IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR INDIAN RIVER, MARTIN, OKEECHOBEE, AND ST. LUCIE COUNTIES, FLORIDA

 

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2025-08

 

RE: JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENTS FOR 2026

 

WHEREAS, Florida Rules of General Practice & Administration 2.215 states that the Chief Judge shall assign judges to the courts and divisions, and shall determine the length of each assignment;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority conferred by Florida Rules of General Practice & Administration 2.215, it is ORDERED the assignments for the judges in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit shall be as follows EFFECTIVE JANUARY 12, 2026:

 

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

 

Honorable Cynthia Cox:
All Civil Cases

 

Honorable Victoria Griffin:
All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection; Assist with Mental Health Court/Veterans’ Court; Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings

 

Honorable Anastasia Norman:
All Felony Cases

 

Honorable Rebecca White:
All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Detention and Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy court; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act cases); All Risk Protection Order Cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; Member of the Indian River County Children’s Services Council; Responsible for all post-conviction relief motions/hearings; Okeechobee County Early Childhood Court cases

 

Honorable Nicole Menz:
One-half of Indian River County Court Cases; Mental Health Court; Veterans’ Court; County Election Canvassing Board

 

Honorable Robyn E. Stone:
One-half of Indian River County Court Cases; Felony Drug Court cases; County Election Canvassing Board

 

MARTIN COUNTY

 

Honorable Sherwood Bauer:
All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases including Detention and Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy court; 75% of Civil Non-Jury Cases (from time of filing) excluding Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All Risk Protection Order Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act); Member of the Martin County Children’s Services Council

 

Honorable Steven Levin:
All Felony Drug Court cases

 

Honorable Michael McNicholas:
All Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection; Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings

 

Honorable William Roby:
All Civil Jury Trial Cases and Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; Assist with Civil Non-Jury Cases

 

Honorable Elizabeth Metzger:
All Felony Cases

 

Honorable Kathleen H. Roberts:
One-third of Martin County Court Cases; County Election Canvassing Board

 

Honorable Darren Steele:
One-third of Martin County Court Cases; County Election Canvassing Board

 

Honorable Jennifer Alcorta Waters:
One-third of Martin County Court Cases; Mental Health Court; Assist with Felony Drug Court; Supervision of Traffic Magistrates for all Civil Traffic matters; Assist Circuit Civil Non-Jury Cases – 25% (from time of filing) excluding Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosure Cases; County Election Canvassing Board

 

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY

 

Honorable Laurie Buchanan:
One-half of all Domestic Relations Cases including Injunctions for Protection (all even assigned DR case numbers); All Civil Cases; All Probate and Guardianship Cases; All Dependency Cases, including daily Shelter Hearings; All CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy Court; Assist with Mental Health Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases; Assist with Early Childhood Court

 

Honorable Leatha Mullins:
One-half of all Domestic Relations cases including Injunctions for Protection (all odd assigned DR case numbers); All Felony Cases; All substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e., Baker and Marchman Act); All Risk Protection Order Cases; All Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; All Jimmy Ryce Cases

 

Honorable William Wallace:
All Okeechobee County Court Cases; Assist with Felony Drug Court cases; Mental Health Court; Veterans’ Court; Assist with Juvenile Delinquency Cases, including Detention Hearings; Assist with Truancy Court; Assist with Probate cases; Member of the Okeechobee County Children’s Services Council

 

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

 

Honorable Lillian Ewen:
One-half of Civil Jury Trial Cases (All odd number cases); One-half substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e. Baker and Marchman Act); One-half Risk Protection Order Cases

 

Honorable Michael Heisey:
One-third of Felony Cases; Assist Felony Drug Court (Alphabet OS-Z)

 

Honorable Steven Levin:
All Non-Jury Civil Cases, including Residential and Commercial Mortgage Foreclosures; One-half of all Probate cases (all even numbered cases); All Guardianship Cases (and corresponding MH cases); Weekday First Appearance Hearings (in rotation with County Court Judges); All civil forfeiture cases; All Jimmy Ryce Cases; Martin County Adult Drug Court

 

Honorable Michael Linn:
One-third of Felony Cases; Assist Felony Drug Court (Alphabet GM-OR)

 

Honorable Robert Meadows:
One-third of Felony Cases; Assist Mental Health Court (Alphabet A-GL)

 

Honorable Michael Porter¹:
One-half of Civil Jury Trial Cases (All even number cases); One-half substance abuse and mental health court cases (i.e. Baker and Marchman Act); One-half Risk Protection Order Cases

 

Honorable Charles Schwab (Chief Judge):
Felony Drug Court; Assist with all dockets throughout the circuit

 

Honorable TBD (Awaiting Governor Appointment):
All Juvenile Dependency and Delinquency Cases, including Shelter and Detention Hearings; Oversee all CINS/FINS Cases; Oversee Truancy Court; One-half all Probate cases (all odd number cases); Mental Health Court; Member of St. Lucie County Children’s Services Council; Member of the St. Lucie County Roundtable

 

Honorable TBD (Awaiting Governor Appointment):
One-half of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (A-K of alphabet); Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings

 

Honorable TBD (Awaiting Governor Appointment):
One-half of Domestic Relations Cases, including Injunctions for Protection (L-Z of alphabet); Assist Juvenile Division with Detention and Shelter Hearings

 

Honorable Edmond W. Alonzo:
All St. Lucie County Court Civil Cases and Landlord/Tenant Cases; All Traffic Infractions involving serious injury or death; All Traffic Magistrate recusals and/or disqualifications; 30% of Small Claim Cases including Replevin; County Election Canvassing Board

 

Honorable Jeffrey Hendriks:
40% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (D-Mo of alphabet); County Election Canvassing Board; Veteran’s Court; DVDP program

 

Honorable Daryl Isenhower:
20% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (A-C of alphabet); 70% of Small Claims Cases including Replevin; All Collections Court; County Election Canvassing Board

 

Honorable Lauren Sweet:
40% of St. Lucie County Court Criminal Cases (Mp-Z of alphabet); All County and Municipal Ordinance violations; County Election Canvassing Board

 

WEEKEND FIRST APPEARANCE

 

All Circuit Court Judges assigned to St. Lucie County will be responsible, with the St. Lucie County Court Judges, for Weekend First Appearances, Shelter Hearings, and Detention Hearings in St. Lucie County.

 

All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Indian River County will be responsible, in rotation with Indian River County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Indian River County.

 

All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Martin County will be responsible, in rotation with Martin County Judges, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Martin County.

 

All Circuit Court Judges assigned to Okeechobee, Martin and Indian River Counties will be responsible, in rotation with the Okeechobee County Judge, for Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County. Any County Court Judge in Martin and Indian River County may choose or be scheduled to assist with the Weekend First Appearances and Shelter Hearings in Okeechobee County.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES

 

Honorable Laurie Buchanan, Domestic Relations Division/Unified Family Court²

Honorable Elizabeth Metzger, Criminal Division

Honorable Lillian Ewen, Appellate Division

Honorable Steven J. Levin, Civil Division and Problem-Solving Courts

 

APPELLATE DIVISION

 

All Circuit and County Judges

 

PROGRAM ASSIGNMENTS-JUDICIAL CHAIRPERSON

 

FAMILY LAW ADVISORY GROUP
St. Lucie ………………… TBD
Martin …………………… Judge McNicholas
Indian River …………… Judge Griffin
Okeechobee …………… Judge Buchanan
PRO BONO COMMITTEE LIASON …………………………. Judge Porter
BENCH/BAR PROFESSIONALISM …………………………. Judge Ewen
SMALL CLAIMS MEDIATION ……………………………….. Judge Steele

 

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

 

Judge Hendriks, Chair

Members: Judge Buchanan, Judge Cox, Judge Mullins, Judge Norman, Judge Roberts, Judge Heisey, and Judge Schwab

 

FUTURE GROWTH AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

Judge Schwab, Chair

Members: Judge Bauer, Judge Heisey, Judge Meadows, Judge Metzger, Judge Wallace, and Judge White

 

TRIAL COURT SECURITY COMMITTEE

 

Judge Schwab, Chair

Members: Judge Heisey, Judge Hendriks, Judge Linn, Judge Menz, Judge Waters, and Judge Wallace

 

DONE AND ORDERED at Ft. Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida, this 26th day of September 2025.
___________________
Charles Schwab Chief Judge

 

_______________________

¹Judge Porter shall commence his assignment in this division upon the next gubernatorial judicial appointment expected no later than October 2025. He shall be responsible for all cases in this division until the next gubernatorial judicial appointee thereafter assumes a commission. At that time the assignment shall be split as stated herein.

²Includes Juvenile Division