Belvin Perry Jr. presently serves as chief judge in the Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit. He was the presiding judge for the high profile Casey Anthony murder trial.

Early life and career

Perry's father Belvin Perry, Sr. (born October 8, 1920) served as the first of Orlando, Florida's African-American police officers.

Perry earned his Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in History in 1972 from Tuskegee University

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...

. In 1974 he earned his Masters of Education from the same university. In 1977, Perry received a Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 degree from Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University

Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....

's Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Thurgood Marshall School of Law

The Thurgood Marshall School of Law is an ABA accredited law school in Houston, Texas, that awards J.D. . It is part of Texas Southern University.-History:...

.

Judge Perry has been involved in two of Central Florida's most highly publicized trials. As a prosecutor, Perry was the lead attorney in the case of Florida v. Buenoaño, in which Judy Buenoano

Judy Buenoano

Judias "Judy" Buenoano , was a convicted murderer who was executed for the 1971 murder of her husband James Goodyear. She was also convicted for the 1980 murder of her son Michael Goodyear, and of the 1983 attempted murder of her fiancé John Gentry...

 was tried and convicted of killing her son Michael Goodyear and her husband at the time, James Goodyear. As a Circuit Court Judge, Perry presided over the case: "State of Florida v. Casey Marie Anthony", in which Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her daughter.

Career achievements

• Prior to 1989 – Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Circuit
• 1989 to 1990 – Elected Circuit Judge in Osceola County, Florida
  Osceola County, Florida
  Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
  
  .
• 1990 – Appointed Administrative Circuit Judge of Osceola County.
• 1992 to 1995 – Served as Circuit Judge of Orange County Criminal.
• 1995 to 1999 – Elected Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit.
• 1999 to 2001 – Served as Circuit Judge for Orange County Civil Court.
• 2001 to 2011 – Re-Elected to position of Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

- Judge Perry has also been involved in the following organizations:

• Trial Court Budget Commission (TCBC),
• Texas Bar Association,
• Orange County Bar Association,
• The Florida Bar