Chief Justice Labarga Presents Award for Excellence to Miami-Dade Judge

Miami-Dade County Judge Carroll J. Kelly, a leader in domestic violence judicial education, is the 2017 recipient of the Chief Justice Award for Judicial Excellence. Chief Justice Jorge Labarga presented the award to Judge Kelly at the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida.
Judge Kelly was appointed to the Miami-Dade bench in 1999. She serves as the administrative judge in the Miami-Dade County Domestic Violence Division. She is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.
“Her ability to truly care for and about the people we come in contact with each day adds to her extensive list of training, knowledge and attributes and sets her apart from many others,” according to the nomination letter for Judge Kelly. “Her knowledge, leadership insight, dedication and empathy have significantly improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of families.”
Judge Kelly has written grants to bring thousands of dollars into the community for domestic violence projects, helped coordinate and train attorneys to participate in a pro bono program that represents children in families unsettled by domestic violence, and created education programs and resources to help domestic violence litigants better understand the cycle of violence.
In 2014, under the auspices of the Florida Institute on Interpersonal Violence, she co-created a two-phase regional training for Florida judges with the goal of enhancing statewide consistency and uniformity in the handling of domestic violence cases. She is a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College, co-created the Florida Institute on Interpersonal Violence, and is chair of Miami-Dade County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, among many other professional and civic activities.
“Her experience and qualifications are only perhaps outmatched by her judicial courage and integrity, as well as her character,” according to a letter in support of her nomination from County Judge Gina Beovides. “Judge Kelly is a source of pride for Miami-Dade County judges and possesses all the tangible and intangible qualities that personify judicial excellence.”
The Chief Justice Awards for Judicial Excellence, established in 2014 and bestowed annually, recognize one county court judge and one circuit judge who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the judicial branch and who personify judicial excellence.