Attorney Belvin Perry, Jr.

Former Chief Judge of the 9th Judicial Circuit

Morgan & Morgan

CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPION

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Belvin Perry, Jr. was born on October 11, 1949 to Belvin Perry, Sr. and Jessie M. Perry of Orlando, Florida. He graduated from Jones High School in Orlando where he was active in the Chess Club and the school’s music program as a member of the marching and concert bands. Raised to value public service, his mother worked as a public school teacher and his father served in law enforcement as one of the first two African-American police officers to be hired by the Orlando Police Department. Belvin is married to his wife, LaDrean, and they have two adult children and two grandsons. Belvin retired from the bench at the end of August of 2014 and is currently an attorney with the Law Firm of Morgan and Morgan, P. A., and a legal analyst with WFTV Channel 9.  Belvin currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Bethune Cookman University, Board of Trustees for Florida A & M University, Board of Directors Orlando Magic Youth Foundation and Board of Director of United Arts of Central Florida.

 

Belvin attended Tuskegee University where he received a Bachelor of Science in History in 1972 and a Master of Education in Student Personnel Services in 1974. He went on to study law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor in 1977. Belvin began his legal career with the Office of the State Attorney serving as a Trial Attorney in 1977.  He quickly rose through the ranks with the State Attorney’s Office, concluding his service with the prosecutor’s office as Chief Assistant State Attorney in 1989. In January of that same year, Belvin became the first African-American to be elected to the circuit bench of the Ninth Circuit without first being appointed. During his twenty-five years on the bench Belvin served as Administrative Judge in Osceola County and served nine terms as Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

 

In his professional activities as a judge, Belvin served as President of the National Conference of Metropolitan Courts, 2010 -2011 and as Chair of the Florida Innocence Commission.  He also serves on the Trial Court Budget Commission where he previously served as Chair for four years.  He has served on the Supreme Court Criminal Court Steering Committee; Supreme Court Local Rule Advisory Committee; Florida Supreme Court Commission on Fairness – Guardianship Subcommittee; Supreme Court Committee on Post-Conviction Relief in Capital Cases;  Florida Court Education Council; Orange County Jail Oversight Committee; as Chair of the Criminal Justice – Public Safety Coordinating Council; as Chair of the Statewide Revision 7 Communications Advisory Group; and as the first African-American Chair of the Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges.  He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Paul C. Perkins Bar Association, and the Orange County Bar Association. He is also involved with 100 Black Men of Orlando, Inc., and formerly served as Chair of the Orange County Central Receiving Center.

 

In 2001, Belvin was recognized by Orlando Magazine as one of the 20 most powerful people in Orlando.  Again, in 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 he was recognized as one of the 50 most powerful people in Orlando. In 2011, he was recognized by Ebony Magazine as one of their Power 100.  In 2011, 2012, and 2013 he was recognized by Orlando Sentinel Columnist Scott Maxwell as one of the 25 most powerful people in Central Florida.

 

His dedication and work on the bench also earned him the 2009 FLABOTA Jurist of the Year presented by the Florida Chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2009 Trial Judge of the Year presented by the Central Florida Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the 2005 Jurist of the Year Award presented by the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida.

 

Other awards and honors include: NAACP 2015 Community Service Man of the Year Award – For Outstanding Vision, Dedication, 7 Commitment to Excellence, presented April 25, 2015;  Barry University – Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law 2015 Champion of Justice Award;  The Black History Committee of Orange County, Inc., Distinguished Service Award, February 28, 2015;  2015 Outstanding Achievement Award of Beta Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.,  2014 Lifetime Achievement Service Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Orange County Domestic Violence Task Force Award 2014 Justice Award; Community Legal Service of Mid-Florida -  Legacy of Justice Award, October 2014; 2014 Historical Society of Central Florida, John Young History Maker Present Award;  YMCA of Central Florida & Southwest Orlando Jaycees 2014 Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award; 2013 Central Florida Urban League Bob Billingsley Legacy Award; 2012 James G. Glazebrook Memorial Bar Service Award by the Orange County Bar; 2012 Judge William M. Hoeveler Judicial Award for Professionalism by the Florida Bar; 2005 Golden Bell Award presented by the Mental Health Association of Central Florida; Drum Major Award presented by the Dr. I.S. Hankins/F.A. Johnson Education Foundation, Inc., Founders Award presented by Florida Partners in Crisis; Friend of Law Related Education Award presented by the Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc. and a 2003 Appreciation Award from presented by the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association for meritorious service and dedication to the legal community. Upon his retirement from the bench in August of 2014, Orange County Government renamed the Orange County Central Receiving Center, the Belvin Perry, Jr., Central Receiving Center in his honor for the work he did in mental illness and substance use disorders.

 

In his role as Chief Judge, Judge Perry has achieved many milestones in the Ninth Circuit to include the start-up of the Florida’s first complex business litigation court; serving as a driving force behind the Orange County Central Receiving Center to assist those with mental illness and substance use disorders; the implementation of technology into the court through development of high tech courtrooms, centralized court reporting and remote court interpreting; and in serving on the Orange County Jail Oversight Committee and the opening of three courtrooms at the jail’s Booking and Release Center.

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