News & Information

Twelfth Judicial Circuit Creates Problem-Solving Court Division

Chief Judge Kimberly C. Bonner has entered Administrative Order 2020-19.3 that will merge all treatment/specialty courts into one new super division that we are calling the Problem-Solving Court and Criminal Administrative Division “P,” effective January 4, 2021. The Problem-Solving Court Division judge will be dedicated full-time to the administration of problem-solving courts in the circuit as well as the felony divisions within the circuit.

Court, county leaders break ground on new court facility

“It was a long time coming,” is how Twelfth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Kimberly C. Bonner described the process for getting a new court facility. Judge Bonner, Trial Court Administrator Kim Miller, and Senior Deputy Court Administrator Alana Monge attended the official groundbreaking ceremony this morning on the site of the new court building in Venice.

Court staff celebrate certification as public managers

For the past two years, former HR Manager and current Chief Deputy Court Administrator Tiffany Hammill, Court Guardianship Monitor Dana Yawn, and Law Librarian Bailey Smith have steadily worked to earn a public manager certificate through Florida State University's Florida Center for Public Management.

MCBA membership meeting featured Chief Judge Kimberly Bonner

Chief Judge Kimberly C. Bonner was the featured speaker at the Manatee County Bar Association’s virtual membership meeting on Wednesday, August 26. More than 50 participants logged on to watch her presentation.

Judicial candidates must consider ethical rules when campaigning

This fall Manatee County voters have a chance to elect a county judge. Here's a look at how one becomes a judge, how and why judges can be appointed to the bench by the governor and elected by voters, and the ethics behind judicial campaigns with links to additional resources.

Teamwork, Advocacy Go Hand in Hand for 2020 Slater Award recipient

Twelfth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Kimberly C. Bonner presented Terry Drake with the 2020 Jim Slater award in an outside ceremony on July 16, 2020, at the Silvertooth Judicial Center in Sarasota. Ms. Drake, an assistant public defender based in Sarasota County, represents the Public Defender’s Office in the Treatment Courts of the Twelfth Circuit.

Sarasota Civil Bench updates bar members in 3rd Zoom Town Hall

The Sarasota Circuit Civil bench hosted its third Zoom Town Hall on May 21 for the Manatee County and Sarasota County Bar associations. Chief Judge Kimberly C. Bonner joined circuit civil Judges Hunter Carroll, Andrea McHugh, Maria Ruhl, Stephen Walker, Magistrate Deborah Bailey, and special guest Sarasota County Clerk of Circuit Court Karen Rushing, as they updated the more than 180 participants logged in on the status of the civil division.

Thinking Outside the Four Corners

Following the Florida Supreme Court’s order, the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court limited the number of in-person hearings at the courthouses on Monday, March 23, 2020, and began welcoming people to its virtual courtrooms instead. The world was fighting a virus but the court found a way to “do justice” while keeping everyone safe and protecting the health of citizens.

The Florida State Courts System has been preparing for a large-scale emergency. After 9/11, the SCS created a pandemic guide, and all 20 of the judicial circuits have hurricane contingency plans. As a whole, Florida Courts have embraced social media and the internet (see the Florida Supreme Court’s YouTube channel) and they have proven vital in quickly informing court partners and citizens to changing court procedures.

Fresh air, fresh start for Community Care Court participants

Eight participants of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Community Care Court assembled this morning at the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center in Sarasota. Seated on the lawn under a cloudless, sunny sky they were there to be recognized for completing a specialty court program that will give them a chance to make positive changes in their lives. 

South County Courts / RLA Remodel

A “Notice-to-Proceed” with Phase 1 site work was officially issued on April 15, 2020.  This phase, expected to last until the fall of 2020, includes the construction of a new parking area along U.S. 41, rearrangement of existing parking facilities, new stormwater improvements, and preparation of the site for the new court building.