Harris Elected Chief Judge of Eighteenth Judicial Circuit

By  //  February 25, 2013

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Circuit Judge John Harris has been elected by his peers to serve as the new chief judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.

John Harris

At age 46, he is the youngest judge to ever hold the position.

Harris will replace current Chief Judge Alan Dickey for a two–year term that begins July 1. In his new position, Harris will oversee 42 judges and a budget estimated at $15.2 million.

He will bring a wealth of experience to the circuit’s top leadership position. He was first appointed to the county–court bench by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2002. Bush later appointed Harris to fill the circuit–court vacancy when Judge Kerry Evander was elevated to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in 2006.

Alan Dickey

Harris has worked in all divisions of the civil and criminal courts and is currently assigned to the Probate and Guardianship Division. Before becoming a judge, Harris was a partner with the law firm of Stadler & Harris, P.A. He also served as the secretary, treasurer and president of the Brevard County Bar Association between 1996 and 2000.

A lifelong resident of Brevard, Harris graduated from Astronaut High School in Titusville and received his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma University and his law degree from Florida State University.

He is married to appellate attorney Elizabeth Harris and they have three children — Max, Danny and Victoria.

The Eighteenth Circuit is comprised of Brevard and Seminole counties.