HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 30, No. 2 | Page 12

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E J o h n F. K y n e s - H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n chief Judges look Back to the future in remarks at the hcBa’s 23rd annual Bench Bar luncheon T “i am very proud of the work we are doing in our specialty courts. we are going the extra mile to help the people that need the help.” — thirteenth circuit chief Judge ronald ficarrotta he theme for the HCBA’s 23rd Annual Bench Bar Conference held on Oct. 3 was “To the Moon and Back: Explorations in Law & Advocacy.” The title was a play on words to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of Apollo 11’s moon landing in 1969. The luncheon speakers were Thirteenth Circuit Chief Judge Ronald Ficarrotta and Second DCA Chief Judge Nelly Khouzam. The judges, in their remarks, highlighted some significant changes that have occurred in the court system over the past five decades, as well as some issues to look for in the future. 10 “What was the Bench like in 1969?” Ficarrotta asked rhetorically to the 600 attendees gathered at the downtown Hilton. In 1969, there were 16 local state court judges, and today there are 62 judges, Ficarrotta said. Ficarrotta noted the population of Hillsborough County has swelled from 490,000 in 1969 to 1.3 million today. continued on page 11 NOV - DEC 2019 | HCBA LAWYER