The Judicial Nominating Commission has selected 15 South Florida finalists to fill three open seats on the Miami-Dade Circuit bench after Judge Francis Renatha was appointed to the Palm Beach Circuit and Judges John W. Thornton Jr. and Diane Ward announced their resignations.

Those who made the cut: seven county court judges, three prosecutors, a public defender, a criminal defense attorney, a civil litigator, a general magistrate—and one former Miami-Dade Circuit judge hoping to return.

The list of nominees will go to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has the final say on state judicial appointments.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Ramiro Christen Areces serves in the domestic violence division, where he was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2018. Admitted to the bar in 2008, he holds a law degree from the University of Miami and worked with Miami litigation firm Jorden Burt before becoming a solo practitioner.

Assistant Miami-Dade County Attorney Jason Bloch previously served on the Miami-Dade Circuit bench but lost his bid for election in 2016 after being appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott. Bloch has been a prosecutor since 1994, and focuses on eminent domain, real estate, construction and commercial litigation. He is in-house counsel to the Public Health Trust, counsel to the County's Medical Examiner and holds a degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

General Magistrate Karl Brown handles family matters in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. He was admitted to the bar in 1993 and obtained a law degree from Texas Southern University.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Raul Cuervo serves in the criminal division and replaced Francis when she was last elevated in 2018. A former Carlton Fields shareholder, Cuervo represented banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions in national class action lawsuits. He's also served in the U.S. Army, and holds a bachelor's and law degree from the University of Florida.

Miami prosecutor Miesha Darrough serves in the U.S. Attorney's Office and was admitted to the bar in 2005. She serves on the Miami-Dade Circuit Grievance Committee and the Committee on Professionalism.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Christina DiRaimondo presides over civil cases. Before her 2018 appointment, she spent 10 years in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, where she supervised hundreds of attorneys and tried more than 80 cases to verdict. Admitted to the bar in 2010, DiRaimondo obtained a law degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Christopher Green is litigation chief at the Assistant City Attorney's Office in Miami, which he joined in 2000. Green began his career as a Miami-Dade public defender in 1993 and holds a law degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Ayana Harris in Miami has served in her post since 2008, before which she was a Miami-Dade public defender. Harris holds a law degree from Howard University and began practicing in 2002.

Criminal defense attorney Peter Heller has a solo practice in Miami and more than 30 years of experience. He's eligible to practice in seven different courts spanning Florida and Michigan, and holds a law degree from the University of Miami.

Board-certified criminal trial lawyer Kevin Hellmann directs training, professional and leadership development at the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office. Admitted to the bar in 1996, Hellmann has tried more than 70 criminal jury trials and 225 juvenile bench trials. He's vice president of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and teaches trial skills at the University of Miami.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Zachary N. James was a partner at Miami commercial litigation firm Melland, Russin & Budwick before he rose to the bench in June. A certified e-discovery specialist, James advised clients on document management practices and has tried more than 30 jury trials. He's also served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of California, and a state prosecutor and trial lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security, where he specialized in protecting human rights violations

Scott M. Janowitz is founding partner of Coral Gables firm Janowitz & Barreto, which handles litigation involving products liability and recalls, transport accidents and other personal injury claims. Janowitz began his legal career in 2005 at the State Attorney's Office in Miami, where he became lead felony attorney in his division and tried more than 80 jury trials.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Luis Perez-Medina also served as an assistant state attorney before he was appointed to the civil division in 2018. He holds a law degree from Florida International University and has practiced law since 2002.

Miami-Dade County Court Judge Joseph J. Mansfield presides over criminal cases. Gov, Scott appointed Mansfield in 2017, when he was a Miami-Dade assistant state attorney. Admitted to the bar in 2002, he holds a law degree from Cleveland State University.

Before Miami-Dade County Court Judge Robert T. Watson was appointed to his post in January, he focused on government white-collar enforcement defense and cross-border investigations involving Latin America at Kobre & Kim's Miami office. Watson obtained his degree from Stanford Law School and is a former federal prosecutor.

"I am honored to have been nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission for this important position and look forward to continuing to serve the people of Miami-Dade County in whatever capacity I can, whether on the County Court or the Circuit Court," Watson said.

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