DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The 7th judicial circuit community is "shocked and saddened" by the Fourth of July cancer-stricken death of Circuit Judge Kellie J. Miles, who was 51 years old.
"We are shocked and saddened by the death of our colleague Judge Kelly Miles," Volusia County Judge Belle Schumann told Headline Surfer. "Her battle with cancer was courageous. We will all miss her."
"We are shocked and saddened by the death of our colleague Judge Kelly Miles," Volusia County Judge Belle Schumann told Headline Surfer, of the reaction to news of Judge Miles' passing on the Fourth of July.
"Her battle with cancer was courageous. We will all miss her."
A resident of DeLand, Miles waged a long battle against cancer. Judge Miles is survived by her three children. She was elected to the bench in 2014, and presided over family law cases at the Volusia County Courthouse Annex at City Island in Daytona Beach.
Before becoming a judge, Miles worked as an assistant city attorney in Riviera Beach and had a private practice in DeLand for nine years. She received both her bachelor's and law degrees from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. She became an attorney in 1998. Miles defeated incumbent Thomas Portuallo in the 2014 election -- in a race that was held in the four counties that comprise the 7th judicial circuit -- Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns -- garnering 53 percent of the overall votes. She was listed on the ballot as Kellie J. Killebrew, but after the election and then-divorced, she went back to her maiden name of Miles when she took the bench.
The news of Miles' death was sent out in an email alert to Headline Surfer and other media outlets by Ludmilla Lelis, spokeswoman for the 7th Judicial Circuit in Daytona Beach. The press release by Lelis included a statement from Chief Judge Raul A. Zambrano, who said of Judge Miles, “We appreciate the service she gave to the circuit court. She will be missed.”
Laura Roth, elected clerk of the court for Volusia County, added, "We're surprised and saddened by it. We'll be as helpful as possible to assist in the transition." Roth said Miles' family court docket has 401 open cases.
The news of Circuit Judge Kellie J. Miles' death was sent out in an email alert to Headline Surfer and other Central Florida media outlets by Ludmilla Lelis, shown far left, spokeswoman for the 7th Judicial Circuit in Daytona Beach.
The press release by Lelis included a statement from Chief Judge Raul A. Zambrano, who said of Judge Miles, “We appreciate the service she gave to the circuit court. She will be missed.”
Laura Roth, elected clerk of the court for Volusia County, added, "We're surprised and saddened by it. We'll be as helpful as possible to assist in the transition."
Roth said Miles' family court docket has 401 open cases.
The governor will appoint a replacement from a lit of finalists chosen by a judicial nominating commission. In the interim, senior judge will be brought in to handle her docket.