practice section: criminal law
The Criminal Law Section Bridges Our Common Ground
by kathleen m. fitzgeorge, esq.
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s we all attempt to put the unique trials and tribulations of the past year-and-a-half in our rear-view mirrors, the Criminal Law Section of the Lee County Bar Association is excited to be presenting several educational and informative programs in the coming months. In September, we had a presentation from Fort Myers Attorney Tracey Redd. Tracey is a former Assistant Public Defender in both the Seventeenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits, who transitioned to private practice in Lee County in 2002. She practices exclusively in the area of criminal defense. Tracey is a tireless advocate for her clients’ rights, and addressed the need for a solid work-life balance in Tracey Redd, Esq.
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our daily lives, the relevance of mentors and mentoring in the legal profession, the importance of living your life according to your values, and the need to discover your passion and purpose as you progress in your legal career.
busy lives. Though we are all lawyers who are either tangentially or fully involved in the criminal justice system, there are many different roles we fill in the pursuit of justice. My question to you is: What is our common ground?
Also on tap is a presentation from Kevin Karnes, Chief Operating Officer of the Lee County Clerk’s Office. As COO, Kevin’s duties include overseeing six different departments within the Clerk’s office and guiding his team through the daily challenges that arise during the course of their important work. He will be Kevin Karnes addressing, in addition to other topics, the importance of being able to read and understand driving records, as well as the need to help navigate the hurdles and difficulties that might arise without a firm understanding of how the Clerk of Court operates and all that it offers.
With that in mind, we are reaching out to all of you involved in the practice of Criminal Law for your suggestions, requests, and advice regarding how the Criminal Law Section can benefit and serve you now and in the future. Private attorneys, public defenders, and state attorneys all face challenges in their day-today work lives. Yet, there is tremendous commonality we share as lawyers engaged in this aspect of the law. As a group, the Criminal Law Section of the Lee County Bar Association will continue to strive to do its best to support all of our members in the best possible way, but we want to hear from you. Call, write, email, or come to the next meeting. We want to know what we can do for you!
While we look forward to all our programs, we also strive to be aware of other issues, interests, and challenges facing the Criminal Law Section of our local Bar Association. We all are facing the issues of whether to vaccinate or not to vaccinate; of meeting in person or remotely; and of keeping up with administrative orders and changes in rules, procedures, and practice. We also remain tasked with our full and active practices and our LeeBar.org
We look forward to an informative and exciting year ahead, and thank each and every one of you for your continued support.
Kathleen M. Fitzgeorge, Esq. is the Chief Assistant Public Defender for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida specializing in capital murder cases. She is the co-chair of the Criminal Law Section for the Lee County Bar Association.
