Sixth Circuit Judge Anthony Rondolino honored with Chief Justice Excellence Award
Judge Anthony Rondolino
Judge Anthony Rondolino received the 2023 Chief Justice Excellence Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit.
The award was presented by Justice John D. Couriel at the annual education program of the Conference of Circuit Court Judges.
Rondolino’s dedication to serving the people of Florida and the judicial branch led Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz to honor him with the award. Rondolino ended eight years as chief judge of the Sixth Circuit of Pinellas and Pasco counties and has been a judge for more than 30 years.
“I would suggest our cherished judicial values may be summarized in three words: diligence, competence, and integrity,” wrote Second Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom. “There is no judge whose career more fully embodied these values than Anthony Rondolino.”
Judge Rondolino embarked on his career at the Sixth Circuit Public Defender’s Office. In January 1990, he began his work as a circuit judge and earned a reputation for his extensive knowledge of the law, rigorous research, and unparalleled preparation. His dedication to accessibility and willingness to provide legal guidance to colleagues was noted by his peers and those who nominated him for the award.
A skilled collaborator and consensus builder, Judge Rondolino fostered strong relationships across the legal and judicial communities, working closely with bar associations, state attorneys, public defenders, clerks of court, sheriffs, and police chiefs, according to the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
As noted by the administrative judges of the Sixth Circuit, Judge Rondolino’s “judicial excellence, strong character, integrity, legal knowledge, ethics, courage, compassion and decisiveness integrity, ethics, courage, compassion, and decisiveness,” earned him unanimous election as the chief judge for four terms.
Throughout his eight-year tenure as chief judge, Rondolino has been committed to ensuring the Sixth Circuit operates efficiently and effectively. Under his guidance, the circuit developed and implemented hurricane preparedness plans, which proved instrumental during Hurricanes Irma and Ian. Additionally, he collaborated with stakeholders to devise methods for administering justice safely during the pandemic and continues to lead the circuit in adopting post-COVID rules that strike a balance between remote and in-person proceedings.
Judge Rondolino also led the establishment of the Community Violence Division, which oversees all protective injunctions, as well as the circuit’s Mental Health Court, which addresses critical mental-health issues in the judicial process.
