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Sixth Judicial Circuit judge Peter Ramsberger wins award for judicial excellence

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge Peter Ramsberger is the 2017 recipient of the Chief Justice Award for 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.

Ramsberger, who was elected to the Pinellas County bench in 1990 and appointed to his position in the Sixth Circuit in 1997, was presented with the award by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga at the Conference of Circuit Court Judges of Florida.

The award announcement references Ramsberger’s commitment to judicial education programs. Over the span of his career, the West Point and Florida State University alumnus has taught at least 100 judicial education programs.

Nine of those programs were taught in different judicial circuits around the state during fiscal years 2014 through 2016, with more than 170 judges attending. The effort saved taxpayers an estimated $375,000.

“Judge Ramsberger personifies judicial excellence, strength of character, integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, sound judgment, professional ethics, intellectual courage, compassion and decisiveness,” wrote Miami-Dade County Judge Carroll J. Kelly, who was the 2017 recipient of the county judge award. “He also possesses the unusual trait of humbleness.”

The announcement said Ramsberger’s nomination and letters of support highlighted his humor, humility, inclusiveness and an overall exceptionally warm judicial demeanor.

“Judge Ramsberger has taught generations of judges not only the nuts and bolts of family law, but also why it is sometimes necessary for family judges to go above and beyond the call of duty when a family is in crisis and needs help,” wrote Twelfth Judicial Circuit Judge Donna Padar Berlin in a letter in support of his nomination. “Thanks to Judge Ramsberger, ‘Famstock’ (as the family law track is affectionately known at the Florida Judicial College) is the only track with a heart.”

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.

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