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.

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.

Attorney Melissa Wilson is a Tampa native and Triple Gator, having received her B.S. (Psychology with Honors, 1999), B.A. (Criminology with Honors, 1999), and J.D. (2002) degrees all from the University of Florida.  Upon graduating from UF’s Levin College of Law, Melissa returned home and has been practicing law in the Tampa Metro Area since 2002.  Ms. Wilson has devoted most of her legal career almost exclusively to Criminal Defense Litigation and upon being sworn in as a member of the Florida Bar, spent her first 9 years serving as an Assistant Public Defender for the 13th Judicial Circuit under elected PD Julianne Holt.  Although Attorney Wilson specializes in Criminal & DUI/Traffic Law, she also handles Personal Injury & Premises Liability cases through her Of Counsel relationship with a long-established local firm.  Melissa also serves as a consultant to other attorneys in assessing cases & motion writing, as well as conducting witness depositions and participating in court hearings and mediation conferences.  Ms. Wilson has served on the Board of Directors for HCACDL since 2018 and is also a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, recently joining its Board of Directors as a Chapter Representative.  In her spare time Melissa loves to travel, experience live music (& the Arts in general), and nerd out on Star Wars, Marvel, & Bond, James Bond.  Additionally, she volunteers with the Tampa Theatre Historic Movie Palace where she has served in various roles on the planning committee for its annual WineFest signature fundraiser since 2018.