Pinellas clerk's chief deputy Myriam Irizarry appointed to county court bench

Pinellas has a new county court judge.

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday announced the appointment of Myriam Irizarry, who has served as chief deputy and general counsel to the Pinellas Clerk of the Circuit Court since 2003. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Walt Fullerton.

Irizarry, 60, of Palm Harbor previously served as assistant director of the Clerk of Court Services Division in Pinellas from 1989 to 2003. She has also served as an adjunct instructor at St. Petersburg College in the Paralegal Studies Department and is a former president of the Clearwater Bar Association and the Hispanic Outreach Center.

A bilingual lawyer, Irizarry has provided legal counsel to the Spanish-speaking community of Pinellas and done pro bono work through the Clearwater Bar, Gulf Coast Legal Services, Stetson University and the Intercultural Advocacy Institute. She received her bachelor's and law degrees from Rutgers University.

"With 36 years of experience, Myriam has proven her dedication to upholding the law, and I am confident she will honorably serve Florida families in her new position," Scott said in a statement.