JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL RICHARD E GERSTEIN JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE BUILDING RUMOR, HUMOR, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT AND BETWEEN THE JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT STAFF, CLERKS, COURT REPORTERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORLD OF MIAMI'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE. POST YOUR COMMENTS, OR SEND RUMPOLE A PRIVATE EMAIL AT HOWARDROARK21@GMAIL.COM. Winner of the prestigious Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

ELECTION CENTRAL ..... 2022 EDITION ..... 

THE BIG QUESTION ..... IS JUDGE FRED SERAPHIN RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION???


Elections for Judge in Miami-Dade County take place on August 23, 2022.  The Qualifying period runs one week, from April 25-29, 2022.  Currently there are a total of 23 Groups up for election in Circuit Court and another 14 in County Court.

In Circuit Court, all 23 Incumbents have already filed in their respective Groups. One Incumbent, Mark Blumstein, has drawn a challenger. Blumstein is being challenged by attorney Ariel Rodriguez, a 23 year member of The Florida Bar. Rodriguez currently is employed at the U.S. Dept. Of Justice in the Office of U.S. Trustee.

In County Court, 12 Incumbents have already filed in their Groups. Judge Edward Newman, in Group 7, is retiring. One attorney, Marcus Bach Armas, has filed in that Group. He has yet to draw an opponent, and Mr. Bach Armas is doing everything he can to dissuade anyone from filing against him as he has already raised $113,000 and loaned his campaign another $41,000.

The 14th Group in County Court, Group 5, is a seat currently held by Judge Fred Seraphin. Judge Seraphin is the only Incumbent who has not yet filed for re-election. We emailed Judge Seraphin last week and asked him for any updates on his future as a judge. He has yet to respond.  

Finally, two Incumbent County Court Judges have opponents. Judge Scott Janowitz, in Group 42, is being challenged by attorney Alicia Garcia Priovolos, an ASA in Miami-Dade County for the past 16 years. Also, Judge Jeffrey Kolokoff, in Group 19, woke up on Friday last week to the news that he had an opponent. Filing against Kolokoff is attorney Lissette de la Rosa, a member of The Florida Bar for 20 years.  One big difference between Incumbents Kolokoff and Janowitz.  Judge Kolokoff has already accumulated $55,925 in his war chest and seemed to be ready in case he drew an opponent. Contrast that with Judge Janowitz. He has only raised $2,550 (and $2,000 of that comes from the Janowitz family).

Here is your current line-up for the judicial races.

CIRCUIT COURT

Group  3        Lody Jean

Group  4        Christina Marie DiRaimondo  

Group  6        Laura Shearon Cruz

Group  9        Marcia del Rey

Group  10 Scott M Bernstein

Group  12 Bertila Ana Soto

Group  16 Tom "Tomas" Rebull

Group  20 Robert T. Watson

Group  26 William I. Altfield

Group  28 Jennifer D. Bailey

Group  32 Barbara Areces

Group  34 Mark Blumstein
          Ariel 
Rodriguez

Group  39 David H Young

Group  40 William Thomas

Group  41 Milton "Milt" Hirsch

Group  45 Samantha Ruiz Cohen

Group  46 Ramiro C. Areces

Group  52 Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts

Group  59 Nushin G. Sayfie

Group  62 Gina Beovides

Group  63 Marlene A. Fernandez-Karavetsos

Group  64 Zachary N. James

Group  74 George "Jorge" A. Sarduy

COUNTY COURT

Group 03        Ayana Harris  

Group 07        Marcus R. Bach Armas 

Group 08        Carlos H. Gamez 

Group 11        Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson 

Group 13        Elisabeth Espinosa 

Group 15        Linda Melendez 

Group 19        Jeffrey M. Kolokoff 
        Lissette De La Rosa 

Group 23        Carroll Kelly 

Group 27        Miesha Shonta Darrough 

Group 28        Cristina Rivera Correa 

Group 35        Chiaka Ihekwaba 

Group 37        Diana Vizcaino 

Group 39        Julie Harris Nelson 

Group 42        Scott Janowitz 
        Alicia Garcia Priovolos

We will be following the judicial elections for the Blog over the next seven months and reporting to you with updates. If you have any juicy information you would like to share, please email us at the email address listed below.

CAPTAIN OUT .......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com


19 comments:

Rumpole said...

I do not know and could not identify in a lineup at least 80% of the county judges.

the trialmaster said...

The trialmaster rarely treads in Kounty Kourt unless a celebrity is charged and pays over 25K.

Anonymous said...

If my name was Suarez - I would be elected Judge.

I could run against any of the no name appointees and win.

That is just the way it is in Miami.

If I were in Pensacola - I would win with the name Jones or Smith.

That’s just the way it is.

If you don’t like it - move.

Anonymous said...

If no one runs against Seraphin, then please don't ever post a comment where the whole world complains about him.

Anonymous said...

You are going to see a ton of opponents to incumbents this year in the election of judges. No one who votes has any idea at all as to who are good judges and who don’t even put in a 4 hour work day.

You judges who have done NOTHING during Covid are in for an expensive race. Get ready to open up your crappy Hialeah law office again.

The Herald editorial board knows who of the judges have been collecting salaries and doing no work. They know who lies about their hours spent doing “administrative” court time. What a total rip off of taxpayer money.

Anonymous said...

The Herald Editorial Board knows absolutely nothing about judges. Their judicial write ups make me want to vomit.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... people run against gringos only.... hmmm.

Jeff K is a really good guy. Why run against him? Hmmmm. his name is not Garcia or Rodriquez?????

Anonymous said...

I think I will run against Tom never ever ever do a fucking thing for the defense Rebull.

Anonymous said...

The Herald is a joke.

If you are a sitting judge, you get the recommendation, because you have "judicial experience" and your opponent doesn't. Well, no shit.

If its an open seat, the lawyer with more years and jury trials gets the recommendation.


Anonymous said...

I've been in front of Jeff Kolokoff a few times and he appears to know what he is doing and has good temperament and attitude.

Anonymous said...

Most of the bottom feeders running for judge have no jury trial experience. Look at El Aponte. The worst qualifications of any candidate totally incompetent and a liar. Defeated an very experienced well respected sitting judge only because of her latin name. At least Aponte is not on unemployment now. Just disgraceful.

Anonymous said...

5:11, agreed. And the Herald's reasoning always sounds like what you would expect from a lay voter without knowledge of how the judiciary actually works.

Anonymous said...

Jeff is a good guy indeed but Lisaette D is also very good and pleasant. No doubt his name is a factor to target him but either one is going to be good.

Anonymous said...

His new wife Christina Marie DiRaimondo needs to go. She's worse than him. She's absolutely horrible.

Anonymous said...

Scott Janowitz is a very smart judge and works hard. Just picked him for his name.

Anonymous said...

DV judges need opposition. None of them want to come in and work like they're supposed too. It's the same ones that cry about "loving" zoom! Even the family judges occasionally come in! And the administrative judges are the worst! No one has seen them in ages!

Anonymous said...

Ditto.

Anonymous said...

No judge has been worse in civil and criminal than Blumstein. He has no respect for attorneys’ time and has no clue. All of his rulings are based on bias and not based on law. There is a reason he is the only circuit judge with opposition. He has to go.

Anonymous said...

I liked Blumstein in civil. Forced parties to settle cases.