11th Judicial Circuit of Florida
For Immediate Release
February 22, 2017
Contact: Eunice Sigler, Director
Office of Government Liaison & Public Relations
Phone(305) 349-7189 Fax (305) 349-7190 Cell (786) 348-7381
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit is pleased to announce that the Honorable Bertila Soto was re-elected – without opposition – to another two-year term as Chief Judge. She is the first female and first Hispanic Chief Judge in the history of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
First elected to the bench in 1997 as a County Court Judge, Chief Judge Soto served in the Domestic Violence Division and Misdemeanor Jail Divisions before being appointed to the Circuit Court in 2002 by then-Governor Jeb Bush. As a Circuit Court Judge, she served in the Criminal Division, rising through the ranks to become Associate Administrative Judge and eventually Administrative Judge of that division, prior to being elected Chief Judge by her colleagues in 2013.
“It is an honor to have been reelected by my colleagues, and I value the trust they have placed in me,” said Chief Judge Soto. “The courts play a crucial role in our society by protecting our laws and the rights of citizens, and I look forward to continuing to serve our courts and our community toward this most important goal.
The Chief Judge has administrative authority over the entire Circuit and is elected to this post every two years by her fellow judges. This will be Judge Soto’s third term as Chief Judge.
The mission of Florida’s judicial branch is to protect rights and liberties, uphold and interpret the law, and provide for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
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If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court’s ADA Coordinator, Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Ave., Suite 2702, Miami, FL 33128, Telephone (305) 349-7175; TDD (305) 349-7174, Fax (305) 349-7355 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.