3 Stetson Law Alums Tapped for Area Judgeships

Three Stetson Law alumni have recently been appointed judges in Tampa Bay area courtrooms.

In a single day, three Stetson Law graduates got well-deserved promotions to key judgeships in Tampa Bay area courtrooms. On August 5, the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of the three alums to benches in Hillsborough and Hernando counties, which adds to the ever-growing number of important roles Stetson alums hold in courtrooms, legislatures, and other critical areas.

Marc Makholm, Hillsborough County Court

Stetson Law alumus The Hon. Marc Makholm

After years working in both private practice and public service, Makholm was appointed to the bench in Hillsborough County to fill the vacancy left by Judge James Moody III. For the prior 11 years, Makholm served as general counsel to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. While working as a criminal defense attorney in Tampa, The Tampa Bay Times profiled him in 2010. He received his B.A. from the University of Florida and his J.D. from Stetson Law. The Hillsborough Clerk of the Circuit Court is headquartered in downtown Tampa, with satellite locations in Brandon and Plant City.

Stetson Law alumna The Hon. Cynthia Oster

Cynthia Oster, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court

Following four years of service as a Hillsborough County court judge, Oster was appointed to the bench in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Hillsborough County. Prior to becoming a judge, she spent 18 years as a senior county attorney in the Hillsborough County Attorney’s office. She earned her bachelor’s from the University of Florida and her J.D. from Stetson Law. Her appointment fills the vacancy left by the departure of Judge Emmett Battles.

Barbara-Jo Bell, Hernando County Court

A native of Spring Hill, Bell has been working as an assistant state attorney in Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit for a year. Prior to that, she spent years as an assistant public defender. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Tampa and her J.D. from Stetson Law. Her appointment fills the vacancy left in the wake of the departure of Judge Kristen Healis. The Hernando County Clerk of the Circuit Court has a headquarters in Brooksville and has a second location in Spring Hill.

More recent Stetson Law alums-turned-judges

Graduates of Stetson Law aren’t just earning judicial appointments in the Tampa Bay area. Recent notable bench appointments for alums include Natasha R. Shaw, who was appointed to a newly established judgeship in Hawaii’s District Family Court in March of 2022. In August 2022, Alumnus Christian Towns was appointed a judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court.

Read more Stetson Law alumni success stories.