The following is an Eighth Judicial Circuit press release.
Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge James M. Colaw received the Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency during the organization’s annual Distinguished Service Awards Banquet on Sept. 16 in St. Augustine.
The nomination summary for Colaw stated that he “exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, leadership and dedication within Florida’s criminal justice system. His distinguished career reflects not only exceptional legal expertise but also an unwavering commitment to fairness, public service, judicial excellence and the advancement of criminal justice education throughout the state of Florida.”
Throughout his career, Colaw has made significant contributions to judicial education, serving as faculty on topics including fairness and diversity, sentencing bias, mock trials, domestic violence, death penalty issues and trial practice.
Colaw has served as a circuit judge since 2013. His current assignments include serving as administrative judge for the Circuit Criminal Divisions, as well as presiding over Alachua Circuit Criminal Division III, Bradford Circuit Criminal and post-conviction relief cases.
The judges of the Eighth Judicial Circuit recently elected Colaw as chief judge, with his term taking effect on Jan. 5, 2027.
