Photos for Headline Surfer® / DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - With seven new judges -- six elected and one appointed -- along with several retirements at year's end, the 7th Judicial Circuit, which comprises Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, will see judges in new assignments in January like a game of musical chairs except where they land has been determined by the chief judge.
Circuit Judges R. Michael Hutcheson, Shawn L. Briese, Robert K. Rouse Jr., and Terry LaRue are retiring at year's end. Circuit Judge Thomas Portuallo and Volusia County Court Judge Peter McGlashan are leaving as the result of this year's election. Judge Carlos Mendoza was appointed to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida in June.
The following assignments, for new judges and for current judges rotating to different divisions, will be effective on Jan. 6, per order of Chief Judge Terence Perkins:
Circuit Judge-elect Sandra Upchurch will preside over the circuit civil division, at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand, in which Judge Rouse has been presiding.
Circuit Judge-elect Karen Foxman will preside over the family law division which is currently assigned to Judge Briese at the Volusia County Courthouse Annex at City Island in Daytona Beach. Circuit Judge-elect Michael Orfinger will preside over the civil and family divisions in Flagler County, which are currently assigned to Circuit Judge Dennis Craig.
Judge Dennis Craig will rotate to a civil division, at the City Island annex in Daytona Beach, in which Chief Judge Terence Perkins has been presiding. Chief Judge Perkins will preside in the criminal division, at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach, which is currently assigned to Judge Hutcheson.
Circuit Judge C. David Hood Jr., who was appointed to the bench in October, will move from a family division to the juvenile delinquency division, at the City Island annex in Daytona Beach, which is currently assigned to Judge LaRue.
Circuit Judge-elect Kellie J. Miles will preside over the family division, in Daytona Beach at the City Island annex, which had been assigned to Judge Hood. Judge-elect Miles had won election as Kellie J. Killebrew and will now use her maiden name.
Circuit Judge-elect Kathryn Weston will preside over the juvenile dependency division in Daytona Beach at the City Island annex, which is currently assigned to Judge Portuallo. Circuit Judge-designate Howard McGillin Jr., who was appointed to a vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Mendoza to the federal bench, will preside over a unified family law division in St. Johns County.
Volusia County Court Judge Robert A. Sanders Jr. will take over the criminal division in DeLand which is currently held by Judge McGlashan.
Volusia County Court Judge Christopher Kelly will take over Judge Sanders' county civil division. This division is being relocated from the Courthouse Annex in New Smyrna Beach to the DeLand courthouse, where an additional judicial chamber is under construction.
Volusia County Court Judge-elect Angela Dempsey, will take over Judge Kelly's civil division at the City Island annex in Daytona Beach.