The Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (“JNC”) announces that the following persons will be interviewed on Friday, March 17, 2023, to fill one or more of the vacancies created by the elevations of Judge Paige Kilbane and Judge John Parnofiello, at the times indicated below:

9:00 a.m.               Ira Bergman
9:12 a.m.               Alex Braunstein
9:24 a.m.               Lourdes Casanova
9:36 a.m.               Santo DiGangi
9:48 a.m.               Gabriel Ermine
10:00 a.m.             Amy Morse
10:12 a.m.             M. Katherine Mullinax
10:24a.m.             Break
10:36 a.m.             Steven Phillips
10:48 a.m.             Robert Rubin
11:00 a.m.             Jeffrey Saidestat
11:12 a.m.             Gregory Schiller
11:24 a.m.             Reid Scott
11:36 a.m.             Danielle Sheriff 
11:48 a.m.             Sorraya Solages-Jones
12:00 p.m.             Lunch
1:00 p.m.               Schnelle Tonge
1:12 p.m.              Kevin Walsh
1:24 p.m.              Lawonda Warren
1:36 p.m.               Craig Williams
1:48 p.m.               Jean Marie Middleton
2:00 p.m.               JNC Deliberations

The above interviews will be conducted in person at the Library Conference Room, Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley Courthouse, 205 North Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33401.

Each interview will be ten minutes long, including a two-minute opening statement. The interviews will be transcribed by Phipps Reporting pro bono.

All JNC proceedings are open to the public, except for deliberations.

If you have any questions, please contact Robert Harvey at (561) 303-2918, or by email at [email protected].

Please click here to view AO. 

It is necessary for the prompt dispatch of the business of the circuit and county courts, that circuit judges be temporarily assigned to duty in the county court and that county judges be temporarily assigned to duty in the circuit court.

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.215, it is ORDERED as follows:

1. Each circuit judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida is hereby assigned and designated to hear, conduct, try and determine county court cases that are brought before the judge as a temporary judge of the Palm Beach County Court, and thereafter to dispose of all matters considered by the judge, including emergency and duty judge matters for the next six months.

2. Further, each county court judge of Palm Beach County is hereby assigned and designated to hear, conduct, try and determine circuit court cases that are brought before the judge as a temporary judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, and thereafter to dispose of all matters considered by the judge, including emergency and duty judge matters for the next six months.

DONE and SIGNED in Chambers at West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, this 2nd day of March, 2023.
___________________________
Glenn D. Kelley, Chief Judge

*supersedes Admin. Order No. 11.110 –9/2022

The Court has entered administrative orders establishing the office of magistrate in family law matters (Administrative Order 5.104), juvenile matters (administrative order 5.104) and mental health matters (Administrative Order 6.304).

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.215, it is ORDERED as follows:

The following are hereby appointed to serve as magistrates with all of the authority, responsibility and power conferred by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, Florida Rules of Probate Procedure and Florida Statutes.

Peter Bassaline, Esq.
Judette Fanelli, Esq.
Diane M. Kirigin, Esq.
Jennifer Klee, Esq.
Ilana Marcus, Esq.
James Williams, Esq.
Maxine Williams, Esq.

DONE and SIGNED in Chambers at West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, this 1st day of March, 2023. 

Glenn D. Kelley, Chief Judge

*supersedes admin. order 11.203-08/22

Please click here to view the AO.

Please click here to view the AO. 

The Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (“JNC”) announces that it has received applications from the following persons for nominations to fill one or more of the vacancies created by the elevations of Judge Paige Kilbane and Judge John Parnofiello: 

1. Ira Bergman *
2. Alex Braunstein
3. Lourdes Casanova *
4. Santo DiGangi
5. Gabriel Ermine
6. Jean Marie Middleton *
7. Amy Morse
8. Katherine Mullinax *
9. Steven Phillips
10. Robert Rubin *
11. Jeffrey Saidenstat
12. Gregory Schiller
13. Reid Scott
14. Danielle Sherriff
15. D. Small
16. Sorraya Solages-Jones
17. Schnelle Tonge
18. Kevin Walsh
19. Lawonda Warren
20. Craig Williams

*County Court only

The JNC anticipates conducting interviews on Friday, March 17, 2023.   

All JNC proceedings are open to the public, except for deliberations.  Applications are not confidential.  If an applicant is nominated, all materials attached to the original application will be submitted to the Governor.

If you have any questions, please call Mr. Harvey at (561) 303-2918, or email at [email protected].

Please click here to view the AO. 

The Court has entered administrative orders establishing the office of magistrate in family law matters (Administrative Order 5.104), juvenile matters (administrative order 5.104) and mental health matters (Administrative Order 6.304).

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.215, it is ORDERED as follows:

The following are hereby appointed to serve temporarily as magistrates within the 15th Judicial Circuit with all of the authority, responsibility and power conferred by the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, Florida Rules of Juvenile Procedure, Florida Rules of Probate Procedure and Florida Statutes.

Jodi Cason
Sharon Feliciano
Stanley Silver
Jacqueline Smith
Kristen Smith- Rodriguez
Grant Spitzer

DONE and SIGNED in Chambers at West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, this 23rd day of February 2023.

Glenn D. Kelley, Chief Judge

Chief Judge Glenn Kelley will serve a second two-year term as Chief Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025.

At a Full Court meeting held today, the Judges of the Circuit selected Chief Judge Kelley to continue serving in this capacity. Prior to his initial term as Chief Judge, which began on July 1, 2021, Judge Kelley served on the Circuit Civil and Circuit Criminal bench. He also served as the Administrative Judge of the Circuit Civil and Circuit Criminal divisions. In 2012, he was awarded Jurist of Year by PBCJA. In addition to his Chief Judge duties, since 2019 he has served on the Florida Supreme Court Trial Court Budget Commission (TCBC). Other appointments include the TCBC Executive Committee, Funding Methodology Committee, Personnel Committee, Statewide FTE Resource Management Policy Workgroup and the Judicial Management Council Workgroup on Court Technology Strategies. In 2023 he was also asked to serve on the State Courts Legislative Delegation Committee.

Chief Judge Kelley was appointed to the Circuit bench in 2006 by then Governor Jeb Bush for a term beginning in January 2007. Prior to taking the bench, he practiced civil law in the private sector with Gunster, Yoakley, Criser and Stewart, P.A.; Broome, Kelley, Aldrich and Warren, P.A; and Kelley and Warren, P.A. He received his Bachelor and Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida. His goals over the next two years include bringing to fruition the buildout of the 7th and 8th floors of the Main Courthouse as well as the completion of two courtrooms in the Juvenile wing of the Main Courthouse.