Christopher C. Sabella
Chief Judge · Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court
High confidence· verified August 3, 2026
Chief Judge · Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court
What applies in this courtroom
451 verified requirements and 6 rule deadlines govern practice before Judge Christopher C. Sabella across the judge, division, county, circuit, and statewide layers.
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Chief Judge — Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
Courtroom Edgecomb 602
Christina Novia
Contact details published by the court for scheduling and chambers procedure questions — always confirm preferences with the JA before a hearing.
The Honorable Christopher C. Sabella Edgecomb Courthouse 800 E. Twiggs St., Room #602 Tampa, Florida 33602 Judicial Assistant: Christina Novia (813) 272-5022 cornelcm@fljud13.org Zoom Meeting ID: Contact JA Password: Not required Administrative Orders Judicial Biography Judicial Biography The Honorable Christopher C. Sabella The Honorable Christopher Sabella is the Chief Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida. The Thirteenth Circuit is comprised solely of Hillsborough County, which includes the City of Tampa. Judge Sabella was born here in Hillsborough County, becoming the third generation of his family to live in Hillsborough. Judge Sabella grew up in Tampa, where he graduated from Jesuit High School. Judge Sabella continued his education at Florida State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree. After becoming a proud alumnus of Florida State, Judge Sabella returned to the Tampa Bay area, where he attended Stetson University College of Law and received his J.D. Degree. While at Stetson Law, Judge Sabella traveled across the nation competing with Stetson Law’s Mock Trial Team.
After graduating law school, Judge Sabella began his professional career as a legal advisor for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Judge Sabella briefly left the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida. Representing the United States of America was a special experience for Judge Sabella but the pull of service to his local community brought him back to the Sheriff’s Office where he was made Deputy Chief Legal Advisor to the Hillsborough County Sheriff.
Judge Sabella’s service to Hillsborough County evolved in 2006 when he was appointed Circuit Court Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida by Governor Jeb Bush. During his tenure as Circuit Judge, Judge Sabella has presided over a variety of divisions, in both civil and criminal law. Judge Sabella is best known for presiding over one of the Circuit’s Felony Trial Divisions, where many high-profile criminal trials have occurred. Judge Sabella’s training as a Felony Judge has included becoming death certified, meaning that he is qualified by the State of Florida to sentence guilty defendents to death. Judge Sabella has presided over multiple Capital Cases during his time in the Felony Trial Division and many of his high-profile cases have been featured on national television. Such cases include Florida v. Trevor Summers, Florida v. Steven Lorenzo, Florida v. Michael Keetley, Florida v. Tyrone Johnson, Florida v. Nicole Nachtman, and Florida v. Matthew Terry.
Besides serving as a Judge, Chief Judge Sabella has traveled as a guest lecturer, presented on various panels, and has taught as a law school professor. One of Judge Sabella’s most favorite experiences has been teaching trial skills to law students here in Hillsborough County at WMU-Cooley Law School, where he has been an adjunct professor since 2014. Judge Sabella has found it particularly rewarding to ensure the next generations of legal professionals are well trained and prepared to advocate for their future clients.
Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs St., Room #602, Tampa, Florida 33602
Published forms & procedures: Judicial Practices and Procedures
Verified against Judge Christopher C. Sabella's own court profile page, 2026-08-02.
Captured verbatim from the court's own published pages and orders during circuit verification. Chambers practices change without notice — confirm anything time-critical with the judicial assistant. Procedural information only; not legal advice.
Appeals from this courtroom go to the Second District Court of Appeal (St. Petersburg).
● LiveThat court's published bench (15): Andrea Teves Smith, Anthony K. Black, Craig C. Villanti, Daniel H. Sleet, Edward C. LaRose, J. Andrew Atkinson, John Guard, Matthew C. Lucas, Morris Silberman, Nelly Khouzam, Patricia J. Kelly, Robert Morris, Stevan T. Northcutt, Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim
Profile upgraded 2026-08-02: bio_url now points to this judge's own page (https://www.fljud13.org/Directory/Judges/Judge-Sabella), confirmed to name them before extraction. Biography captured verbatim from the court's page. 1 linked form/procedure document(s) fetched and hashed.
1 verified rule specific to this judge's division, grouped by requirement category. 451 total requirements apply in this courtroom across all layers — the Full Premium Report assembles the complete stack.
No judge-level deadline on record runs shorter than a statewide deadline with the same trigger. The sentinel compares quoted timing across every published rule scoped to this judge on each visit — a clean result today is re-earned tomorrow.
No judge-scoped deadlines on this tab. Deadlines are extracted only when the source rule text states them — we never infer or calculate dates the rule does not explicitly contain. 6 rule deadlines apply in this courtroom across all layers — assembled with citations in the Full Premium Report.
Timing shown here is quoted from the rule text. Compute your actual date against the court's calendar and the rule itself — not legal advice.
No verified ruling summary yet. BenchPath generates ruling summaries from opinion and docket corpora (CourtListener where covered) and publishes them only after human review — fabricated judicial analytics are exactly what this platform refuses to ship.
Use the live case-law search below to see what exists for this judge today.
How Florida’s appellate courts disposed of the 144 opinions in BenchPath’s corpus (September 19, 2007–November 14, 2025) that name this judge as the lower-tribunal judge — the courts’ own disposition labels, counted verbatim. This is a census of the appellate record we hold, not a complete case history, an affirmance rate, or a performance rating.
Florida appellate and Supreme Court opinions naming this judge as the lower-tribunal judge, taken verbatim from each court’s official slip opinion (source-hashed). Descriptive record, not a rating. Showing the 50 most recent; all 144 are counted in the outcome census above.
last checked September 3, 2026
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Chief Judge — Thirteenth Judicial Circuitcurrent
date not recorded — present · Courtroom Edgecomb 602
assignment source →Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory
Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory
Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory
Chief Judge Sabella was elected by his fellow Judges to be the Chief Judge for the Thirteenth Circuit; his first term began July 1st, 2023.
Published by the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court on this judge's own profile page and reproduced verbatim — BenchPath does not write or paraphrase judicial biographies. Read it on the court's site →
Jurisdiction per § 35.043, Fla. Stat. (six-district alignment eff. Jan. 1, 2023).
LAISHA L. LANDRUM vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Reversed
ANDREW BELTRAN vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
KEVIN MICHAEL MC GRUDER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
ENRIQUE CRUZ vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
ZAQUAN RAKHEEM BRYANT vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
BYRON DEXTER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
ANTONIO THEODORIC MITCHELL VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
TRA EVAN LINEBERGER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
AMBER NICOLE PERERA vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
CHRISTOPHER MILLER VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Opinion
DWAYNE MC GRIFF VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
TAVARIS MC KINNIE vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
KENNETH R. JACKSON vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
JOHNATHAN ROGERS vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
DONTAE R. MORRIS vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
MICHAEL A. KENDRICK vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
TRA EVAN LINEBERGER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Reversed
ERIC DUBERRY VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
JOHNNIE LEE JORDAN, JR. vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
ANGEL CALIX vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
RICKY F. HATHORN vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
TERRY v. STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
ALKWAUN DIXON vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
AARON DE RON FOSTER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
BEQUADRE K. JACKSON vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
DARRELL LEON GADSON vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Tyrone T. Johnson v. State of Florida
Supreme Court of Florida · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): affirmed
LEROY ROSCOE MIDDELTON, I I I vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
JOHNNIE LEE JORDAN, JR. vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
RODERICK L. BURNEY VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
DEMARCUS L. JOHNSON vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
UNITEDHEALTHCARE OF FLORIDA, INC. AND UNITEDHEALTHCARE INSURANCE COMPANY vs GULF-TO-BAY ANESTHESIOLOGY ASSOCIATES, LLC
Second District Court of Appeal · Writ of Certiorari to the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Dismissed
PHILIP WESLEY COWARD vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Rivera v. State of Florida
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
RONALD LEE HAMILTON VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
Campbell v. State of Florida
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
ALBERTO ROMERO GONZALEZ vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
KEETLEY v. STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
HARTNESS v. STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
ERIC DUBERRY vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
BYRON DEXTER vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
DAVID OMAR CARABALLO vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
LLOYD v. STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
BRIAN JOSEPH LIMA VS STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
Steven J. Lorenzo v. State of Florida
Supreme Court of Florida · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): affirmed
DARRELL ANDREW YATES vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
KENNETH ROBERT BELL, I I vs STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Affirmed
Haggins v. State of Florida
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
Tyrone T. Johnson v. State of Florida
Supreme Court of Florida · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): affirmed
LYNCH v. STATE OF FLORIDA
Second District Court of Appeal · Hillsborough County
Disposition (court’s label): Appeal - Per Curiam Affirmed
Answer three quick questions. The platform pulls Christopher C. Sabella's full public case-law record from the source, newest first — your matter never narrows the pull; it directs the relevance ranking and the dual-AI analysis. Every hit comes back Bluebook-cited with the opinion's own words quoted verbatim. The scan takes the time precision takes.
Case-law search
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Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory
Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory
Monitor: content changed at 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory. Review before republishing dependent rules.
via 13th Cir. — Hearing Officers directory