26-29-S IN RE: JUDGES – SEMINOLE DIVISION AND CASE ASSIGNMENTS FOR COUNTY COURT - ORDERED 7/07/2026 BY MELANIE CHASE
WHEREAS, Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.215(b)(4) authorizes the Chief Judge to assign judges to the courts and divisions and determine the length of each assignment;
WHEREAS, in order to properly assign county judges in Seminole County, all county court cases should be clearly defined and identified; and
WHEREAS, the resident County Judges of Seminole County have determined that it is in the best interest of the litigants, attorneys, and judges that, so far as possible, cases remain with the judges originally assigned for better understanding, efficiency, and savings of time for all involved;
IT IS ORDERED:
- CRIMINAL DIVISION (MM)
- Organization:
The county Criminal Division will be comprised of Divisions R, C, Z, and U. All original cases presently assigned to one of those divisions in the clerk’s system will remain assigned to that division.
- CIVIL DIVISION (CC, SC)
- Organization:
The county Civil Division will be comprised of Divisions F and S.
- Any new county civil case, and any small claims case designated as a 19P, will be randomly but in an alternating manner assigned to Divisions F or S so that each division will be assigned an equal and proportionate share of each case type.
- Any county civil case or small claims case that is not presently assigned in the clerk’s system to Divisions F or S will be reassigned when reactivated on a rotating basis among the divisions beginning with the next division in rotation.
III. Assignment of County Court Judges to Divisions:
The county court judges assigned to the divisions of the court are as follows:
Division C: James DeKleva – Criminal
Division F: Sylvia Grunor – Civil
Division R: Cassandra Buie – Criminal
Division S: Wayne Culver – Civil
Division U: Bryanna Bynum – Criminal
Division Z: Debra Krause – Criminal
DONE AND ORDERED this 7th day of July 2026.
MELANIE CHASE
CHIEF JUDGE