Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Debra Steinberg Nelson
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive election coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population as well as mayoral, city council, and district attorney election coverage in state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities. This judge is outside of that coverage scope and does not receive scheduled updates.
Debra Steinberg Nelson was a Seminole County judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court in Florida. She was appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush in May of 1999 (effective in June). She retired from the court on June 30, 2021.[1][2]
Education
Nelson received her B.A. degree (Psychology) from the University of South Florida in 1975 and her J.D. degree from the South Texas College of Law in 1979.[1][3]
Career
Nelson began her career in 1980 at the Broward County State Attorney's Office. She served as the Chief Prosecutor of that office prior to leaving it in July of 1983 for the state Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. She served there as staff counsel until March of 1986, when she joined the law firm of Borroughs, Grimm, Bennett & Griffin, P.A. She became a partner of the firm in 1988 and became head of the litigation department the following year. In August of 1992, she started her own practice, Debra Steinberg Nelson, P.A. She worked in that capacity until she became a circuit court judge in June of 1999. She was also an arbitrator for the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida from 1992 to 1999.[1]
2012 election
Nelson was unopposed and automatically re-elected following the primary election on August 14, 2012.[4]
- See also: Florida judicial elections, 2012
Noteworthy cases
George Zimmerman murder trial
Judge Nelson was assigned to the trial of George Zimmerman in August of 2012, after Judge Kenneth R. Lester, Jr. was removed at the request of the defense. Zimmerman was charged with shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, in a case that gained national attention.[5]
On July 11, 2013, Nelson allowed the jury to consider a verdict of manslaughter or, second-degree murder, but not third-degree murder.[6] Two days later, the jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter.[7]
UPDATE: On June 30, 2014, Nelson threw out a libel suit that Zimmerman had filed against NBC Universal because he thought that he had been falsely portrayed as a racist. NBC did make a public apology for reporting false or misleading information about Zimmerman, and fired two employees who were involved. Nelson ruled, "There exists absolutely no clear and convincing evidence that defendants knew that the information published was false at the time it was published, or recklessly disregarded the truth or falsity of those statements."[8]
See also
External links
- Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Courts, "Judicial biographies"
- CFNews13.com, "Meet the new judge in Zimmerman case, Debra Nelson," August 31, 2012
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 18th Judicial Circuit Courts, "Debra S. Nelson biography"
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Gov. DeSantis appoints Circuit Court, Lee County judges," accessed July 7, 2022
- ↑ Lawdiary, "Biographies of State and County Court Judges in Florida," accessed May 24, 2014 Scroll to p.83
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2012 Candidate Listing"
- ↑ News 13, "Meet the new judge in Zimmerman case, Debra Nelson," August 31, 2012
- ↑ The Daily Caller, "Judge allows jury to consider manslaughter in Zimmerman case," July 11, 2013
- ↑ CBS News, "George Zimmerman verdict: Former neighborhood watch leader not guilty in death of Fla. teen Trayvon Martin," July 13, 2013
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Judge throws out George Zimmerman's libel suit against NBC," June 30, 2014
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida
State courts:
Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court
State resources:
Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida
