Circuit Judge Stephen Everett recently received the 2023 “Trial Jurist of the Year” Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the 2nd Judicial Circuit announced in a news release.
At the winter Tallahassee ABOTA meeting this past Saturday, Tallahassee Chapter President Jim Floyd presented the annual award.
In a later statement, Vickie Bramblett – executive director of the Tallahassee chapter – called Everett “an amazing judge. He was recognized for his amazing work surrounding the (Dan) Markel case, his patience with both trial teams and witnesses, and also his wonderful way of how he composes himself on the bench in every case he has in front of him.
Charlie Adelson, brother-in-law of Florida State law professor Dan Markel, was convicted last year and sentenced by Everett to life in Markel’s 2014 murder in Tallahassee. Everett now is presiding in the case of Adelson’s mother, Donna Adelson, also charged in Markel’s killing.
Everett “shows the utmost professionalism and ethics as required for an ABOTA award,” Bramblett added.