Judicial Service
Began service on the County Court Bench in January 2011
Education
J.D. South Texas College of Law - 1996
B.A. University of Florida - 1990
Background
Raised in Sarasota, Judge Maryann Olson Uzabel earned a B.A. degree in English from the University of Florida in 1990 after graduating from Riverview High School in 1985. She received her J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, in 1996. During law school, Judge Olson Uzabel interned with Chief Judge Norman Black of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the First Court of Appeals of Texas. Her moot court team won first place nationally at the Spong Invitational Moot Court Tournament at the College of William & Mary in 1995. She is a member of the Florida Bar and Texas Bar.
Following law school, Judge Olson Uzabel served as assistant state attorney for the Sarasota County State Attorney’s Office, and then entered private practice with a focus on property and homeowner’s association law prior to taking the bench. She was elected to the bench as a Sarasota County Judge in August 2010, starting her first term beginning in January 2011, and was re-elected without opposition in 2017.
Judge Olson Uzabel is a past president of the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court, film producer of Legacy of Professionalism: Judge John M. Scheb and Our Inn of Court, Chair of Sarasota County Canvassing Board in 2014 and 2022, volunteer mentor at Booker High School Law Academy, steering committee member/moderator for Sarasota County Bar Association’s 2016 Civil Bench-Bar Conference, former Twelfth Judicial Circuit Representative to the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida, and past president of the Junior League of Sarasota. She is a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion, the Manatee County Bar Association (past Director), the State Bar of Texas, Leadership Manatee, Sara De Soto Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Sarasota Chapter of Florida Association for Women Lawyers (past Secretary). Judge Olson Uzabel is a frequent presenter at judicial education conferences and teaches on a variety of subjects. She resides in Sarasota and has two daughters, one a college student and one who will be graduating high school this year.
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: The Code of Judicial Conduct governing behavior by judges forbids the Judges of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit to discuss pending cases with the public. Please do not call or email the Court expecting to speak with a Judge about any case. The Court is only allowed to consider arguments made in the courtroom and in documents properly filed by actual parties in the case as authorized by law and the Rules of Court. The Court cannot ethically read or consider any other opinions or arguments about the case. Communications that do not meet these legal requirements cannot be forwarded to the Judges.