M E E T
T H E
J U D G E S
by Lyndsey E. Siara – Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
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criminal hearing before former Judge Debra Behnke.
Allan came to her rescue by appearing pro hac vice, with
the permission of the client, the State, and the judge,
and despite not being a criminal attorney, he was a great
stand-in. Over the years, they would collaborate on
cases; Allan was her sounding board. Allan also became
Judge Tesche Arkin’s campaign advisor — she even
modeled her campaign sticker after his. Allan loved
Tampa and its Cuban sandwiches and cigars, and to this
day, there is a steady stream of family and friends that
travel between the Anchorage B&B and Tampa.
Before running for judge, then-attorney Tesche Arkin
was in private practice doing mostly criminal defense
work, along with some estate planning, contracts, and
bankruptcy. While in law school, she spent a summer at
the Department of Probation and then the New York
City Mayor’s Office. Uncertain of her next move, the
new graduate saw a brochure essentially touting “Come
to Miami and Work for Janet Reno.” Intrigued, Judge
Tesche Arkin took a chance, moved South, and became
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an Assistant State Attorney under the woman who would
become the first female and second-longest serving
United States Attorney General. Those five years as an
ASA were formative and landed her new roles at the U.S.
Attorney’s Office in Maine followed by private practice
in Key West. Realizing the weather was better down
South, Judge Tesche Arkin took her next chance by
moving to Tampa and becoming an Assistant Public
Defender under Julianne Holt. Judge Tesche Arkin had
traveled all over the world, but Tampa soon became her
chosen home.
While on the bench, Judge Tesche Arkin has circulated
through several divisions. The felony division was very
natural for her, given her background as a criminal
defense attorney. There were challenging times of course.
She recalled a five-month pill mill RICO trial — what
she understands is still the longest state court trial in this
Circuit. It was that experience, and the toll it took on her
mind and body, that led her to care deeply about judicial
wellness and mindfulness. She later taught a course at the
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