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.

Please click here to view the job position and more information. 

The Fifteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (“JNC”) announces two vacancies: one vacancy for a Circuit Court Judge position created by the elevation of Judge Paige Kilbane and one vacancy for a County Court Judge position created by the elevation of Judge John Parnofiello.  The JNC has been asked to provide Governor Ron DeSantis with nominees for both vacancies by Friday, March 17, 2023.

Qualifications of Applicants:

Applicants must be able to fulfill the Constitutional qualifications for county court judges described in Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution.

Instructions for Submission:

1)            The current Judicial Application form must be used and can be found at https://www.flgov.com/judicial-and-judicial-nominating-commission-information/. Applicants should ensure they are using the correct and current form.

2)            Applications must be in .pdf form and submitted as follows: (i) one original copy of the application, including all attachments, (ii) one redacted copy of the application, including all attachments, excluding all exempt information under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes or other applicable public records law. The two .pdf files should be named in a “last name.first name” format. For example: Jane Smith should submit two files named: (1) Smith.Jane.pdf and (2) Smith.Jane-REDACTED.pdf. Each electronic application, including exhibits, must be a single pdf file. The Commission strongly prefers the submission of applications in a text-searchable (i.e., non-scanned) pdf format.

3)            The deadline for submission of the completed application is 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 24, 2023. Please state in your application whether you are applying for the Circuit Court Judge vacancy, the County Court Judge vacancy, or both vacancies.  Both the original and redacted electronic applications must be submitted by email to all Commission members at their email addresses below:

•                 Chair, Robert Harvey [email protected]
•                 Vice Chair, Gordon Dieterle [email protected]
•                 William Shepherd [email protected]
•                 Sarah Cohen [email protected]
•                 Kelly Hagar [email protected]
•                 James Sallah [email protected]
•                 Eric Levine [email protected]
•                 Robert Rosenberg [email protected]
•                 Steven DeLorenz [email protected]

It is anticipated that any interviews will be held the week of March 13, 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 by email at [email protected]