The Broward County Magistrates is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. General Magistrates and Hearing Officers serve as judicial officials who aid circuit judges in conducting hearings and offering recommendations in various legal domains, including family law, support enforcement, mental health, guardianship, substance abuse, and juvenile dependency.
General Magistrates are tasked with handling cases related to temporary relief (such as alimony, child support, attorney’s fees, and costs in family law matters), contempt of court, support enforcement, mental health issues (under the Baker Act), substance abuse cases (under the Marchman Act), tuberculosis, sexually transmissible diseases, incapacity, guardianship (encompassing guardian applications, background investigations, and annual reports submitted to the court), modifications of previous rulings, and dependency review hearings.
Additionally, General Magistrates play a role in the guardianship law by assisting the Probate Court with guardian applications and background checks, both for plenary and limited guardianships.
Magistrates Court & Case Types
Juvenile Dependency Court
The Juvenile Dependency Court aims to safeguard children and work towards securing secure and lasting homes for those who have endured abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
Misdemeanor Drug Court
The Misdemeanor Drug Court of the 17th Judicial Circuit is a specialized court entrusted with the task of managing cases related to individuals with substance abuse issues. This is accomplished through thorough supervision, drug testing, the provision of treatment services, and the implementation of prompt sanctions and incentives.
Misdemeanor Mental Health Court
Typically, prospective participants in the court are identified and referred within 24 hours of their arrest. Screening is carried out either by a psychiatrist employed by the private healthcare provider for the county jail or by doctoral students affiliated with the Public Defender’s office. These evaluations, conducted in the jail prior to court proceedings, assess whether a defendant qualifies for the mental health court, determines their legal competence, or identifies if they require involuntary admission to a hospital.
Probate and Guardianship
The Probate Division is responsible for handling cases involving the administration of wills, the resolution of estates, as well as matters concerning guardianship and mental health.
Traffic Court
The majority of civil traffic infraction hearings are conducted by Hearing Officers. Individuals who receive a traffic citation have several choices within 30 days: they can pay the traffic fine as stated on the citation, attend a driver improvement course, or request a hearing to challenge the citation.
Unified Family Court
The UFC Division handles cases where a single judge oversees multiple ongoing cases that involve the same children and family members across the Domestic Violence, Family, and Juvenile Divisions. Furthermore, the Family Division is responsible for presiding over matters related to divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, paternity, name change, and certain cases involving domestic violence injunctions.
Magistrates & Hearing Officers
- Magistrate Judge Carla Cody
- Magistrate Judge Randi Glick Boven
- Magistrate Judge Yves P. Laventure
- Magistrate Judge Stephanie Matalon
- Magistrate Judge Lucy Ramos Miller
- Magistrate Judge Rudolph Morel
- Magistrate Judge Henriett Jo Pace
- Magistrate Judge Vicki L. Plant
- Magistrate Judge Allana Robinson Woods
- Hearing Officer Michael Sullivan
- Magistrate Judge Annette J. Szorosy
- Hearing Officer Matthew Tannenbaum
- Magistrate Judge Claudette Vanni
Location & Contact Information
201 SE 3rd Ave,
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone: (954) 831-6580
