Judge Maria Sampedro-Iglesia, presiding judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit's human trafficking court, G.R.A.C.E. Court, is visiting the Human Trafficking Courts in the Bronx and Queens to share latest data and best practices with judges and service providers there.

New York was the site of one of the first human trafficking courts to work with adult victims. The trip was organized by Florida Abolitionist, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to ending human trafficking in Orlando.

Also participating in this visit are: professors from the University of Central Florida's Sociology Department;  Mr. Charles Scherer, DCF Protective Services;  Ms. Kimberly Lewis Grabert, Florida’s Statewide Human Trafficking Director for DCF, and Ms. Bethany Gilot, Florida’s Statewide Human Trafficking Director for the Department of Juvenile Justice.

G.R.A.C.E. Court (Growth Renewed through Acceptance, Change and Empowerment), was established earlier this year in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit as a specialized court devoted to the needs of children who have been identified as victims of commercial sexual exploitation and labor trafficking.