By CHRIS BUTLER

SEBRING — The same Highlands County judge hearing your case in March may not be the same one hearing your case if it continues into the summer.
A few changes are coming to the Highlands County Courthouse.

The chief judge responsible for deciding which 10th Judicial District judges oversee which courts has made some key changes.
Chief Judge David Langford released a list of new appointments for Highlands County last week, in addition to those in Polk and Hardee counties.
Langford said in a statement that the changes in Highlands County will take effect July 2 and will remain effective until Jan. 6 of next year.
Judge Olin Shinholser will become the administrative judge for the county’s Civil and Probate Court.

Meanwhile, Judge John K. Stargel will move from his current position in Polk County to oversee Highlands County’s Family Court. 
Judge J. Michael McCarthy will remain as Highlands County’s Juvenile Court judge. Judge Peter Estrada will retain his position as Highlands County’s Felony Court judge. 

Langford has previously said many judges in the 10th Judicial Circuit are rotated from court to court, often on an 18-month basis.
The circuit includes Highlands, Hardee and Polk counties. 

Langford announced last week he was reassigning controversial Judge Susan Roberts to Polk County’s Family Court. Roberts is currently the only judge hearing first-degree murder cases coming out of Highlands and its surrounding counties.

State attorneys filed motions last month asking that Roberts be removed from first-degree murder cases.
They faulted Roberts for what they said was her insensitivity to the families of murder victims and stated opposition to the death penalty in at least one instance. They also said in documents filed against Roberts that she’s conducted her court in an “inexcusable” manner. 

Langford said Judge Michael Hunter will assume Roberts’ duties as a capitol murder judge in July.