In the Circuit and County Courts of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit
of Florida in and for Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto Counties
Administrative Order 2026–05.4
(Amends 2025–13a.4)
Second Amended Judicial Assignments 2026
The following judicial assignments are effective June 1, 2026.
| 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 Charles Sniffen (Manatee County)
Unified Family Court (DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties – has operational authority to implement UFC policy and procedures circuit-wide)
- Honorable Edward Nicholas
Family Division
Honorable Andrea McHugh (Sarasota County)
Honorable Edward Nicholas (Manatee County)
Hague Convention Cases (pursuant to AO 2025-19.12)
Honorable Andrea McHugh (Sarasota and DeSoto Counties)
Honorable Edward Nicholas (Manatee County)
Criminal Division
Honorable Danielle Brewer (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
| Civil Division B |
Manatee County |
Honorable Charles Sniffen |
| Civil Division D |
Manatee County |
Honorable Stephen Matt Whyte |
| Civil Division A |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Dana Moss |
| Civil Division C |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Hunter W. Carroll |
| Civil Division H |
South Sarasota County |
Honorable Kevin Bruning |
| Civil Division R |
Manatee and Sarasota Counties |
Honorable Diana L. Moreland |
Circuit Criminal – Manatee & Sarasota Counties
| Felony Division I |
Manatee County |
Honorable David Ryan Felix |
| 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 Danielle Brewer |
Unified Family Court – Manatee & Sarasota Counties
A. Family Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties
| Family Division 3 |
Manatee County |
Honorable Edward Nicholas |
| Family Division 4 |
Manatee County |
Honorable Kennedy Legler |
| Family Division 1 |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Rochelle T. Curley |
| Family Division 2 |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Andrea McHugh |
| South County Family Division 1 |
|
Honorable Kevin Bruning |
| South County Family Division 2 |
|
Honorable Andrea McHugh |
B. Juvenile Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties
| Division J |
Manatee County |
Honorable Gilbert A. Smith, Jr. |
| |
|
Dependency cases |
| Division K |
Manatee County |
Honorable Susan B. Maulucci |
| |
|
Delinquency cases, crossover cases |
| |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Maria Ruhl |
| |
|
All Dependency and Delinquency cases |
Probate & Guardianship Division – Manatee & Sarasota Counties
| Manatee County |
Honorable Diana L. Moreland |
| Sarasota County |
Honorable Charles E. Williams |
| South County Probate & Guardianship |
Honorable Charles E. Williams |
Circuit Court – DeSoto County
All Circuit Civil (other than Division R),
Unified Family, Circuit Criminal,
Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency,
Probate and Guardianship |
Honorable Don T. Hall |
| Civil Division R |
Honorable Diana L. Moreland |
Problem-Solving Courts – Division P
| Division P Administrative Judge |
|
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Comprehensive Treatment Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Drug /Opioid/ Veteran's Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| DUI Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Health Care Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Community Care Court |
Manatee County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| CTC Manatee |
Manatee County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Drug Court, Veteran's Court |
Manatee County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
| Early Childhood Court |
Manatee County |
Honorable Stephen Walker |
All problem-solving courts are assigned to Division P. The problem-solving courts listed below are presided over by the following judges:
| DeSoto Drug Court |
DeSoto County |
Honorable Guy Flowers |
| TYLA Court |
Manatee County |
Honorable Susan B. Maulucci |
| Community Care Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Kennedy Legler |
| Early Childhood Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Maria Ruhl |
| OPTIONS Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Maria Ruhl |
| Truancy Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Andrea McHugh |
| TYLA Court |
Sarasota County |
Honorable Shannon Hankin |
County Court Administrative Judges
| DeSoto County |
Honorable Guy A. Flowers |
| Manatee County |
Honorable Renee L. Inman |
| Sarasota County |
Honorable Maryann Olson Uzabel |
DeSoto County Court
| All County Civil and Criminal |
Honorable Guy A. Flowers |
Manatee County Court
Please see Administrative Order 2026-04.4 for case types assigned to each division.
| Division 1 |
Honorable Renee L. Inman |
| Division 2 |
Honorable Hillary Ellis |
| Division 3 |
Honorable Jacqueline B. Steele |
| Division 4 |
Honorable Melissa Gould |
| Division 5 |
Honorable Heather Doyle |
Sarasota County Court
| Criminal/Civil Division A |
Honorable Maryann Olson Uzabel |
| Criminal/Civil Division B |
Honorable TBD |
| Criminal/Civil Division C |
Honorable Shannon Hankin |
| South County Criminal/Civil Division E |
Honorable Erika N. Quartermaine |
| South County Criminal/Civil Division F |
Honorable Megan Leaf |
General Magistrates/Hearing Officers
David P. Caskey
Natalya Evans
Mary Ann Floyd
Vincent A. Giura
Laura M. Hale
Paul Hudson
Lawrence Jacobs
Michael L. King
Rebecca L. Mockovciak
Medisa M. Turner
Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officers
Laura M. Hale
Lawrence Jacobs
Michael L. King
Truancy Court General Magistrates
Nicole Cameron
Linda Lorrier
Civil Traffic Infractions Hearing Officer
Matthew K. Peters
Done and Ordered in Bradenton, Manatee County, on April 29, 2026.
Diana L. Moreland, Chief Judge
Twelfth Judicial Circuit
State of Florida
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