Regional Counsel Ita Neymotin Reappointed by Governor Rick Scott

Fort Myers, FL, March 19, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Attorney Ita Neymotin, the Regional Counsel for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel for the Second District Court of Appeal of Florida, has been reappointed to her post by Governor Rick Scott. She has served in this capacity since 2011, when she became the youngest attorney and the only woman appointed in the state of Florida. Now at age 43, she maintains those distinctions among all five District Court of Appeal regions across the state.

She is responsible for the 14 counties that make up the Second District Court of Appeal, managing 140 attorneys and support staff with an annual budget that exceeds $9 million. The Regional Counsel defends parties when the Public Defender’s office has a conflict in a case. The office also represents indigent clients in juvenile dependency as well as certain types of civil cases. Neymotin is responsible for the counties including Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte, Glades, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Polk, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties.

Neymotin’s original appointment in 2011 represented a return to the Regional Counsel, as she had served as a trial attorney and chief for the office from 2007 to 2010. She practiced with the Office of the Public Defender for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit from 2004 to 2007, the Kremenchuker Law Firm P.A. from 2003 to 2004, and the Office of the State Attorney for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit from 2002 to 2003. Neymotin received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and a law degree and Master of Laws from Capital University Law School. She is reappointed for a term ending September 30, 2019.

Neymotin is also chair of the Local Professionalism Panel for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, and is a frequent speaker on professionalism issues for agencies and conferences across Florida. She was the recipient of Capital University Law School’s 2015 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. Upon the invitation of the Ukrainian government, she visited that country to advise its officials on improving their system of justice, enhancing its public image and dealing with the problem of selective persecution. Neymotin is on The Florida Bar Grievance Committee, and was the 2015 Medal of Honor recipient from the Collier County Bar Association. She also teaches the Florida Criminal Law and Procedure Class at Ave Maria Law School.

Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel
Second District Court of Appeal, Florida

Ita Neymotin was appointed by Governor Rick Scott in 2011 and reappointed March 15, 2016 to lead The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel (OCCCRC) of the Second District Court of Appeal of Florida. It is one of five regional counsel offices created by the legislature in 2007 to provide legal representation to indigent persons in criminal cases in which the court grants the Public Defender’s motion to withdraw and appoints the OCCRC, in dependency and civil cases, and certain statutorily authorized civil commitment proceedings. OCCCRC also handles appeals and post conviction motions. As noted under Statute 27.511, the Florida Legislature states “it is the intent of the Legislature to provide adequate representation in a fiscally sound manner, while safeguarding constitutional principles.” Regional Counsel saves millions of taxpayer dollars every year while providing quality representation to its clients. For more information visit flrc2.org.