Incoming chief judge readies for ‘dream’ job
Ever since taking American history in seventh grade at Rock Lake Middle School in Seminole County — studying the Declaration of Independence and memorizing parts of the Constitution — Jessica Recksiedler knew she wanted to be a judge, she said.
Next month, she will step beyond her childhood dream, when she becomes chief judge for the 18th Judicial Circuit, overseeing court administration for 42 other judges across Seminole and Brevard counties, as well as a more-than-$15 million budget.
“The reason why I did [want to become a judge] is because I believed in justice, I believed in the justice system, and I still do to this day,” Recksiedler said. She said a teacher from that period of her life believed in her, gifting her an owl and gavel at her high school graduation.
Though that teacher has since died, Recksiedler said she keeps the tokens in her office to remind her of her dream and what they symbolize.
“May all my decisions be wise
and may I always have the right temperament,” she said. “So this was always my goal, my dream . ... I do my best whether people agree with me or disagree with me. I’m not going to satisfy everybody every day. I do my best to do what I believe is right and what I believe is just, because that’s the purpose of my job.”
Recksiedler, who has served in criminal and civil court on the circuit bench in Seminole for the past 10 years, was chosen for the new role in a secret election by her peers. She will officially become chief judge July 1, taking over the two-year position from Brevard Circuit Judge Lisa Davidson.
Recksiedler has spent the majority of her tenure presiding over Seminole County’s drug court, which offers a diversion for people with substance abuse disorders arrested for nonviolent crimes, providing addiction treatment and rehabilitation opportunities. Upon completion of the program, the criminal charge is dropped.
“It’s just such a rewarding experience, because it’s something where, really, you feel like you helped somebody,” Recksiedler said. “Family relationships are improved, their own self esteem, their self-worth, are improved. You can see it in the way they carry themselves, the way they look, their demeanor. It’s just a change in their lives.”
She plans to continue in her role as drug court judge even as she becomes the chief of the judicial circuit. She said it’s been gratifying to see how, in the last decade, there’s been a shift in public perception of substance abuse disorders as well as mental health issues, which has helped improve care for people in drug court, including through medication-assisted treatment, which can help prevent relapses.
Seminole Sheriff Dennis Lemma, a leading advocate for a treatment-focused approach to addiction-related crime in Florida, said he’s excited to see Recksiedler take on a leadership role, given her dedication to programs like drug court.
“She not only embraces that, she offers a message and a narrative to judges across the country,” Lemma said, noting that they have spoken at conferences together and often meet about the issue with other local leaders. He said she has also been supportive of other problem-solving courts, like the veterans court.
But in few instances throughout her tenure, Recksiedler’s judgement and decisions have garnered concern from the community.
In 2015, she was publicly reprimanded for an “ethical violation” by the Florida Supreme Court, after she gave false or misleading answers during interviews in front of the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
The commission had concerns about Recksiedler’s driving, due to a history of speeding. She was stopped for speeding again on her way to interview with the panel for an appeals court seat, but failed to mention her latest ticket when her driving record came up.
In a later interview by the same panel, Recksiedler falsely responded “no” when asked if she’d been ticketed for speeding that year.
The state’s high court found she violated several judicial canons by misleading the panel, through she was found to have done so unintentionally. Then-Chief Justice Jorge Labarga said at the time she had “damaged the public trust.”
She declined to comment further on that case this week.
Recksiedler also faced backlash for her decision not to overturn Clemente Aguirre-Jarquin’s double murder conviction for the 2004 killings of Cheryl Williams and Carol Bareis, despite new DNA evidence and witness testimony that pointed to another suspect. The judge cited her ruling in that case while seeking a post on the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
But in 2016, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously overruled Recksiedler’s decisions, eventually leading to Aguirre-Jarguin’s release from prison after years on death row.
Recksidler said she stands by that ruling and has no regrets about any cases she’s handled, because she “did my best with what I had, every single time.”
“Based upon the circumstances that were given to me and the evidence at the time, I made the decision that I thought was appropriate based upon the case law,” she said about the Aguirre-Jarquin case. “... I did what I believed was right and just, with the information I had at the time.”
Looking forward to her new role, Recksiedler said she knows her first challenge as chief judge will be to deal with the still-lingering effects of COVID-19, including cases that slowed down during court closures. But she also hopes to find new ways to address the increase in mental health and addiction issues that only worsened during the pandemic
“I do want to make sure that we’re handling all the backlog that we may have [of] cases efficiently, ... impartially and in a timely manner,” Recksiedler said.
She said she will also continue working to move Seminole’s civil courthouse, currently in downtown Sanford, to a new annex at the Seminole County Criminal Justice complex off State Road 15, a project she would like to see done by 2023.
Recksiedler’s husband, Jason, is also an attorney, and they have two kids, ages 15 and 18. She said she likes to spend her free time with her family and at the beach.
She graduated from the Stetson University College of Law and for a time worked as an assistant state attorney in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, serving Orange and Osceola counties, before becoming a judge.