Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Paul was raised in Hillsborough County Florida. He graduated from Brandon High School where he was a Varsity Letterman for BHS’s nationally recognized wrestling program. After high school, Paul attended Florida State University and the University of South Florida. As an undergraduate, Paul was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity and majored in Political Science. Paul received his J. D. in 2008. In his last semester of law school, Paul worked as a Certified Legal Intern with the 13th Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender, where he was assigned to represent juveniles charged with Misdemeanor Offenses. After being sworn in as a member of the Florida Bar, Paul joined the 13th Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender.

Over the next eight years Paul zealously and professionally represented indigent clients charged with a multitude of offenses. During his eight years at the Office of the Public Defender, Paul rose to the level of Felony Division Chief and was lead counsel in over seventy-five jury trials, including offenses ranging from DUI, Sex Offenses, Drug Possession and Trafficking, Homicides as well as juveniles charged as adults. In addition, Paul attended numerous certified legal education seminars, including the Gerald T. Bennett Prosecutor/Public Defender Trial Training Program, and Advanced Defender College. To this date Paul has litigated over one hundred and forty jury trials and continues to enjoy being appointed cases not only because he loves to help those in need, but he enjoys and excels in trial.

In the private practice setting, Paul expanded his practice of law, representing individuals who were injured in automobile accidents, investigations involving their professional licenses, being held under a Baker Act, and those dealing with substance abuse and their families.

Ms. Pavlidis earned her Bachelor of Science degree, Magna Cum Laude, with Honors Program distinction from the University of Tampa. Ms. Pavlidis received her Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law.

She began practicing law in 2003 and has represented thousands of people accused of a variety of offenses – from misdemeanors and juvenile offenses to felonies punishable by life, including homicides, vehicular homicides, and all levels of sex crimes, including capital sexual battery and child abuse cases. During her career, Maria gained a reputation for trying some of the most challenging and high-profile cases in the Tampa area. She began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. She worked in the Major Crimes Bureau, a specialized division of the office reserved for the most experienced and skilled attorneys. It was in the Major Crimes Bureau that Maria gained valuable experience handling complex cases.

Maria was honored with the Attorney of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011 by her peers and supervisors at the Public Defender’s Office. In 2019, she received the James H. Kynes Memorial in the Trenches Award for excellence in criminal trial practice. She has given seminars on trial techniques, motion writing, racketeering and conspiracy offenses, mental health and the practice of law and Defending a Baby Death case.

She is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law, one of the highest recognitions a lawyer in Florida can receive. Maria is admitted in all Florida State Courts and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Joel is the founder and manager of Elsea Law Firm, P.A., located in Tampa. There, he practices criminal defense. Joel is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law (’04) and the University of Richmond (’01). Mr. Elsea began his career as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County, where he served for over a decade. Joel is also an advocacy skills trainer at Stetson, working with their nationally recognized mock trial team.

Julianne Holt is a graduate of Leto High School, Hillsborough Community College, and the University of South Florida. She graduated summa cum laude from South Texas College of Law in 1980 and returned to Tampa to begin practicing law. In 1987, she became a special court-appointed public defender and served in that capacity for 5 years. In 1993, she was elected to the office of Public Defender of the 13th Judicial Circuit and has served this community in that capacity for the past 28 years. In addition, Ms. Holt’s commitment to education includes serving as an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida since 1997.

Ms. Holt participates on many committees and councils which are focused on issues pertaining to the criminal justice system, as well as improving the quality of life for the youths of our community. She is past President of the Florida Public Defender Association; a current member of the Board of Directors of DUI Counterattack; current Chair of the Leadership Council of Safe and Sound Hillsborough which maintains a public health approach to education and reducing violence in our community; Foundation Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa Bay, and is Chair of the Public Safety Coordinating Council for Hillsborough County, just to name a few.

Ms. Holt has received multiple awards throughout her career. Under the leadership of Ms. Holt the Public Defender’s Office has received multiple, statewide “Davis Productivity” Awards which honors individuals and work units for innovative efforts that measurably increase performance and productivity in the delivery of state services and products. Her alma mater, South Texas College of Law recognized her dedication to public service with the “Public Service Award” in 2013. She received the 2014 Employer of the Year Award from the Mayor’s Alliance for Persons with Disabilities for her work with Pepin Academies. She was also recognized in 2014 by the Florida Association of Women Lawyers with a “Leader in the Law” Award. Most recently in 2018, she was named Woman of the Year by the Zonta Club of Tampa and was inducted into the Hillsborough County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018. Also in 2018, Ms. Holt was recognized by the United States Middle District of Florida’s Historical, Education, and Public Outreach Committee as a “Hidden Figure: Firsts in Tampa Bay” as the first elected female Public Defender for Hillsborough County and The Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers’ Achievement Award. In 2019, Ms. Holt was the recipient of the Juvenile Justice Board Circuit 13’s Public Service Award followed by Tiger Bay Club’s Tampa Lifetime Achievement Award and the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, 2nd District Court of Appeal’s Champion of Professionalism Award in 2020.