Welcome to the Informational Website of
JUDGE CLARISSA HARRELL
Judge Harrell is an elected County Court Judge serving the citizens of Brevard County in Florida's Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.
This site is designed to provide transparency and public access to information about how she operates her courtroom and spends her time as a member of the judiciary both on and off the bench.
* Policies & Procedures
In 2025 Judge Harrell comprehensively revised her Division's Policies & Procedures to bring them into conformity with the expanded template recommended by The Florida Supreme Court.
Please click this link to view these Policies & Procedures, noting the contact information for her Judicial Assistant at the top, and check back regularly for revised content: https://flcourts18.org/docs/bre/Judge_Harrells_Policies_and_Procedures.pdf
* Litigants' Use of Artificial Intelligence
Attorneys and non-attorneys alike should be aware that in June of 2026, Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.515 was amended to require that court filings contain a "Representation by Signer" that "the legal authorities identified exist and are accurately cited." Courts are authorized to impose sanctions for any filing inconsistent with that representation. Sanctions may include reprimand, contempt, striking of the document, dismissal of proceedings, costs, attorneys' fees, or other sanctions.
Please review the information in the following two links:
https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/content/download/2489374/opinion/Opinion_SC2026-0673.pdf
Girl Scout Troops 523, 1819, & 713 visited Judge Harrell in October to learn about civil and criminal courts and the role of the judicial system in American democracy. [Liaison confirmed parental consent to display picture.]
* 2026 Mid-Year Report
*JUDICIAL DUTIES
--Conducted 369 civil trials and evidentiary hearings in the first six months of 2026, including breach of contract, insurance disputes, dissolution of marriage, eviction, litigation in aid of execution on judgments, and risk protection hearings, among others. Drafted all final judgments and orders for cases in which there was no counsel of record.
--Assisted Circuit Judges with injunction for protection cases, reviewing and resolving all incoming stalking, repeat violence, and cyberstalking petitions for 31 days, and conducting 44 injunction hearings.
--Assessed probable cause and set bond when appropriate in cases of 702 inmates, and addressed placement/detention status of juveniles removed from parents due to abuse or neglect, or charged with delinquent acts, over the course of eleven days of Initial Appearances at the Brevard County Jail.
--Conducted 912 Small Claims Pre-Trial Conferences to assess continuance requests, determine proper mediation options, and schedule cases for trial.
--Assisted Circuit Criminal Court Judges with 626 felony cases by conducting plea colloquies and addressing continuance requests for Early Resolution cases negotiated by State and Defense, together with Arraignments.
--Served one week reviewing, and issuing when appropriate, arrest and search warrants submitted around the clock by law enforcement agencies throughout Brevard County.
--Reviewed and took action on 9,900 documents, after individual court record review related to each, including correspondence, motions, and proposed judgments and orders submitted through the electronic portal by Florida-licensed attorneys around the country.
--On call 49 days to review and resolve all petitions for civil Risk Protection Orders sought by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Brevard municipalities for removal of firearms from citizens alleged to be a danger to themselves or to others.
--Addressed juror excusal requests for one week.
--Excluding criminal case resolutions, during the first half of 2026 Judge Harrell disposed through final judgment or dismissal 1,949 county civil cases; 2,623 small claims cases; and 120 domestic relations/injunction cases.
--Appeals. During the first half of 2026, three litigants appealed Judge Harrell's rulings. The Fifth District Court of Appeal dismissed two appeals without addressing the merits; the third remains pending after the Fifth District affirmed Judge Harrell's denial of stay.
[2025 Judicial, Professional, and Community Activities are accessible through the menu on top right of page.]
Judge Harrell's 2026 Summer Judicial Interns
Judge Harrell's 2026 Summer Judicial Interns
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Past Brevard County Bar Association Presidents
*PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
--Served as a Trial Judge for a full Saturday of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit's High School Mock Trial Competition.
--Attended the Seminole County Bar Association Judicial Reception for all judges serving within the 18th Judicial Circuit
--Hosted and mentored nine summer Judicial Interns, two returning from University of South Florida and Stetson University, and others from Florida A&M College of Law, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, Mississippi State University, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Florida State University, and Eastern Florida State College.
--Continued service on The Florida Bar's Legal Needs of Children Committee
--Applauded the speech of Florida Bar President Sia Baker-Barnes delivered at the Brevard Legal Aid Gala celebrating those who have dedicated time and talents to indigent clients
--Addressed the middle and high school students of Judge Samuel Bookhardt's 2026 Summer Law Academy on the topic of "Making an Impact in the Practice of Law"
--Attended Civilian-Military Council meetings featuring updates from members of all branches of the U.S. military either based in Brevard or with a nexus of operational activity here
--Spent a day in the classroom with teacher Janae Ramirez's 6th through 8th graders discussing career options in law, and how to use legal knowledge and skill set to preserve democracy and protect the interests of others
--Attended the Brevard County Association of Women Lawyer's Judicial Reception at the Eau Gallie Yacht Club
--Attended the Brevard County Bar Association's Professionalism Awards Dinner
--Celebrated the 2026 Summer Judicial Interns at a luncheon hosted by Judge Kelly McKibben
--Performed Canvassing Board duties at the Supervisor of Elections Office in relation to the August 2026 Primary Election
-- Gave "Toast to a New Year" at the Brevard County Bar Association's Board Installation Dinner and Ceremony in August
*COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
--Invited by the Viera Voice newspaper to contribute to its "Tips From the Top" article directed to graduating high school seniors. [Click here to access article.]
--Enjoyed the beachside performance of local attorney and musician Ryan McCarville in the Flannel band
--Attended the Brevard Caribbean American Sports and Cultural Association (BCASCA) ceremony honoring the lifetime achievements of child welfare advocate Janice Bispham and other esteemed community leaders
--Watched actor and singer Jennifer Wingerter's performance in Singing in the Rain at The Henegar Center
--Attended the Latin American Club of Titusville's Annual Gala celebrating its student scholarship recipients, vibrant culture, and charitable causes.
--Cheered competitors across a two-mile course at the Innova Replay Space Coast Disc Golf Tournament at Wickham Park
--Attended the 11th Annual Rescuing Veterans Lost in America Dinner hosted by National Veterans Homeless Support
* Biography
Judge Harrell was elected in November of 2024 and took office on January 7, 2025. She is assigned to the County Civil bench, Division 3, but as with other County Court Judges is frequently assigned Criminal Court and Circuit Court duties by the Chief Judge.
Prior to taking the bench Judge Harrell was a trial attorney in Brevard courtrooms for 31 years and also worked as a first grade teacher during a brief reprieve from the contentiousness of law. Her trial attorney career encompassed 14 years in civil litigation and family law practice, including 10 years of operating her own law firm; 12 years as a criminal prosecutor, including intensive work in the Career Criminal & Firearms Unit and the Sex Crimes & Child Abuse Unit; and 5 years litigating child welfare cases in the Circuit Dependency Division.
Judge Harrell is a past president of the Brevard County Bar Association and has been heavily invested in a multitude of professional and community organizations over the decades. She is a graduate of Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington D.C., an International Politics major.
She has been married for 28 years. She and her husband have reared six children in Brevard. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband, adult children, grandchildren, and pets.
