- February 19, 2025
It has been 34 years since Flagler County has elected a county judge, and Melissa Moore Stens was welcomed to the bench in a grand ceremony Friday, Feb. 15, at the Flagler Auditorium.
Twenty-four judges were in attendance, as Judge William Parsons swore in Moore Stens, 14 years after he swore her in as an attorney. Moore Stens replaces Sharon Atack, who retired last year; Atack had been appointed to fill the seat vacated by the death of her husband, William Atack.
Clerk of the Court Gail Wadsworth brought all of the clerks who will work with Moore Stens to the ceremony, to show their support for her.
“Being a judge is difficult,” said Wadsworth, whose sister and father were circuit judges in Flagler County. “It is not always easy to be the person who makes the decision. So, I think the ceremony tells a story about where those people sit. And it gives the position a great deal of respect, which it deserves.”
At the ceremony, Parsons introduced all the judges in attendance. Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano, who used to sit on the bench in Flagler, got the longest applause.
Then Parsons introduced the other dignitaries, including Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston. “This is quite a place,” Parsons said, “when the tax collector gets a round of applause.”
Making connections
Parsons’ connection with Moore Stens was one of several in the ceremony. Her children, Brady and Mia Stens, led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rev. Charlene Cothran and the Rev. Patrick Wilkerson said the invocation and benediction, respectively, and they also provided Moore Stens with spiritual guidance during the 2012 campaign, she said.
Douglas S. Williams was a partner with Moore Stens when she first started in private practice; as president of the Flagler County Bar Association, he presented her with her judicial robe.
Jackie Roys, president of the Volusia/Flagler Association for Women Lawyers, presented Moore Stens with a gavel; she revealed that she attended her first deposition with Mia Stens, when Mia was an infant. Roys also praised Moore Stens for “promoting women in the judiciary.”
Judge Dawn Fields gave Moore Stens a plaque from the Florida Conference of County Court Judges and called Moore Stens her “sister in law.”
Attorney Sharon Feliciano introduced Moore Stens to the audience.
Feliciano has been good friends with Moore Stens since 1998. She told a story about when they were out to dinner a year ago. “We decided to run (for the county judge office),” Feliciano said. “But we talked about something even more important. We decided that whoever made it through the primary would help the other.”
Feliciano said that despite being adversaries as they both ran for the seat, which Moore Stens eventually won, they have remained close friends. “She’s just Mel to me,” Feliciano said.
‘Don’t make me regret this’
After Parsons administered the oath of office, Zambrano stepped to the microphone to welcome her to the bench, at Moore Stens’ request. Before he started, Moore Stens said quietly to him, “Don’t make me regret this.”
Zambrano explained that she now had a new title, and that everyone should call her “Judge,” or “Your Honor.”
“At home, my children say, ‘Your Honor, may I have some money?’” Zambrano quipped. “My wife says, ‘Your Honor,’ take out the trash.”
He said one of the best things about being a judge was that “you get to wear a black Snuggie every day.”
Among his practical advice to Moore Stens was to exercise: “This job will make you fat. We sit all day. We don’t move.” Someone told him recently that he was carrying his extra 20 pounds well.
He added, “Before you sit at the bench, use the restroom.”
He suggested she take a lesson from farmers, whose words of wisdom come in small packages. “Those who get too big for their britches will soon be exposed. … Silence sometimes is the best answer. … Words will soak into people when they are whispered, not shouted. … Don’t corner anything that is meaner than you. … Meanness doesn’t happen overnight.”
He also commented on the difficulty of the job. “How do you resolve a case when both parties say exactly the opposite?” he asked. One party has the burden of proof, he said, so if the evidence is truly equal for and against, the party with the burden of proof has failed.
When he had his picture taken with Moore Stens, he grinned and stood on his tippy toes so that he would appear almost as tall as she did in her high heels.
‘Living my dream’
Finally, Moore Stens was given time to respond to the call to be a judge. She said, “I am living my dream.” She thanked her mother for inspiring her. She thanked everyone who helped her during the election season.
“In the campaign, I was amazed at the strangers who turned into supporters and volunteers,” she said. “Those who comforted me, you know who you are.”
She thanked her children and her husband, Michael Stens. “Marriage is not easy,” she said, “but most things worth having are not easy.”
Future of the caseload
According to Wadsworth, Moore Stens will likely hear about 5,800 cases this year. But, there could be light at the end of the tunnel: Gov. Rick Scott has recommended hiring 19 judges statewide. His budget still has to go through the Legislature, but it’s possible that Flagler County could finally be addressed. The average county judge in the state has a caseload of less than half of what Moore Stens will face.
In his remarks, Zambrano also addressed the intense workload. He suggested that when things get tough, remember: “You asked for this job.”
