In the Circuit and County Courts of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit
of Florida in and for Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto Counties

Administrative Order No: 2024–15.4

Judicial Assignments 2025

The following judicial assignments are effective January 2, 2025.

Position Assigned Judge
Chief Judge Honorable Diana L. Moreland
Acting Chief Judge (in absence of Chief Judge) Honorable Frederick P. Mercurio
DeSoto County Administrative Judge Honorable Don T. Hall
Manatee County Administrative Judge Honorable Frederick P. Mercurio
Sarasota County Administrative Judge Honorable Hunter W. Carroll

Circuit Court Administrative Judges

Civil Division
  • Honorable Hunter W. Carroll (Sarasota County)
  • Honorable Edward Nicholas (Manatee County)
Unified Family Court
(DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties - has operational authority to implement UFC policy and procedures circuit-wide)
  • Honorable Maria Ruhl
Family Division
  • Honorable Maria Ruhl (Sarasota County)
  • Honorable Charles Sniffen (Manatee County)
Hague Convention Cases (see AO 2023-15.12)
  • Honorable Maria Ruhl (Sarasota and DeSoto Counties)
  • Honorable Charles Sniffen (Manatee County)
Criminal Division
  • Honorable Dana Moss (Sarasota County)
  • Honorable Frederick P. Mercurio (Manatee County)
Probate/Guardianship Division
  • Honorable Charles E. Williams (Sarasota County)
  • Honorable Diana L. Moreland (Manatee County)

Circuit Civil – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

Division Location Assigned Judge
Civil Division B Manatee County Honorable David Ryan Felix
Civil Division D Manatee County Honorable Edward Nicholas
Civil Division A Sarasota County Honorable Stephen Walker
Civil Division C Sarasota County Honorable Hunter W. Carroll
Civil Division H South Sarasota County Honorable Danielle Brewer
Involuntary Civil Commitment of Sexually
Violent Offenders (Jimmy Ryce Act)
*in DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties Honorable Diana L. Moreland

Circuit Criminal – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

Division Location Assigned Judge
Felony Division I Manatee County Honorable Matt Whyte
Felony Division III Manatee County Honorable Frederick P. Mercurio
Felony Division V Manatee County Honorable Teresa K. Dees
Felony Division II Sarasota County Honorable Donna Padar
Felony Division IV Sarasota County Honorable Thomas W. Krug
Felony Division VI Sarasota County Honorable Dana Moss

Unified Family Court – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

  1. Family Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

    Division Location Assigned Judge
    Family Division 3 Manatee County Honorable Kevin Bruning
    Family Division 4 Manatee County Honorable Charles Sniffen
    Family Division 1 Sarasota County Honorable Rochelle T. Curley
    Family Division 2 Sarasota County Honorable Maria Ruhl
    South County Family Division 1 Honorable Danielle Brewer
    South County Family Division 2 Honorable Maria Ruhl
  2. Juvenile Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

    Division Location Assigned Judge
    Division J Manatee County
    Dependency cases
    Honorable Gilbert A. Smith, Jr.
    Division K Manatee County
    Dependency cases, crossover cases
    Honorable Susan B. Maulucci
    Sarasota Division Sarasota County
    All Dependency and Delinquency cases
    Honorable Andrea McHugh

Probate & Guardianship Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties

County Assigned Judge
Manatee County Honorable Diana L. Moreland
Sarasota County Honorable Charles E. Williams
South County Probate & Guardianship Honorable Maria Ruhl

Circuit Court – DeSoto County

Court Assigned Judge
All Circuit Civil, Unified Family, Circuit Criminal, Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency, Probate and Guardianship Honorable Don T. Hall

Problem-Solving Courts – Division P

Division Assigned Judge
Division P Administrative Judge Honorable Lon S. Arend
Court County Assigned Judge
Comprehensive Treatment Court Sarasota County Honorable Lon S. Arend
Drug /Opioid/ Veteran’s Court Sarasota County Honorable Lon S. Arend
Health Care Court Sarasota County Honorable Lon S. Arend
CTC – Manatee Manatee County Honorable Lon S. Arend
Drug Court, Veteran’s Court Manatee County Honorable Lon S. Arend
Early Childhood Court Manatee County Honorable Lon S. Arend

All problem-solving courts are assigned to Division P. The problem-solving courts listed below will be presided over by a judge other than the Division P Judge.

Court County Assigned Judge
DeSoto Case Mgmt. Court DeSoto County Honorable Guy Flowers
TYLA Court Manatee County Honorable Susan B. Maulucci
Community Care Court Sarasota County Honorable David L. Denkin
DUI Court Sarasota County Honorable David L. Denkin
Early Childhood Court Sarasota County Honorable Andrea McHugh
Options Court Sarasota County Honorable Andrea McHugh
Truancy Court Sarasota County Honorable Andrea McHugh
TYLA Court Sarasota County Honorable Shannon Hankin

County Court Administrative Judges

County Assigned Judge
DeSoto County Honorable Guy A. Flowers
Manatee County Honorable Renee L. Inman
Sarasota County Honorable Maryann Olson Uzabel

DeSoto County Court

Court Assigned Judge
All County Civil and Criminal Honorable Guy A. Flowers

Manatee County Court

Court Assigned Judge
Civil Division 1 Honorable Renee L. Inman
Civil Division 2 Honorable Heather Doyle
Criminal Division 3 Honorable Jacqueline B. Steele
Criminal Division 4 Honorable Melissa Gould

Sarasota County Court

Court Assigned Judge
Criminal/Civil Division A Honorable Maryann Olson Uzabel
Criminal/Civil Division B Honorable Kennedy Legler
Criminal/Civil Division C Honorable David L. Denkin
South County Criminal/Civil Division E Honorable Erika N. Quartermaine
South County Criminal/Civil Division F Honorable Shannon Hankin

General Magistrates/Hearing Officers

  • David P. Caskey
  • Bradley Ellis
  • Natalya Evans
  • Mary Ann Floyd
  • Vincent A. Giura
  • Laura M. Hale
  • Paul Hudson
  • Rebecca L. Hunt
  • Lawrence Jacobs
  • Edward C. Wilson

Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officers

  • Laura M. Hale
  • Lawrence Jacobs

Truancy Court General Magistrate

  • Linda Lorrier

Civil Traffic Infractions Hearing Officer

  • Matthew K. Peters

Done and Ordered this 25 day of July, 2024.

Diana L. Moreland, Chief Judge
Twelfth Judicial Circuit
State Of Florida


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