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Calvin Green, Court Operations Consultant @ (813) 307-4798

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MENENDEZ REELECTED AS CHIEF JUDGE

Chief Judge Manuel Menendez, Jr.’s colleagues on the bench elected him to serve another term as chief judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit; this two year term will begin July 1, 2009. The Chief Judge has the responsibility of administrative supervision over all courts, judges, and officers of the court in the circuit. The duties and responsibilities of the Chief Judge include:

• developing an administrative plan for the circuit to run efficiently and properly; assigning judges to courts and divisions and determining the length of each assignment;
• assigning judges to temporary duty within the circuit;
• appointing an "administrative judge" in any court division of the circuit; • regulating the use of courtrooms, examining dockets in the circuit and requiring status reports of the actions on the dockets; and
• examining the status of every inmate in the county jails.

Manuel Menendez, Jr. has served as the Chief Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida since July 2001. He was first appointed Hillsborough County Court Judge in 1983 and one year later to the circuit bench. He is a past-chair of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges. During his judicial tenure he has also served as an associate judge of the Second District Court of Appeal. Prior to his judicial appointment, he was Chief Assistant United States Attorney for the Tampa Division of the Middle District of Florida. Judge Menendez attended the University of Florida where he received a B.A. in political science in 1969 and a J.D. with honors in 1972. During law school, he served as executive editor of the University of Florida Law Review. He is a member of the Florida Blue Key Honorary and a charter life member of the University of Florida Alumni Association. For a full biographical sketch, visit the courts website: http://www.fljud13.org/JudicialDirectory/ManuelMenedezJr/Profile.aspx

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