PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – Trailblazers are often shooting stars, making an impact before a life cut short. Such was the life of Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Amy Karan, a trailblazer in the domestic violence and social justice arena of the court system. While taken by an aggressive form of Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 54 in 2013, her legacy on the bench as a visionary is one that members of the judiciary revere, creating an annual award in her honor.
Recognizing judges for their special contributions to judiciary and legal system, selection criteria for the Amy Karan Award includes a “judge who educates, works with, or otherwise encourages stakeholders in their public service, and is a visionary to improve the legal system in a manner consistent with the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration. The judge’s work should enhance the efficiency of service within the legal system, improve the development of new law, be constantly willing to innovate as the law requires.”

Nominated by Palm Beach County Judge Sherri L. Collins, Flagler County Judge Melissa Distler was presented with the 2023 Special Award and Tribute to Judge Amy Karan during the annual meeting of the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida in June 2023. Distler is the President-Elect of the Conference and was honored to receive the recognition from her peers.
Surrounded by family, Distler teared up during the presentation.
“It’s unbelievably special. It’s such an honor. So many people looked up to Amy Karan,” said Distler.

“I’ve had people from all over the state reach out to me and say I’ve lived up to her standards and even one of our local judges emailed me privately and was congratulating me on getting the award and said I knew Amy and you remind me a lot of her. It was just, it’s very heartwarming, and I’m honored that the conference would recognize my service in such a meaningful fashion.”
Since taking the bench in 2013, Flagler County Judge Melissa Distler has prioritized efficiency and education. Making strides inside and outside of the courtroom, Distler helps educate new and seasoned judges, while providing insight for future generations on the career opportunities within the law and justice system.
In-House Innovation
In the courthouse, Distler was instrumental in the development and implementation of the pre-trial release program.
“When I first came on the bench, essentially, I kept track of the people I saw at first appearance who I would have released through a pre-trial program if we had something like that. I went to the public safety coordinating council and just explained I had people sitting in custody five, eight, ten days on a petty theft charge who can’t post a $250 bond. If we had a pre-trial program, I would have released them to that. Eight days later the state offers them probation or time served. Jail population, that was before the new jail was built, was something in the forefront of our minds,” she said.
Crunching numbers and educating members of the safety coordinating council about the challenges and benefits, the Flagler County Sheriff and Flagler County Board of Commissioners created the position. In place for 10 years, Distler says the program is working.
“I just talked to our pre-trial coordinator today. It’s extremely helpful. I see things that could be fixed and corrected and I try to do my best to correct it,” she said.
