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Maria Elena Verde-Yanez
Maria Elena Verde-Yanez (formerly Maria Elena Verde) is a judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court. She assumed office on January 8, 2013. Her current term ends on January 7, 2031.
Verde-Yanez (formerly Maria Elena Verde) won re-election for judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court outright in the general election on November 5, 2024, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Biography
Education
Verde received her B.A. degree (Criminology/Political Science) from Florida State University and her J.D. degree from St. Thomas University.[1]
Career
Verde began her career as an assistant state attorney. After three years, she joined Grey and Mourin, P.A., where she worked as a defense attorney for two years. In 2003, she started The Law Offices of Maria Elena Verde, P.A., where she worked until her judicial election in 2012.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2024)
General election
The general election was canceled. Maria Elena Verde-Yanez (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Verde-Yanez in this election.
2018
See also: Municipal elections in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2018)
General election
The general election was canceled. Maria Elena Verde-Yanez (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
2012
- See also: Florida judicial elections, 2012
Verde was elected on Aug. 14, 2012, defeating Robert Coppel with 51.6% of the vote.[2][3]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Maria Elena Verde-Yanez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Derek Medina confesses to wife's murder
Derek Medina gained national attention on August 8, 2013, when he confessed to murdering his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, by posting a graphic picture of her corpse on Facebook. "Facebook people you’ll see me in the news," he wrote next to the photo. He then entered a South Miami police station to confess to the crime. The affidavit stated that he pointed a gun at his wife during a dispute and then shot her several times.
The following day, Judge Maria Elena Verde denied Medina bail, stating that there was probable cause that he committed the murder. The next court appearance was scheduled for August 30.[4][5]
On February 8, 2016, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Yvonne Colodny sentenced Medina to 25 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole.[6]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Florida Bar: Maria Elena Verde candidate self-disclosure statement (dead link)
- ↑ Florida 2012 Unofficial Primary Election Results: Circuit Court Judge
- ↑ Florida Division of Elections, "2012 Candidate Listing"
- ↑ Miami Herald, "Police release video of Derek Medina, confessed Facebook killer," August 10, 2013
- ↑ Daily Mail (UK), "Moment the man who posted a picture of his dead wife on Facebook calmly walks into a police station...," August 11, 2013
- ↑ CBS News, "Convicted Fla. "Facebook Killer" sentenced to life in prison," February 8, 2016
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
