DeSantis announces new Broward Circuit Court appointments
Broward County, Florida – Governor Ron DeSantis announced his selection of attorneys Kristin Kanner and Elaine Carbuccia to serve on the Broward Circuit Court bench. These appointments fill the vacancies left by the late Circuit Judge Linda Alley and the retired Circuit Judge Charles Greene.
Kanner, 56 years of age, has spent the past ten years leading the Department of Children and Families’ Sexually Violent Predator Program. Prior to this role, she served as a prosecutor with the Broward State Attorney’s Office, dedicating a decade of her career to the sex crimes division.
Carbuccia previously held the role of a staff attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit, covering Broward County. More recently, she served as a federal law clerk to U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal. Singhal, an erstwhile assistant Broward Public Defender, was appointed to the circuit bench after numerous attempts and later served as a federal judge.
Judge Singhal expressed unequivocal support for the appointments. “As an applicant that had to wait 17 times to get appointed, it is not a process for the faint of heart,” he commented. “I think the governor made wonderful selections picking Elaine and Kristin. Elaine will be an outstanding judge and my only regret is that I lose her as a law clerk.”
Before her tenure with Judge Singhal, Carbuccia worked under the guidance of Broward Circuit Judges Martin Bidwill and Carol Lisa Phillips.
Judge Greene, now employed as a mediator, stepped down from the bench earlier this year, having served for 32 years.
Judge Alley, who was first elected in 2020, passed away on January 4 due to pneumonia.
From a pool of 22 candidates recommended by the circuit’s judicial nominating commission, Governor DeSantis chose Carbuccia and Kanner. In the near future, he is expected to make three more appointments, filling the positions of judges Patti Englander Henning, Dale Ross, and Elizabeth Scherer, who are resigning.
