A Georgia native, Judge Hawthorne completed her undergraduate studies at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications.  She graduated from the University of Florida College of Law where she competed on the school’s Moot Court Team.  She received her Juris Doctor degree cum laude in 1993.

Judge Hawthorne began her legal career in 1993 in the misdemeanor division of the Public Defender’s Office and was later promoted to the felony division.  In 1997, she opened her own firm, focusing on criminal and family law, and practiced exclusively in the area of domestic and family law for many years.  Judge Hawthorne is a former General Civil Magistrate for the 20th Judicial Circuit and a court-certified mediator.

In 2012, Judge Hawthorne was appointed to the Circuit Court by Governor Rick Scott.  She took the bench on April 2, 2012, and was assigned to the Hendry and Glades County Courthouses.  In September 2012, she was transferred to the Charlotte County Courthouse and presided over the family, domestic violence and dependency dockets until January 2013.  In January 2015, Judge Hawthorne moved to Lee County and is now presiding over cases in the Family Law Division.