Name: Kathleen “Katie” O’Brien Hinkle

Date and place of birth: April 14, 1986/Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Campaign website: KatieHinkleforJudge.com

List in reverse chronological order each college, university and law school and indicate, for each, years of attendance.
Nova Southeastern University, August 2008 – May 2011

University of Florida, August 2004 – May 2008

List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Florida Dispute Resolution, LLC, January 2025 – Present

Sastre, Saavedra & Epstein, January 2024 – January 2025

Derrevere, Stevens, Black & Cozad, January 2023 – January 2024

Geyer Fuxa Tyler, January 2017 – January 2023

Broward County State Attorney’s Office, August 2012 – December 2016

Foreman Friedman, January 2012 – August 2012

As a lawyer, judge, or both, describe what types of cases you have typically handled?
As a former Assistant State Attorney, I prosecuted cases from misdemeanors to first-degree felonies, handling a variety of criminal matters. As a civil litigation attorney I represented clients in insurance dispute litigation, including property damage cases, premises liability, and negligence cases. In addition, I currently serve as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit, Family, County, and Appellate mediator, as well as a qualified arbitrator, where I assist parties in resolving civil disputes.

If you are an attorney, how many cases have you tried in the past five years? Of those cases, how many were tried before juries to verdicts and how many were tried before a judge?
The majority of the cases I have handled over the past 5 years were in Circuit Civil Court where a jury trial was demanded. I have tried one case in the past 5 years where a verdict was reached by the jury.

If you are a judge, how many jury trials have you presided over that resulted in verdicts and judgments?
Not applicable.

Have you been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details, including case style, jurisdiction and details of disposition.
No.

Have you been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including adjudications of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates of conviction and terms of sentence.
No.

If a judge: Have you ever been disciplined by the Florida Supreme Court or investigated by the Judicial Qualifications Commission. If an attorney: Have you ever been disciplined, even privately, as a result of a Florida Bar investigation? (If so, provide details.)
No.

List three cases in which you were lead or co-counsel and why they are significant.
1- Insurance litigation case in Pinellas County I represented a homeowner in a managed repair dispute against his insurance company involving significant damage to his home. Although the litigation took several years to reach trial, we ultimately secured a favorable result for the homeowner.

2- Burglary Case As an Assistant State Attorney, I was assigned a case involving an 18-year-old Defendant with no prior criminal history who was charged with burglary. He was caught jumping a fence of the victim’s residence with his friends. His friends completed a burglary, but he jumped right back over the fence. After evaluating the facts, I amended the charge from felony burglary to misdemeanor trespass with a withhold of adjudication, making him eligible for misdemeanor expungement. This resolution appropriately balanced accountability with the recognition that a single bad decision should not limit a young person’s education and employment future.

3- Aggravated Stalking and False Report of Child Abuse As an Assistant State Attorney, I prosecuted a Defendant who relentlessly stalked a victim after following her from California to Broward County. The Defendant repeatedly harassed the victim through social media, sending threatening messages, and filed a false report of child abuse to determine her location in Florida. I tried both the aggravated stalking and false report case before a jury. The Defendant was found guilty on all counts and subsequently sentenced by the Court. This case highlights the importance of protecting victims and ensuring serious offenses are prosecuted thoroughly and fairly.

If you have provided any significant pro bono legal services in the past 10 years, please provide details.
I have been volunteering with the Broward County Courts for pro bono small claims mediation.

List current memberships in civic, fraternal, legal or social organizations.
Broward County Bar Association

Broward County Women Lawyers Association

The Hundred Club

The Florida Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

The Florida Bar Grievance Mediation Committee

If you are or were an officer or director or engaged in management of any business enterprise other than a law practice, list its name and business activity, your duties and whether you intend to resign upon your election.
Not applicable.

Why are you running for this office?
I am running for Broward County Circuit Court Judge because I believe my experience and judicial temperament have prepared me to serve the Broward County community with integrity, impartiality, and fairness.

Over the past nearly 15 years, I have served the community as a prosecutor, civil litigator, Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit, County, Family, and Appellate Mediator, and a Qualified Arbitrator. Through each legal role I have held, I have had the opportunity to view the legal system from a different perspective. This balanced perspective has continuously reinforced the importance of listening carefully, treating every person with dignity and respect, and applying the law fairly and without bias.

As a lifelong Broward County resident, this is my community. I understand that the decisions made in the courtroom have a lasting impact on individuals, families, and the entire Broward County Community. Each person who enters a courtroom deserves to not only be heard, but to be truly listened to. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have confidence that the courthouse is a place where disputes are resolved fairly, impartially, and in accordance with the law.

If you have sought appointment as a judge through a Judicial Nominating Commission, provide details, including year(s) and results.
Not applicable.

Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
Voters should elect me because I have the breadth of legal experience and the temperament to serve in any division of the Broward County Circuit Court from day one. Circuit Court judges may be assigned to Criminal, Civil, Family, Probate, Juvenile, Dependency, or Domestic Violence divisions, and my career has provided me experience in a majority of these areas.

I began my career as an Assistant State Attorney in Broward County, where I prosecuted cases ranging from misdemeanors to first-degree felonies. Throughout my time at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, I had the opportunity to gain significant courtroom and jury trial experience, which laid the foundation for my transition to civil litigation. As a civil litigation attorney, I handled insurance disputes and negligence cases. I represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants, which allowed me to develop a balanced perspective and a deeper understanding of the legal issues and the litigants who appear before the Court.

In addition, I am a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit, County, Family, and Appellate Mediator and a Qualified Arbitrator. These roles require me to have the ability to listen carefully to the people involved in a dispute, evaluate the facts and law impartially, and assist the parties in resolving civil disputes fairly and efficiently.

After nearly 15 years of practicing law in a variety of roles, I have developed the experience, judgment, and judicial temperament necessary to serve the Broward County Community. Every person who enters my courtroom will be treated with dignity and respect. They can have the confidence that I will listen carefully, and decide their case impartially based upon the facts and the law.

What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a judge?
Growing up, I watched my father dedicate 45 years of his life to serving our community as a law enforcement officer. From a young age that public service is about doing the right thing, even when doing the right thing is the most difficult choice.

Becoming a mother has taught me patience and provided me a different perspective on the world. I do not see Broward County as only my community, but as the community my children are growing up in. This has reinforced my sense of responsibility to serve with integrity and to help preserve a justice system where each person is treated with dignity and respect.

The people coming into our courtrooms are someone’s mother, father, son, daughter, wife, husband, sister, brother, or friend. Our community must be able to have confidence that the law is applied fairly and impartially and that every person who enters a courtroom will not only be heard, but listened to.

What are three major challenges facing the justice system in Florida?
1 – One of the greatest ongoing responsibilities of Florida’s justice system is maintaining the public’s confidence in our courts. Society depends upon the justice system, and it is essential that the public continues to have confidence that everyone who enters a courtroom will have the opportunity to have their position ruled upon in a fair and impartial manner. Judges are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that these principles are upheld.

2 – Florida courts continue to manage significant caseloads. Judges set the tone by managing their courtrooms, so the cases move forward towards resolution in a professional and efficient manner. While there has been a decrease in the case count since the pandemic, the pure volume of cases continues to challenge Florida judges to find adequate time to address legal motions and trials.

3 – Ensuring access for everyone, including those with limited funds, is an important challenge facing the justice system. Many people involved in the justice system appear without legal representation or have language barriers that make the legal system difficult to navigate. While a Judge must remain neutral and cannot advocate on behalf of a pro se litigant, a Judge must maintain a respectful courtroom that is accessible for every person to have an opportunity to be heard.