Maria Ruhl at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Florida · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Maria Ruhl
Circuit Judge · Florida Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court
Biography
Professional career
- Elected to the bench in 2018, becoming the first Hispanic judge in the 12th Judicial Circuit
- Her 2018 election marked a milestone: she was the only Hispanic circuit court judge in the area at the time, as confirmed by local officials and historical records
- Before joining the judiciary, she practiced law in private practice, including opening Ruhl Law, P.A. in 2011
- Circuit Court Judge in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit, which covers Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties
Education
- B.A. in Political Science from Florida International University (2002) and a J.D. from St.
Additional information
- handling criminal, family, immigration, and personal injury cases
- Ruhl’s office emphasizes trauma‐informed practices in juvenile and dependency cases
- She also interned with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida during law school
- Judge Ruhl serves in multiple divisions, including Circuit Juvenile, Circuit Dependency, Early Childhood Court, Civil, Family, Probate, and Guardianship in Sarasota County.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Media And Still Photography
Statewide
Electronic media and still-photography coverage is allowed in Florida public trial and appellate proceedings under Rule 2.450's equipment and conduct standards, always subject to the presiding judge's control of decorum, distractions, and fair administration.
Subject at all times to the authority of the presiding judge to: (i) control the conduct of proceedings before the court; (ii) ensure decorum and prevent distractions; and (iii) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause, electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings in the appellate and trial courts of this state shall be allowedFlorida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage
Florida Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Florida Judicial Branch circuit court administration official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Florida Judicial Branch circuit court administration official judicial roster ↗Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage ↗