"Local news worth reading" — The New York Times
SUBSCRIBE
The independent voice for West Orange County news
Throughout my legal career, I have practiced across a broad range of matters in the Circuit Court and gained substantial courtroom experience handling both civil and family law cases. I have tried more than 75 cases and have experience in both state and federal courts. Those experiences have given me a deep understanding of courtroom procedure, evidence, case management, and the importance of deciding cases based on the facts and the law.
I also have appellate experience and have co-drafted amicus briefs for the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar on issues affecting Florida families. Appellate work requires careful legal analysis and reinforces the importance of applying the law consistently and correctly.
In addition to my courtroom experience, I have served in leadership roles within the legal profession, including as the immediate past Chair of the Family Law Committee of the Orange County Bar Association, a member of the Judicial Relations Committee, a member of the Bench Bar Committee (2026), and on several committees of the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. These roles have allowed me to work closely with attorneys and judges to improve the administration of justice and strengthen the relationship between the bench and bar.
I am also Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar, a distinction earned by fewer than 300 of more than 100,000 attorneys licensed in Florida. Board Certification is the highest level of evaluation by The Florida Bar and requires substantial trial experience, peer review, and successful completion of a rigorous examination on substantive law, evidence, and procedure.
Before becoming a lawyer, I worked at Universal Studios and later as a waitress while attending college. Those experiences taught me the value of hard work, patience, and effective communication with people from all walks of life. Throughout my legal career, those lessons have translated into attentive listening, professionalism, and treating every person with dignity and respect.
Taken together, these experiences have prepared me to serve as a judge who is knowledgeable, fair, well-prepared, and committed to applying the law
Judges take an oath to support and apply the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida, and that oath requires decisions to be based on the law and the facts of each case.
When a statute is clear and controlling, a judge is bound to apply it as written. In other circumstances, where the law allows for discretion, that discretion must still be exercised within established legal principles.
The role of a judge is to ensure that every person who comes before the court receives equal treatment under the law. Public confidence in the judiciary depends on judges who are fair, consistent, and faithful to the law, even when cases are difficult or outcomes are unpopular.
Precedent is a cornerstone of our judicial system because it promotes consistency, predictability, and fairness. A trial judge's responsibility is to faithfully apply binding precedent from higher courts and the statutes enacted by the Legislature, regardless of personal views.
At the same time, the law is not static. The Legislature enacts new statutes, and appellate courts issue decisions that shape and refine the law over time. When the law is unsettled or subject to interpretation, courts must resolve those issues by applying established principles of statutory construction, precedent, and controlling authority.
This approach ensures that similarly situated parties are treated consistently, preserves public confidence in the judiciary, and respects the proper role of the courts within our constitutional system.
Avoiding conflicts of interest is essential to maintaining public trust in the judiciary. A judge must be attentive to any potential conflict, whether financial, professional, or personal, that could reasonably affect or appear to affect impartiality.
If a potential issue arises, it should be disclosed so the parties have an opportunity to be heard. If a conflict exists, or if an objective person could reasonably believe a conflict exists, recusal is the appropriate step.
The guiding principle is that maintaining faith in the judicial system is more important than any one judge presiding over a particular case. Every litigant is entitled to have their matter decided fairly, free from outside influence or the appearance of impropriety. The integrity of the court depends on both fairness in fact and fairness in appearance.
We have one of the strongest and most respected legal systems in the world, but like any system, there is always room for improvement in ensuring meaningful access to justice.
One area of concern is language access in civil and family cases. In a circuit as large and diverse as Central Florida, language access in civil and family cases is an especially important part of ensuring meaningful participation in the judicial process. While interpreter services are more consistently available in criminal proceedings, in civil matters, litigants are often required to arrange and pay for their own interpreters. For many individuals, that cost can be a significant barrier to full participation in their case.
Within existing budget constraints, addressing this issue requires continued attention to how interpreter services are made available, how litigants are informed of their responsibilities, and how courts manage proceedings where language barriers exist, to ensure all parties can be fully heard and understood.
More broadly, the role of the court is to ensure that cases are conducted fairly, that procedures are clear, and that every litigant, regardless of representation or circumstance, has a meaningful opportunity to be heard, consistent with the integrity of the judicial process.
Attorney
