans’ Court
Honorable Cynthia Cox: All Civil Cases
Honorable Rebecca White: All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Detention and Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy court; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act cases); All Risk Protection Order Cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; Member of the Indian River County Children’s Services Council; Responsible for all post-conviction relief motions/hearings; Okeechobee County Early Childhood Court cases
Honorable Robert Meadows: All Felony Cases
Honorable Nicole Menz: One-half of Indian River County Court Cases; Mental Health Court; Veterans’ Court; County Election Canvassing Board
Honorable Robyn E. Stone: One-half of Indian River County Court Cases; Felony Drug Court cases; County Election Canvassing Board
MARTIN COUNTY Honorable Sherwood Bauer: All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection Honorable Michael McNicholas: All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases including Detention and Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy court; 75% of Civil Non-Jury Cases (from time of filing) excluding Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act); Member of the Martin County Children’s Services Council
Honorable Steven Levin: All Felony Drug Court cases
Honorable Elizabeth Metzger: All Civil Jury Trial Cases and Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; Assist with Civil Non-Jury Cases
Honorable William Roby: All Felony Cases
Honorable Kathleen H. Roberts: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; County Election Canvassing Board
Honorable Darren Steele: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; County Election Canvassing Board
Honorable Jennifer A. Alcorta Waters: One-third of Martin County Court Cases; Mental Health Court; Assist with Felony Drug Court; Supervision of Traffic Magistrates for all Civil Traffic matters; Assist Circuit Civil Non-Jury Cases - 25% (from time of filing) excluding Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; County Election Canvassing Board
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY
Honorable Leatha Mullins: One-half of all Domestic Relations cases including Injunctions for Protection (all odd assigned DR case numbers); All Felony Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act); All Risk Protection Order Cases; All Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; All Jimmy Ryce Cases
Honorable Laurie Buchanan: One-half of all Domestic Relations Cases including Injunctions for Protection (all even assigned DR case numbers); All Civil Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All Dependency Cases, including daily Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy Court; Assist with Mental Health Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases; Assist with Early Childhood Court Honorable William Wallace: All Okeechobee County Court Cases; Assist with Felony Drug Court cases; Mental Health Court; Veterans’ Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; Assist with Truancy Court; Assist with Probate cases; Member of the Okeechobee County Children’s Services Council
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
Honorable Anastasia Norman: All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Shelter and Detention Hearings; Oversee all CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy Court; Member of St. Lucie County Children’s Services Council; Member of the St. Lucie County Roundtable
Honorable Michael Heisey: One-third of Felony Cases Honorable Steven Levin: All Non-Jury Civil Cases, including Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosures; All Probate and Guardianship Cases (and corresponding MH cases); Weekday First Appearance Hearings (in rotation with County Court Judges); All civil forfeiture cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; Martin County Adult Drug Court
Honorable Michael Linn: One-third of Felony Cases; Assist Felony Drug Court
Honorable Lawrence Mirman: One-third of Felony Cases; Assist Mental Health Court
Honorable Lillian Ewen: One-half of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (A-K of alphabet); Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings
Honorable TBD (Awaiting Governor Appointment): One-half of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (L-Z of alphabet); Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings
Honorable Charles Schwab (Chief Judge): Mental Health Court; Felony Drug Court; Assist with all dockets throughout the circuit, including Civil and Criminal trials Honorable Brett Waronicki: All Civil Jury Trial Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e. Baker and Marchman Act); All Risk Protection Order Cases Honorable Edmond W. Alonzo: All St. Lucie County Court Civil Cases and Landlord/Tenant Cases; All Traffic Infractions involving serious injury or death; All Traffic Magistrate recusals and/or disqualifications; 30% of Small Claim Cases including Replevin; County Election Canvassing Board Honorable Jeffrey Hendriks: 40% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (D-Mo of alphabet); County Election Canvassing Board; Veteran’s Court; DVDP program
Honorable Daryl Isenhower: 20% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (A-C of alphabet); 70% of Small Claims Cases including Replevin; All Collections Court; County Election Canvassing Board
Honorable Lauren Sweet: 40% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (Mp-Z of alphabet); All County and Municipal Ordinance violations; County Election Canvassing Board
WEEKEND FIRST APPEARANCE
All Circuit Court Judges assigned to St. Lucie County will be responsible, with the St. Lucie County Court Judges, for Weekend First Appearances, Shelter Hearings, and Detention Hearings in St. Lucie County.
All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Indian River County will be responsible, in rotation with Indian River County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Indian River County.
All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Martin County will be responsible, in rotation with Martin County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Martin County.
All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Okeechobee, Martin and Indian River Counties will be responsible, in rotation with the Okeechobee County Judge, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County. Any County Court Judge in Martin and Indian River County may choose or be scheduled to assist with the Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County. ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES Honorable Sherwood Bauer, Domestic Relations Division/Unified Family Court1 Honorable Lawrence Mirman, Criminal Division Honorable Elizabeth Metzger, Civil Division Honorable Lillian Ewen, Appellate Division Honorable Steven J. Levin, Problem-Solving Courts APPELLATE DIVISION All Circuit and County Judges
PROGRAM ASSIGNMENTS-JUDICIAL CHAIRPERSON FAMILY LAW ADVISORY GROUP St. Lucie ..................... Judge Ewen Martin ........................ Judge Bauer Indian River ............... Judge Griffin Okeechobee ............... Judge Buchanan
PRO BONO COMMITTEE LIASON ............................... Judge Buchanan BENCH/BAR PROFESSIONALISM ............................... Judge Ewen SMALL CLAIMS MEDIATION ...................................... Judge Steele
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Judge Hendriks, Chair Members: Judge Buchanan, Judge Cox, Judge Mullins, Judge Roberts, Judge Heisey, and Judge Schwab
FUTURE GROWTH AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
Judge Schwab, Chair Members: Judge Bauer, Judge Heisey, Judge Meadows, Judge Metzger, Judge Wallace, and Judge White
Judge Schwab, Chair Members: Judge Heisey, Judge Hendriks, Judge Linn, Judge Menz, Judge Waters, and Judge Wallace Modifications to assignments as set forth herein shall be effective March 10, 2025
DONE AND ORDERED at Ft. Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida, this 27th day of January 2025 nunc pro tunc March 10, 2025..
Charles Schwab Chief Judge