Approximately 8 years in the past, retiring Pinellas-Pasco Chief Judge Thomas McGrady wired the desire for extra psychological well being products and services following a sequence of brutal murders.
Last yr, his successor, then-Chief Judge Anthony Rondolino, performed a key function in setting up Pinellas County’s first psychological well being court docket, which connects eligible defendants going through minor legal fees with rehabilitative products and services.
Now, because the newly-elected Pinellas-Pasco Chief Judge, Shawn Crane goals to leverage his over a decade of enjoy managing Pasco’s Adult Drug Court and desires to convey a unique focal point to the Sixth Judicial Circuit’s healing courts.
“Treatment courts are vital in our system and personally important to me,” Crane expressed. “I see their immense value in multiple aspects – for our community, individuals, and our overall system.”
Crane formally assumed the location of chief judge on Saturday, succeeding Rondolino who had served since his election in 2015 however reached his time period restrict this yr. Rondolino graduated from Florida State University School of Law in 1974, becoming a member of the Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender’s Office in a while after. Five years later, he was the chief assistant public defender, in the end changing into a judge in 1990.
During Rondolino’s eight-year tenure, he skillfully guided the court docket programs of each counties via quite a lot of transitions, maximum particularly the demanding situations posed through the COVID-19 pandemic. As chief judge, Rondolino performed a an important function in enabling the courts to perform remotely the use of applied sciences corresponding to Zoom and Microsoft Teams, whilst enforcing administrative orders from the Florida Supreme Court in the case of the pandemic.
Former Pinellas-Pasco Chief Judge Anthony Rondolino speaks at a ribbon-cutting rite on the Pinellas County Justice Center annex on April 21.
[ Courtesy of Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida via Facebook ]
Rondolino additionally performed a vital function in transitioning the court docket machine to paperless generation and assuredly led the courts via two main management adjustments: the retirement of Pinellas-Pasco Public Defender Bob Dillinger after just about 25 years, and the passing of State Attorney Bernie McCabe in a while thereafter, who had served because the circuit’s best prosecutor for nearly 3 a long time.
Reflecting on his time as chief judge, Rondolino considers his biggest success to be effectively guiding the court docket machine via a large number of traits. He states, “My term involved enormous changes and transitions that our legal community and court system had never experienced before.”
In his retirement, Rondolino plans to spend extra time together with his circle of relatives and expresses self belief in Crane’s management, believing that the circuit is in succesful palms. The Sixth Judicial Circuit is composed of 45 circuit judges and 24 county judges, serving a inhabitants of just about 1.5 million with round 235 administrative staff, in step with a news liberate from the circuit.
Crane graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1983 and joined the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office. He used to be appointed to the bench in 2001 and has held positions in each Pinellas and Pasco counties. Crane noticed his candidacy for chief judge as a herbal development in his occupation, believing that his enjoy from Pasco would get advantages each Pinellas and Pasco County judges, in addition to the citizens.
Crane anticipates that considered one of his maximum difficult duties as chief judge will contain navigating the court docket machine’s finances and making sure it receives ok investment. He stocks, “In the current environment, there are numerous budget issues to address and consider.”
One of Crane’s number one goals is to determine a central courthouse in Pasco County, situated at the identical belongings because the county prison in Land O’Lakes. This initiative has been at the county officers’ time table for the reason that early 2000s. Crane recognizes the numerous inhabitants enlargement in Pasco and its trajectory to meet up with Pinellas, creating a central courthouse a important want.
As administrative judge in Pasco County, Crane earned the nickname “Chief Judge of Pasco County” from Rondolino. In this function, Crane oversaw the daily operations of the courts and their county-specific techniques.
Expressing his gratitude, Crane acknowledges the robust basis Rondolino leaves at the back of and considers himself lucky to take over the reins as chief judge at this opportune second.