Judge Debra Steinberg Nelson: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Appointed By: Gov. John E. Bush

Biography

The Hon. Debra Steinberg Nelson (Ret.) was a judge for the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jeb Bush in 1999. Nelson retired on June 30, 2021.


The 18th Judicial Circuit includes Brevard and Seminole Counties. She presided over the Juvenile Delinquency, Civil-Family, Felony Criminal, Civil, and Probate Divisions as well as the Seminole County Adult Drug Court. She also served as an administrative judge of the Seminole County Juvenile (1999 to 2000), Family (2000 to 2001), and Probate and Guardianship Divisions (2001 to 2002), and she was an administrative judge for Seminole County (2000 to 2001) and an administrative judge for Appeals (1999 to 2007). In addition, Nelson served as an administrative judge of the Professionalism Committee (beginning in 2009) and was acting chief judge of both Seminole and Brevard counties (2003 to 2005).


In 2013, she became the presiding judge of the George Zimmerman self-defense case in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.


Nelson received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Florida in 1975. She went on to complete a J.D. at South Texas College of Law Houston in 1979.


After graduating from law school, she began her legal career with the Office of the State Attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Broward County, where she served as a felony prosecutor and chief prosecutor beginning in 1980. Then, in 1983, Nelson became staff counsel at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, where she represented the department in personnel legal matters, employment discrimination, labor disputes, administrative law, and civil litigation. After three years in that capacity, Nelson left to enter into private practice.


It was at that time, in 1986, she joined Boroughs, Grimm, Bennett & Griffin, P.A. During her tenure at the firm, Nelson was named a partner in 1988 and became head of its Litigation Department in 1989. After leaving the firm in 1992, Nelson entered into solo practice at her own law firm, where her litigation practice included contract disputes, mortgage foreclosures, corporate disputes, family law matters, probate litigation fraud, unfair and deceptive trade practices, employment disputes, employment discrimination, real property disputes, aviation litigation, construction defects, mechanics liens, constitutional law claims, adversary proceedings in bankruptcy, administrative proceedings, class action lawsuits, and appellate matters. She continued in her private practice until her appointment to the Circuit Court bench.


In addition to her solo practice, Nelson was also an arbitrator for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (1992 to 1999).


She sat as a member of the Florida Supreme Court Pro Se Committee, the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Conflicts Committee, the Family Court Steering Committee Summit on Redefining Florida’s Family Courts, the Seminole County Court Operations Committee, the Trial Court Budget Commission, the Florida Bar Criminal Rules Committee, the Florida Bar Family Rules Committee, and the Florida Bar Civil Rules Committee.


Her other memberships included the Seminole County Bar Association, the Brevard County Bar Association, the Volie A. Williams Inns of Court, and the Seminole County Community Leaders and Elected Officials.

Recent Cases by Hon. Debra Steinberg Nelson

On August 24, 2018 a libel/slander case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brevard County. Judge DEBRA NELSON presiding.

19 Files
Filed

Aug 24, 2018

Status

Dismissal

Judge

Hon. DEBRA NELSON Trellis Spinner 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for DEBRA NELSON

Court

Brevard County

County

Brevard County, FL

Category

LIBEL/SLANDER

Practice Area

Torts

Matter Type

Slander,Libel,Defamation

Case Last Refreshed

Apr 11, 2022

On May 28, 2013 an other circuit civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brevard County. Judge DEBRA NELSON presiding.

Filed

May 28, 2013

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. DEBRA NELSON Trellis Spinner 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for DEBRA NELSON

Court

Brevard County

County

Brevard County, FL

Category

OTHER CIRCUIT CIVIL

Case Last Refreshed

May 25, 2015

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