GOV. DESANTIS NAMES NEW 3RD DCA JUDGE .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

YOUR NEWEST 3RD DCA JUDGE IS:

JUDGE ALEXANDER SPICOLA BOKOR

Alexander Bokor is 42 years old. Judge Bokor earned his JD from the Univ. of Pennsylvania in 2002 and passed the Bar in New York in 2003. He worked with Jones, Day from 2002-2006, except for a stint as a Law Clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Merryday (Middle District Florida) from 2004-2005.  He joined Koyzak, Tropin in 2006 and was with them until 2008. He then became an Assistant County Attorney for Miami-Dade County handling cases as legal counsel for the Miami Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Property Appraiser’s Office and the Tax Collector’s Office. 

In October of 2016 he was appointed to an open seat on the County Court (Jacqueline Schwartz resigned) by Governor Scott.  He ran for election to a full term on the County Court bench in 2018 and was elected unopposed. He spent 25 months in County Court before Governor Scott elevated Bokor to the Circuit Court (Stephan Millan resigned), in November of 2018. Bokor ran for election for a full term on the Circuit Court bench in 2020. Once again, he was elected unopposed.  He indicated on his Financial Disclosure form that his Net Worth was $1,442,792. 

Today, Governor DeSantis appointed Bokor to an open seat on the 3rd DCA (Judge Salter retired).  So, in less than four years, Bokor has risen from Assistant County Attorney, to County Court Judge, to Circuit Court Judge, to 3rd DCA Judge.

Bokor was appointed over nominees Judge Antonio Arzola, Judge Lisa Walsh, Kansas Gooden, Christopher Johnson, and Eduardo Sanchez.

CAPTAIN OUT …….
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

TWO NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGES APPOINTED TODAY .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Today, Governor "Co'ron'a Ron" DeSantis named eight new judges to the bench, four to the Circuit Court and four more to the County Court. And, you can’t make this up - seven of the eight new judges are former or current Assistant State Attorneys; the eighth was formerly a County Attorney. No, none of the new judges hail from the Public Defender’s Office. Two of the new judges were appointed to the Miami-Dade County Court bench.

YOUR TWO NEWEST COUNTY COURT JUDGES ARE .......

CRISTINA RIVERA CORREA

Ms. Correa has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2010. She began her career as an ASA in Miami. For the past seven years she has worked as the Assistant School Board Attorney for Miami-Dade County Schools. She replaces Judge Zachary James who was elevated to the Circuit Court.

CHIAKA IHEKWABA

Ms. Ihekwaba has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2001. She has spent her entire career as an ASA in Miami. Her trip to the bench began when she obtained her Barrister at Law degree from the Nigerian Law School, her LLM from Kings College in London, and another law degree from St. Thomas Law School. She fills the vacancy created by Judge Lody Jean who was elevated to the Circuit Court.

THIRD DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL

Your next 3^rd DCA Judge will be selected from the six names sent to Gov. DeSantis to replace retiring Judge Vance Salter who leaves the bench on August 31, 2020:

Judge Antonio Arzola
Judge Alexander Spicola Bokor
Judge Lisa Walsh
Kansas Gooden
Christopher Johnson
Eduardo Sanchez
 
 
CAPTAIN OUT .......
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CONGRATS TO JUDGE ROBERT LUCK

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

AND YOUR NEWEST 3^RD DCA JUDGE IS .....

JUDGE ROBERT LUCK***

Judge Luck, age 37, earned a raise today. $8,000 to be exact. You see the salary of a Circuit Court Judge is $146,000 while a Judge on the 3^rd gets paid $154,000. $8,000 bucks and no more daily calendars; pretty good gig if you ask me. Oh yeah, and the raise also comes with a lifetime appointment; almost forgot about that.

Seriously, Judge Luck is so well deserving of this appointment. He has two degrees from the University of Florida Gators. He clerked for Judge Ed Carnes of the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. He even worked for that venerable boutique law firm Greenberg Traurig from 2005-2006. He then joined the U.S. Attorney's Office where he worked for almost seven years.

Then, in 2013, at the ripe old age of 33, Governor Scott appointed Luck to the Circuit Court bench. See our coverage here.
  
Luck faced the voters this past summer for the first time and drew opposition from ex state legislator Yolly Roberson. He defeated Roberson 54% to 46%. It appears now that that will have been his one and only election.

Judge Luck has spent the past three and one half years assigned to both the Criminal Division as well as the General Jurisdiction Division (Civil). While many criticized Scott for appointing a 33 year old to an open seat on the Circuit Court, Luck has generally been well received in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions by attorneys on both sides of the isle.

The appointment of Luck opens a seat on the Circuit bench that will be named by Scott sometime in May of 2017.

***As predicted earlier today by lead scribe of this Blog, Horace Rumpole and his crystal ball.

IN OTHER 3^RD DCA NEWS TODAY .....

3rd DCA Judge Linda Ann Wells has announced her retirement. She has aged out and Gov Scott will name her replacement. So, it looks like one of the names not chosen today by the Gov to replace retiring Judge Frank Shepherd will have a second shot and that should happen in the next few months; ARE YOU LISTENING JUDGES Browyn Miller and Norma Lindsey, along with attorneys Fleur Lobree, John Greco, and Oren Rosenthal.

The 3rd DCA currently has a makeup of ten judges:

Richard J. Suarez, Chief Judge
Linda Ann Wells
Frank A. Shepherd
Leslie B. Rothenberg
Barbara Lagoa
Vance E. Salter
Kevin Emas
Ivan F. Fernandez
Thomas Logue
Edwin A. Scales, III

With the departure of Shepherd and Wells, once their two replacements are named (Luck and ?), Gov Scott will have named 50% of the sitting judges including Judges Fernandez, Logue, Scales, Luck and Judge Wells replacement. Scott's second four year term as Governor ends on January 3, 2019 and he is widely expected to run against Senator Bill Nelson in the Fall 2018 election.

Also, 3rd DCA Judge Salter turns 70 years old in 2018; Judge Rothenberg turns 70, I believe, in 2019 (not completely sure). So, there is a real chance that Scott could have at least two more appointments to the 3^rd before he leaves office.

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