Pinellas County Judge Olivier Lindemann Officially Sworn In

Though he has been presiding over community violence cases for more than a month, Pinellas County Judge Olivier Lindemann was officially sworn in during his investiture on Friday, July 10, 2026, at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater. In a courtroom filled with family, friends, and colleagues old and new, Judge Lindemann, who was appointed to the county bench by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May, spoke of his experiences as a new judge, and while some of his anecdotes were sometimes humorous, he was often overcome with humility. “This is truly a landmark moment in my life,” he said. He acknowledged that in his short tenure, he thought he was as scared as the petitioners and respondents appearing before him, but he expected that sense to wane as he gained more experience and developed a rock-solid poker face. Once it was announced he had been appointed to the bench, a neighbor, a retired United Airlines captain, stopped by and asked the judge if he could pray. “He has the knowledge,” the retired captain prayed to God, “Please give him the wisdom.” Again, the tone struck was that of humility. Judge Lindemann said his neighbor’s prayer reminded him of the opening line of the Breton Fisherman’s Prayer: “ Oh God, thy sea is so great and my boat so small.” It wasn’t lost on Judge Lindemann that his investiture was taking place at a time when the country was celebrating its 250th anniversary, and he urged everyone attending to silently vow to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Introducing Judge Lindemann was Jason Gordillo with whom the judge worked as an attorney at both the Hillsborough County and Pinellas County sheriffs’ offices. Some of the adjectives Gordillo used to describe Judge Lindemann were tenacious, relentless and intelligent. “All these qualities as a man and a lawyer you’re going to bring to the bench with you,” Gordillo said. To the left below is Judge Lindemann, to the right Attorney Gordillo.