The 18th Judicial Circuit

Featuring our panelists:
Blaise Trettis, public defender, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit
William Scheiner, state attorney, Eighteenth Judicial Circuit
Moderated by:
Jennifer Englert, managing partner at The Orlando Law Group
Blaise Trettis was elected Public Defender for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit for Brevard and Seminole counties in 2012.  Mr. Trettis? commitment to serving the public is demonstrated through both his work in the legal profession and his volunteer work in a wide range of community service organizations.
Mr. Trettis graduated from the University of Florida with honors with a bachelor?s degree in business administration.  He then went on to graduate from Stetson University College of Law, the first law school established in the State of Florida.
In 1987, Mr. Trettis moved to Brevard County where he took a job as assistant public defender.  The cases he has taken to jury trial include first degree murder, and he has argued several cases before the Florida Supreme Court.  He has served on the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases.
Mr. Trettis has served on the Crosswinds Youth Services Juvenile Assessment Center Advisory Board; the North/Central Brevard Salvation Army Advisory Board; the Florida Assertive Community Treatment Team Advisory Board; and the Brevard Achievement Center Board of Directors.   His involvement with civic organizations includes the Rockledge Rotary Club.  Mr. Trettis has been married for 36 years to wife Jill, and they have three children and one grandchild.
State Attorney Will Scheiner, a career prosecutor, has proudly served the people of the 18th Judicial District since 2008.  He has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases ranging from petit theft to public corruption, drug trafficking to first-degree murder. Before his election as the State Attorney in 2024, Mr. Scheiner served as chief trial attorney for Brevard County. Earlier roles included felony division chief, Career Criminal and Firearms Unit, Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit, felony trial attorney, misdemeanor trial attorney, and felony early resolution. ?Being a prosecutor is an honor that comes with great responsibility,? Mr. Scheiner says. ?It is a profession that comes with power and consequences from our decisions. Our work requires compassion, integrity and a desire to always do the right thing.  A prosecutor must always be prepared and diligent. To do otherwise would be a miscarriage of justice and a disservice to the community we serve.? Mr. Scheiner grew up in Titusville, graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2005, and received his law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2007. He is the father of two daughters, whom he describes as ?my rocks and inspiration ? the strongest people I know.? Mr. Scheiner is a member of the Florida Bar, Brevard County Bar Association, Brevard County Commission on Aging, Brevard County Association of Chiefs of Police. He is the recipient of the Brevard Trial Attorney of the Year award, given to the top trial attorney, in 2012 and 2015.  He also was honored as Victim Rights Prosecutor of the year in 2014 and Brevard Police Chief?s Top Prosecutor in 2015. 
 

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