Judge James M. Colaw
The Code of Judicial Conduct governing behavior by judges forbids the judges of the Eighth Judicial Circuit to discuss pending cases with the public. Please do not call the Court expecting to speak with a Judge about any case. If you have a comment to make, please mail it to the Clerk’s Office in the appropriate county. Please keep in mind that the Court is only allowed to consider arguments made in court and documents filed by actual parties to the case. They cannot ethically read or consider any other opinions or arguments about the case, and they cannot give legal advice. Thank you.
- Current Assignment
- Previous Assignments
- Judicial Assistant
- Office
- Division Procedures
- Proposed Orders
- Education
- Committees
- Case Disposition Statistics
- Appeals
Current Assignment
Administrative Judge, Circuit Criminal Division July 2025 – Present
Circuit Judge – September 2013 – Present
Alachua: Criminal Division III (L-R)
Bradford: Circuit Criminal
Circuit-wide: Post Conviction Relief Cases
Previous Assignments
2016-2020: Alachua County Circuit Criminal Division II (F-K); Baker County Circuit Criminal Division; Circuit-wide: Extraordinary and Unusual Case Compensation
2014-2016: Family Law Division; Domestic Violence/Injunction Court; Adoptions
2013-2014: Family Law Division; Pro Se Family Court & Simplified Dissolutions
Judicial Assistant
Wendy Laudicina
laudicinaw@circuit8.org
Office
Judge Stephan P. Mickle, Sr. Criminal Courthouse
220 South Main Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
(352) 548-3784 (phone)
Bradford County Courthouse
945 North Temple Avenue
Starke, FL 32091
(904) 966-6203 (phone), (904) 368-3904 (fax)
The best way to reach the Judicial Assistant is to first e-mail laudicinaw@circuit8.org
Proposed Orders for Judge James M. Colaw
- Proposed Orders shall be emailed to thuroww@circuit8.org in Word format. Please do not send Proposed Orders, Motions, or supporting documentation by United States Mail.
- All orders shall include a certificate of service at the bottom of the order. Please indicate the name of the party who is to receive the order, as well as that party’s e-mail/e-service address OR mailing address, if a hard copy is required.
- Proposed Orders are not accepted via e-filing. Motions should continue to be e-filed with the Clerk’s Office.
Education
Juris Doctor: University of Florida College of Law
Masters of Business Administration: University of Florida
Bachelor: Carnegie Mellon University
Professional Certification in Human Trafficking & Prevention, Florida State University
Professional Certification in Trauma & Resilience – LEVEL 2, Florida State University
Professional Certification in Trauma & Resilience, Florida State University
Professional Certification in College Student Wellbeing, Trauma, & Resilience, Florida State University
Professional Certification in Rebound & Recovery: Cognitive Behavioral Education & Intervention for Early Childhood, Florida State University
Professional Certification in The Fundamentals of Neurodiversity for Multidisciplinary Professionals
2006 – Present: National Board Certified in Criminal Trial
2006 – Present: Florida Board Certified in Criminal Trial
Committees
Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases
Criminal Justice Committee of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges
Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee
Florida Bar Standing Committee on Professionalism
National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), Board of Directors
Faculty, Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness & Diversity, Sentencing Bias
Faculty, Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges, Death Penalty
Adjunct Faculty University of Florida Levin College of Law, Trial Practice
Faculty, Florida Institute on Interpersonal Violence (FIIV), Domestic Violence Training for Judges
Faculty, Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges, Phase I Judicial College – Mock Trial
Faculty, Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges, Phase II Judicial College – Criminal Fundamentals
Alachua County Courthouse Security Committee: 2021 – present.
New Cases Disposed
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division II | Baker Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 523 | 310 |
| 2017 | 556 | 251 |
| 2018 | 509 | 395 |
| 2019 | 417 | 312 |
| 2020 | 377 | 280 |
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division III | Bradford Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 486 | 399 |
| 2022 | 496 | 372 |
| 2023 | 420 | 298 |
| 2024 | 452 | 314 |
| 2025 | 508 | 311 |
Average Days to Disposition on New Cases
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division II | Baker Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 140 | 138 |
| 2017 | 120 | 83 |
| 2018 | 99 | 82 |
| 2019 | 91 | 88 |
| 2020 | 106 | 103 |
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division III | Bradford Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 185 | 164 |
| 2022 | 104 | 113 |
| 2023 | 81 | 103 |
| 2024 | 85 | 120 |
| 2025 | 95 | 134 |
Only includes cases heard through disposition by the judge. Does not include cases disposed prior to arraignment/written plea, cases disposed by transfer, cases disposed by nolle prosequi/dropped, or cases omitted from the data set as unrepresentative for miscellaneous reasons unrelated to the judge (e.g., clerical error). Days to disposition counts from the date of arraignment or written plea.
Violation of Probation (VOP) Cases Disposed
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division II | Baker Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 296 | 195 |
| 2017 | 258 | 164 |
| 2018 | 314 | 193 |
| 2019 | 312 | 273 |
| 2020 | 185 | 182 |
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division III | Bradford Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 293 | 173 |
| 2022 | 271 | 191 |
| 2023 | 240 | 160 |
| 2024 | 201 | 129 |
| 2025 | 195 | 137 |
Average Days to Disposition on Violation of Probation
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division II | Baker Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 52.7 | 50.1 |
| 2017 | 45.8 | 24.9 |
| 2018 | 38.6 | 27.2 |
| 2019 | 34.5 | 25.4 |
| 2020 | 45.7 | 33.4 |
| Year | Alachua County Felony Division III | Bradford Felony |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.1 | 38.0 |
| 2022 | 32.9 | 19.0 |
| 2023 | 31.6 | 20.5 |
| 2024 | 40.1 | 28.7 |
| 2025 | 28.2 | 26.7 |
Cases Disposed as Acting Levy County Court Judge
| Date Range | Cases Disposed |
|---|---|
| May 2023 - Oct. 2023 | 272 |
