ELECTIONS MATTER ..... GENERAL ELECTION 2018 .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

ELECTION CENTRAL: GENERAL ELECTION 2018 .....

Voters in Miami-Dade County face only one run-off election for a judicial seat. In Group 14, in the August primary, Renee Gordon tallied 122,561 votes (47.56%) while Vivianne del Rio received 89,587 votes (34.76%). Louis Martinez came in a distant third. Gordon & del Rio square off to replace retiring Judge Cindy Lederman.

ELECTION RESULTS:  - 99% reporting

DEL RIO - 227,519 - 52%    326,085 - 53%
GORDON - 209,005 - 48%   287,367 - 47% 

In other contests, former ASA and former Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco is now State Representative Grieco as he defeats his opponent J.P. Parker, with 63% of the vote.  Unfortunately, Mary Barzee Flores did not defeat Incumbent US Rep Mario Diaz Balart. Diaz Balart garnered 61% of the vote.  And it looks like both Constitutional Amendment 4 (64%) and Amendment 6 (62%) will pass.

Vivianne del Rio - she is an ASA and has been with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office (SAO) for her entire 26 year career. Since 2012, she has headed the Post Conviction Unit and she reviews claims of actual innocence.

Renee Gordon - she is an Assistant Public Defender (APD) and has spent her entire 22 year career at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s office, part of that time as a contract attorney for the office. She has devoted much of her career to bettering the juvenile justice system including by managing the Miami Halfway House and as a participant in the Dept of Juvenile Justice’s Quality Assurance Program. Ms. Gordon ran for an open Circuit Court seat in 2016 in a four person race eventually won by Mark Blumstein. She missed out on the run-off by a mere 1,737 votes.

NORTH OF THE BORDER: In Broward, there are four run-offs, two in Circuit and two in County: (The four Winners, all women, are listed in PINK).

Jason Allen-Rosner v. Stefanie Moon (Circuit);

Maria Markhasin-Weekes v. H. James Curry (Circuit);

Corey Cawthon v. Tanner Demmery (County);

Allison Gilman v. Jackie Powell (County).

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS:  There are a total of 12 on the ballot today.  Two of them, Amendments 4 and 6 would have a direct effect on the criminal justice system.  It takes 60% for any of these amendments to pass.

Florida Amendment 4, the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative. A "yes" vote supports this amendment to automatically restore the right to vote for people with prior felony convictions, except those convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, upon completion of their sentences, including prison, parole, and probation. Florida is one of only four states where convicted felons do not regain the right to vote, until and unless the State Cabinet agrees to restore an individual's voting rights.

Florida Amendment 6, the Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights, Judicial Retirement Age, and Judicial Interpretation of Laws and Rules Amendment. A "yes" vote supports this amendment to: •add specific rights of crime victims, together known as Marsy's Law, to the Florida Constitution; •increase the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75 years of age; and •prohibit state courts from deferring to an administrative agency’s interpretation of a state statute or rule in lawsuits.  Critics of the amendment point to several issues.  For one, the amendment reduces the amount of time in which you can file an appeal post conviction.   It reduces it to two years for a noncapital, non-death case and five years for a death penalty case.  Given the fact that Florida leads the nation in exonerations from death row, this part of the amendment is extremely problematic.  Many of those death row inmates would have been wrongly executed if this amendment was in place.


ELECTIONS MATTER ..... THIS ELECTION MATTERS ..... VOTE

Because there is such a short list of judicial elections on the ballot, we decided to post this powerful tweet we saw on Twitter recently. It was tweeted by Alicia Sharon, she calls herself @ASharon004, and describes herself as "a UCLA Law ‘18; D.C. to Los Angeles; Fly Eagles."  According to LinkedIn,  she worked in the Office of Correspondence at the White House during the summer of 2010. She has quite the impressive Resume from 2008 - 2018. She is currently a Law Clerk at Venable LLP in Los Angeles.

"I recently tweeted about my time working in Obama’s mail room while in college. How he received a tremendous amount of hate mail, a disproportionate amount being racist (sometimes graphically). But the letters of hate aren’t what I remember most clearly.

Instead, what haunts me are the letters and stories of every day struggling Americans. Too often politics becomes about gamesmanship and strategy and people forget that politics has real world consequences. It can literally kill.

So as we near one of the most important midterms of (maybe) our lives, I want to highlight some of the stories I remember best. Stories that might be about your neighbor, your colleague, or your own family. Remember these stories. These are the people we fight for when we vote.

The single mom with three boys. She was worried about gangs so she put her kids in sports, hoping that would keep them safe from after school violence. Her middle son was gunned down walking home from practice. She just wanted to save enough money to move to a safer neighborhood.

The dad who promised his daughter that he would pay for her to go to the best college she got in to. She got into her dream school, Duke. But he got laid off during the recession and he didn’t know how to tell her he could no longer afford her dream that she worked so hard for.

The parents of a child with severe developmental disabilities. They were getting old and they were worried about who would take care of him after they were gone.

The couple who endured the pain and loss that comes with having 7 miscarriages. All they wanted was a family. They couldn’t afford expensive IVF treatment. They wanted to adopt but felt the agency didn’t like them – they were a mixed race couple living in the deep south.

The mom who knew her son was being bullied at school because he didn’t speak English very well. They had just moved here. She would stay up until the early morning to teach herself English, hoping she could then help him.

The single mom who admitted she sometimes went days without eating so her kids could have 3 full meals. She worked 3 jobs but was still struggling to make ends meet. She didn’t want them going to school hungry, she knew education was the only thing that would save them.

The parents struggling with a daughter who was an addict. They were wealthy so they could afford to get her treatment. But they had met lots of families in group therapy that couldn’t afford it. They wanted to make drug treatment facilities more affordable for everyone.

The father with terminal cancer who confided that he thought about ending his life early, just to spare his family the costs of sustained medical treatment. He didn’t want to leave his wife and 2 young kids with a mountain of debt.
The gay couple who had been together for 50+ years. But they were still afraid to hold hands in public for fear that they would be physically attacked.

The young schoolteacher who worked at a Title I (low income) school. Many kids didn’t get outside for recess during the winter because their parents couldn’t afford to buy them winter coats. She raised money, including her own, to buy them herself.

The newly single father who was terrified he was going to ruin his kids after their mother passed away from breast cancer. He cried in the aisle at Dick’s Sporting Goods because he didn’t know what size shoe his son was. His wife used to buy the kids cleats for baseball season.

The father who was dealing with depression, but was too afraid to tell anyone. Men weren’t supposed to be weak. He loved his wife and new baby daughter. He didn’t understand why sometimes he felt like everyone would be better off without him.

The parents who dreaded Friday evening. Their son was a freshman at an Ivy League School, but he was having trouble fitting in. Other students suggested the only reason he was there was affirmative action. He spent Friday nights in his dorm alone, talking to his parents.

The wife who married young. Too young she would say. Her husband was physically abusive, but now they had 2 kids and she couldn’t leave and financially support 2 kids on her own. She hoped she could save up enough money to get out before he killed her.

The mother who knew her son was gay, but knew he would have to hide it until he left the house. She knew her husband would hurt him if he found out.

The parents of a girl who had to get 3 heart surgeries before she was 3. They were terrified she wouldn’t make it to be a teenager. And even if she did, it still meant lots of additional and expensive surgeries. They knew another surgery would push them over the financial edge.

The young veteran who struggled with PTSD and nightmares. He was afraid he was going to hurt his wife while they slept. He hated his new job at a manufacturing plant, but he felt he couldn’t complain because at least he came home alive.

These are the types of stories people wrote to our President about. Not because they were looking for handouts, but because they were hoping something could be done to make their lives just a little easier. Life a little more affordable. Opportunities a little more reachable.

These are the people we fight for when we vote. So please, show up on Nov 6th and make your voice heard. People’s lives depend on it."

END

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 - EARLY VOTING BEGINS: PART TWO - COUNTY COURT

COMING TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY)! 
FROM DOWN-UNDER, RUMPOLE RECOMMENDS....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 ..... COUNTY COURT .....

Yesterday, our post introduced our readers to the seven candidates vying for three Circuit Court seats. Today, we introduce you to the ten candidates running for five open County Court seats.

Here is the ballot the voters of Miami-Dade will see for the five contested County Court judicial elections:

COUNTY COURT

GROUP 2: (Judge Mary Jo Francis retiring):

Rosy Aponte - she has been an attorney for ten years, all in private practice running her own law firm. Prior to her career as a lawyer she was an elementary school teacher. For the past decade she has handled Civil Rights and Discrimination cases against employers for race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion. She also defends homeowners facing foreclosure. In 2016, she lost a Circuit Court race to eventual winner Oscar Rodriguez Fonts. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $88,000.

Kristy Nunez - she has been an ASA with the Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office since 2005. Since 2016 she has served as Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit. Prior to 2016, she served as a Felony Division Chief for four years where she focused on investigating and prosecuting homicide cases and training junior prosecutors. She has also specialized in prosecuting violent career criminals during her time in the Career Criminal and Robbery Unit, and spent almost four years in the Sexual Battery and Child Abuse Unit. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $60,000.

　
GROUP 32: (Judge Caryn Canner Schwartz retiring):

Lizzet Martinez - she ran in 2016 and lost to Judge Ed Newman. Ms. Martinez has been an attorney for 20 years and she handles family law and bankruptcy matters. She has also served as a Guardian ad Litem. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $112,000.

Chris Pracitto - he spent his first three years with the Miami-Dade PD's Office as an APD. For the past twenty years he has been in private practice. He handles family law and criminal defense matters with an emphasis on domestic violence cases. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $128,000.

　
GROUP 33: (Judge Teretha Thomas Lundy retiring):

Olanike Adebayo - she has been an attorney for 21 years. She spent the first eight years of her career as an ASA with the Miami-Dade SAO where she rose to the position of Chief of Litigation of the Juvenile Division. She spent the next five years working as a Police Legal Advisor for the Legal Bureau of the Miami-Dade Police Dept. She returned to the SAO in Miami and spent the next four years working in their Community Outreach Division. In 2014, she switched sides and now works for the defense as a member of the Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel, in their Dependency Division. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $104,000.

Eleane Sosa-Bruzon - she has been practicing law for more than 12 years. First, as an APD with the Broward PD’s office. She handled misdemeanor, juvenile and felony cases, and ultimately worked her way up to the major crimes division. After six years, she moved into private practice and joined the 40 lawyer firm Landau & Associates, where she is now a partner. There she first handled legal matters in the areas of Banking, Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate. She currently represents plaintiffs in PIP cases. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $57,000.


GROUP 40: (Judge Don Cohn retiring):

Michael Barket - he has been an attorney for 19 years. He is in private practice and focuses on Family and Matrimonial Law, Child Custody, Paternity, Alimony, Child Support, Adoptions, Probate Law, Administration of Estates and Real Estate. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $72,000.

Elena Ortega-Tauler - she ran for judge in 2016 and lost a Circuit Court race to Judge George Sarduy. Ms. Tauler has a long history of appearing in stories on this Blog. Recently, the Daily Business Review highlighted our story posted in 2008 to introduce the readers to Ms. Tauler and her past legal woes. You can read that 2008 post by going here:   Ms. Tauler is in private practice handling immigration and foreclosure defense cases. She has been an attorney for 29 years (which includes the time she spent suspended from practice). Total campaign contributions (including loans): $21,000.

　
GROUP 43: (Judge Joseph Davis, Jr retiring):
　
Milena Abreu - Ms. Abreau ran for County Court judge in 2016 and lost to Judge Fred Seraphin by the razor thin margin of 677 votes (out of 211,000 cast). She began her legal career in 1999 at the Miami-Dade PD’s office as an APD. She spent ten years at that office before going into private practice. She currently works with the Office of Criminal Conflict & Civil Regional Counsel in their Death Penalty Unit. She has also been a Traffic Court Hearing Officer for eight years. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $108,000.
　
Mike Mirabal - he has been an attorney for 13 years. He ran his own law firm before going to work for one of Europe’s most respected international law firms, joining InterJURIS, an international law firm based in Madrid, Spain. While practicing in Madrid, he returned to law school for a second time to obtain dual degrees, Spanish Law E.U. and an L.L.M. in International Law. Upon completing his education in Spain, he returned to open InterJURIS's Miami headquarters. He now runs his own boutique international law firm. Total campaign contributions (including loans): $79,000.

So, readers, two questions: 1} Who will you be voting for; and 2} Who do you think will win?

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 - EARLY VOTING BEGINS: PART ONE - CIRCUIT COURT

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 ..... EIGHT CONTESTS .....

Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, August 28^th to elect eight new judges in Miami-Dade County, three Circuit and five County Court seats. But, instead of waiting until election day to vote, you have two other options. First, you can do what THE CAPTAIN does - order an absentee ballot and vote from the comfort of your kitchen table; bonus - postage is free. Or, beginning today, you can hit one of 19 early voting locations and you should benefit from the shorter lines.

Here is the ballot the voters of Miami-Dade will see for the eight contested judicial elections:

CIRCUIT COURT　

GROUP 8

This contest pits the only incumbent who drew opposition in the 2018 election against an attorney from the largest insurance defense firm in the State of Florida, Cole, Scott & Kissane.

Elisabeth Espinosa - she worked as an Assistant State Attorney in Tampa for six years before joining CSK in 2014. She handles the defense of insurance claims. Her firm appears before Judge David Miller regularly. When Espinosa filed against him, CSK filed Motions to Recuse Miller in all of their cases where he was the judge. Miller denied the Motions and CSK appealed those denials to the 3^rd DCA. The 3^rd affirmed Miller. Espinosa has raised $105,000 from some 320 contributors; she also kicked in $25,000 of her own money.

David Miller - INCUMBENT - he first won election in 2000 defeating Arthur Spiegel and David Peckins (in a runoff). In 2012, his last election, he soundly defeated Mauricio Padilla with 62% of the vote. Miller is known throughout the courthouse circles to be a tough no nonsense judge. In criminal court he gained a reputation for tough sentencing. In civil court, he in known as one of the hardest working judges on the bench, showing up to work at 6 AM. Miller has raised $289,000 from 659 contributors and loaned his campaign an extra $51,000.


GROUP 14 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Cindy Lederman retiring)

The only three person contest, this seat could end up in a runoff if no candidate garners 50% plus one vote. The runoff would take place during the November general election.

Vivianne del Rio - she is an ASA and has been with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office (SAO) for her entire 26 year career. Since 2012, she has headed the Post Conviction Unit and she reviews claims of actual innocence. Del Rio has raised $110,000 from 261 contributors and loaned her campaign $53,000.

Renee Gordon - she is an Assistant Public Defender (APD) and has spent her entire 22 year career at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s office, part of that time as a contract attorney for the office. She has devoted much of her career to bettering the juvenile justice system including by managing the Miami Halfway House and as a participant in the Dept of Juvenile Justice’s Quality Assurance Program. Ms. Gordon ran for an open Circuit Court seat in 2016 in a four person race eventually won by Mark Blumstein. She missed out on the run-off by a mere 1,737 votes. She has raised $103,000 from 471 donors and she has kicked in $47,000 of her own money.

Louis Martinez - he began his law career in Chicago spending six years with the Cook County SAO. He spent his next five years working in Miami for the Office of the Attorney General, most of that time with the Medicaid Fraud Unit. Since 2007 he has been in private practice concentrating in the areas of administrative and criminal law. He is also Of Counsel to Diaz Reus & Targ. Also, since 2008, Martinez has been a member of the Miami Dade Expressway Authority including acting as its Chairman from 2015-2017. He has raised $56,000 from 117 contributors and loaned his campaign $30,000.


GROUP 25 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Dennis Murphy retiring)

Yery Marrero - she spent the first ten years of her career as an APD with the Miami-Dade PD. In 2000, she went into private practice forming Marrero Bozorgi where she has continued in the field of criminal defense law for the past 18 years. She has also served as a Traffic Court Magistrate. She has raised $89,000 from 292 donors and added $105,000 of her own money.

Joe Perkins - he has been an attorney for more than nine years and works for the law firm Garbett, Allen & Roza. His practice is in the area of complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on representing small and large businesses, banks and financial institutions, and governmental entities, including the FDIC. He has represented individuals who are victims of fraud, the State of Florida, Department of Financial Services seeking to recover from insurance company executives accused of fraud, and financial institutions seeking to recover loss caused by bank fraud, among other experience. He has raised $82,000 from 153 contributors and kicked in $5,000 of his own money.

So, readers, two questions: 1} Who will you be voting for; and 2} Who do you think will win?

COMING TUESDAY, COUNTY COURT .......

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

HERE COMES THE JUDGE .......FIVE NEW JUDGES .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A JUDGE .....

BREAKING - WE UPDATED THE POST BELOW BY PLACING AN *** NEXT TO THE NAMES BEING SENT TO GOVERNOR SCOTT.  18 OF THE 26 ATTORNEYS THAT WERE INTERVIEWED HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO THE GOVERNOR; (6 NAMES PER OPEN SEAT).

It may be hot and muggy outside, and if you’re lucky enough to be Horace Rumpole, you may be able to afford a vacation "down under", but the rest of us are busy back in the Magic City working the corridors of the GJB. And, the 11^th Circuit JNC is also busy, really, really busy.

As you may recall, Governor Scott came a-calling for three Circuit Court Judges recently and he tapped Judges Dawn Denaro, Andrea Wolfson, and Renatha Francis, all of the County Court. That means the JNC needs three new County Court Judges and they aim to narrow the list on Thursday, August 9, 2018 when they will interview 26 candidates (out of the 31 that applied). Those being interviewed include:

9:00 Abreu, Milena (currently a candidate for judge)***
9:15 Bandin, Christine  ***
9:30 Barket, Michael (currently a candidate for judge)
9:45 Brown, Karl St. Hope  ***
10:00 Cabarga, Carmen R. 
10:15 Chamorro, Miguel J. 
10:30 Cuervo, Raul A.  ***
10:45 D’Arce, Madelin 
11:15 Delancy, Michelle  ***
11:30 Giordano Hansen, Marcia  ***
11:45 Gitchev Guerrero, Brenda  ***
12:00 Harris, Ayana  ***
12:15 Harris Nelson, Julie 
1:00 Heller Peter S. ***
1:15 Hillery, Kimberly C.
1:30 Janowitz, Scott ***
1:45 Jean, Lody ***
2:00 Kolokoff, Jeffrey M. ***
2:15 Meltz, Jonathan
2:45 Mena, Griska ***
3:00 Perez-Medina, Luis ***
3:15 Pracitto, Christopher (currently a candidate for judge) ***
3:30 Reboso, Manolo ***
3:45 Silver, Stephanie ***
4:00 Torrents Greenwood, Blanca ***
4:15 White, Gavin N. L

Fear not fellow barristers, for if you missed out on applying for one of these three openings, Judge Wendell Graham has announced his retirement after proudly serving for the past 24 years on the County Court bench. 
 
Wendell Graham began his career serving our community when he joined Janet Reno’s office in 1983. After spending five years there, he spent the next six years as a solo practitioner while also serving as a Traffic Magistrate and a Hearing Officer for the Dade County Public School system. In 1994, Governor Lawton Chiles tapped him to become a County Court Judge. Graham last won re-election in 2016 when he defeated Antonio Jimenez garnering 57% of the vote.

We want to take a moment to thank you Judge Graham for your service to the citizens of our community and to our great State of Florida. I’ve personally known Wendell for more than 30 years and he has always been so kind who all that ever came into contact with him. You never saw Judge Graham raise his voice to anyone appearing in his Court before him. He displayed the type of judicial demeanor we would hope for in all of our judges. I spoke recently to Judge Graham and he has indicated to me that his last day on the bench is scheduled for August 31^st. He has decided to return to private practice. He tells me that "he is extremely excited about this opportunity".

Please take a moment and join me as we wish him well in his next chapter of serving our community.

APPLICATION DEADLINE AUGUST 10^th .....

Those that would like to file an application with the JNC to replace Judge Graham have until tomorrow to get that done.

But wait, there’s one more open seat on the bench. As many of our readers will also recall, Judge Stephen Millan recently resigned his seat on the Circuit Court bench. The deadline to file an application to replace Judge Millan is also August 10^th.

EARLY VOTING BEGINS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2018

Look for our post on Monday as we review the ballot for the eight contested Circuit and County Court races.

Also on Monday, Governor Scott versus The Florida Supreme Court - The Battle for the Fourth Circuit Bench

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018: NORTH OF THE BORDER ..... PART TWO

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018:
NORTH OF THE BORDER ..... PART TWO

Attorney Jason Rosner is running for Judge. Rosner has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2004 and he can be located on the Bar's web site under the name Jason Allen Rosner.

But, a review of the same web site finds that there is no licensed attorney in the State of Florida with the name Jason Allen-Rosner. Despite that glaring fact, Allen-Rosner has qualified to run in Broward’s Circuit Court Group 38 race for an open seat. Allen-Rosner filed to run against candidates Melissa Donoho, Linda Leali, and Stephanie Moon. By filing under the name Allen-Rosner, (adding a hyphen between his Middle name and his Last name), instead of using his real last name Rosner, Jason goes from last to first on the ballot in Group 38.

Jason Rosner has a law practice in Hollywood, Florida handling mostly criminal defense and family law cases. He has a web site (that can be found here) and lists his law practice under the name Jason A. Rosner.

Jason Rosner was married in 2005 in Miami-Dade County and he filed a marriage license with the name Jason Allen (middle name) Rosner.

His LinkedIn page uses the name Jason Rosner. His AVVO pages, Superlawyers page, Findlaw page, and so on, all use the last name of Rosner. Not a one lists the name Allen-Rosner. It appears that the hyphenated name was invented for the first time on the qualifying documents filed with the Department of State in Tallahassee last Friday.

In fact, most of the documents Rosner filed with the Department of Elections actually do NOT even use the hyphenated name. On January 19, 2018, Rosner files his first set of papers with the Division of Elections. His Statement of Candidate lists Jason Allen Rosner as a "candidate for Circuit Court Judge". The filing includes a letter written on office stationery with a letterhead that reads Law Office of Jason A. Rosner, P.A. Rosner also filed the Statement of Candidate for Judicial Race and the Appointment of Campaign Treasurer, both indicating that the name of the candidate is Jason Allen Rosner. The State sent Rosner four letters over the next four months, all addressed to Jason Allen Rosner. On May 4, the day he qualified, he filed his Public Financial Disclosure and to prove who he was for the Notary, he used his Florida Driver’s License issued in the name of, you guessed it, Jason Allen Rosner (no hyphen). Not until he filed his Candidate Oath did he finally use the name Jason Allen-Rosner.

Even more amazing, Rosner first decided to run for Judge in the 2016 Election cycle. Rosner filed in Group 9 on February 9, 2015, using the name Jason Allen Rosner (no hyphen). He went on to file seven documents with the Division of Elections using the last name of Rosner. Not once did he use the name Allen-Rosner. He ultimately withdrew from the race without qualifying on April 18, 2016.

By all accounts, Rosner has an excellent reputation and he is a well respected attorney in both criminal court and family court. Nobody doubts that he is more than qualified to sit as a Judge. He was an Assistant Public Defender for two years and he is currently a Civil Traffic Hearing Officer in Broward County and has been for the past six years.

But running for Judge means that one has read and is familiar with the Code of Judicial Conduct. Canon One of the Code discusses INTEGRITY and states that "An ..... honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society. A judge should participate in establishing, maintaining, and enforcing high standards of conduct, and shall personally observe those standards so that the integrity ..... of the judiciary may be preserved."

INTEGRITY, for those of you keeping score at home, is defined as: "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles".

WHAT IS THE LAW???

We spoke with Jesse Dyer, an attorney in the General Counsel's office with the Division of Elections, Florida Department of State, and here is what he told us about the issue of what name they permit to appear on a ballot:

First, there are no Florida Statutes or Florida Administrative Codes that directly address this issue.

Second, there is an Advisory Opinion issued by the Division of Elections, authored 32 years ago, AO Number 86-06 (that can be found here) that primarily addresses "nicknames" appearing on the ballot.

The AO reads, in pertinent part:

" ..... Under common law principles, not abrogated by Florida law, a name consists of one Christian or given name and one surname, patronymic or family name; therefore, the name printed on the ballot ordinarily should be the Christian or given name and surname"..... "However, it has been determined that any name by which a candidate is known is sufficient on a ballot, and a person is legally permitted to have printed on the ballot the name which the candidate has adopted and under which he or she transacts private and official business, 29 C.J.S. Elections §161."

The Advisory Opinion goes on to state that:

"Election officials, however, may be justified in refusing to print on the ballot a candidate's nickname when it is not shown that the nickname ever was used by the candidate as part of his legal name, and such officials may be equally justified in refusing to print on the ballot a candidate's choice of a name which has not been adopted by him or her and under which the candidate has not transacted private and official business. See C.J.S. Elections §161."

Dyer told us that, when a candidate wants to use a "nickname", the Department requires that the Candidate complete an Affidavit swearing that they have used that name and are generally known in personal and/or work circles by that nickname. But, he went on to say that the staff that accepts the paperwork are ministerial officers and they generally accept the paperwork at face value. The candidate must complete the Candidate Oath Form and on that Form it actually says: "print name above as you wish it to appear on the ballot".

We located one case that directly addressed the issue, Planas v. Planas , 937 So.2d 745 (Fla. 3d DCA, 2006), on the use of a nickname:

"We hold that, as a matter of law, by designating a name, “J.P.” Planas, which “ha[d] not been adopted by him . . . and under which [he] ha[d] not transacted private and official business,” Division of Elections Opinion 86-06 (May 1, 1986)(citing C.J.S. Elections § 161 (now 29 C.J.S. Elections § 273 (2005))), the appellant did not “act[] in [the] good faith and . . . honest purpose,” 26 Am. Jur. 2d Elections § 293, at 109 (2004), required of all candidates". 

For additional guidance, we read the SUPERVISOR’S HANDBOOK ON CANDIDATE QUALIFYING that can be found here. In lockstep with what Dyer told us, the Handbook advised that: "A qualifying officer’s duties are ministerial in nature. (Section 99.061(7)(c), F.S.)".  "... any question as to the truth or accuracy of matters stated in a candidate’s qualifying papers becomes a judicial question if and when an appropriate challenge is made in the courts. (State ex rel Shevin v. Stone, 279 So.2d 17 (Fla.1972))."

Digging deeper into the Handbook though, one come's to Chapter 5, page 13: Q: "May a candidate use a nickname on the ballot?"
A: "A nickname may be printed along with one’s legal name if the candidate is generally known by that name or the name is used as part of his or her legal name. (See Appendices G and H - DE Opinions 86-06 and 09-05.)" 

And Appendix H (DE 09-05), found on page 48, says, in response to a question from a City Clerk official, that asked: “What level of scrutiny must a filing officer apply to ascertain whether a prospective candidate legitimately has a nickname that is eligible for placing on the ballot?”, the Director of the Division of Elections answered the question in part as follows: .... “the short answer is that a filing officer may require a candidate to make a satisfactory showing that the candidate has been generally known by the nickname or the candidate has used the nickname as part of the candidate’s legal name”.

In closing, Dyer, the Division of Elections attorney, stated if another candidate, or a registered voter in that County, feels like a violation of the election qualifying law is being committed, they would have to file an Injunction, and litigate the case in Court.

So, there you have it. Maybe it’s time for a change in the law. Or maybe, just maybe, we should expect just a bit more integrity from some of our judicial candidates.

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018: NORTH OF THE BORDER ..... PART ONE

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018:
NORTH OF THE BORDER ..... PART ONE

"That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet" (Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet, 1597)

But, if you had to vote between Capulet and Montague, whom would you choose? Especially if Capulet appeared first on the ballot.

Known as "First Listing Bias, the issue has been widely discussed and broadly researched by political scientists for decades. Here are just three of the many articles easily found online that discuss the fact that, in a primary election, with no political party involved, the candidate listed first stands to gain anywhere from 5-10% more votes simply because their name is first on the ballot. You can read the articles here and here and here.

So, why, pray tell, is El Capitan waking us up on a Wednesday morning with a poli sci lesson you ask? You want the truth, loyal readers; ..... you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall (A Few Good Men, Columbia Pictures, 1992); sorry, I lost my train of thought there .....

The answer is BROWEIRD.

On Friday, May 4^th, the final day to qualify to run for judge, at precisely 9:01 AM, judicial candidate Shari Beth Africk-Olefson filed in Broward Circuit Group 8 against Incumbent Ernest Kollra and challenger Alan Schneider. ***

Shari Beth Olefson has been a member of The Florida Bar for 29 years. On the other hand, Shari Beth Africk-Olefson is not an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. Despite that fact, Shari Beth Africk-Olefson is running for Circuit Court Judge.

Shari Olefson is Board Certified in the field of Real Estate law under the name Shari Beth Olefson. She has an exemplary reputation in the legal community using the name Shari Olefson. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator under her name Shari Olefson. She is the author of several books in the fields of real estate law and economics, all using the last name of Olefson. She appears regularly on TV as an expert, (using the name Olefson), including a Fox News segment hosted by Jamie Colby, (yes, that’s former Judge Jonathan Colby’s sister), called "Take Charge". She is a mover and shaker in politics having hosted a "Conversation With Hillary" Clinton at her home for a fundraising event on May 21, 2016. The invitation to the event was from Shari Olefson. By the way, she is not running for Judge for the salary; (she has a Net Worth of just under $11 million dollars).

The point being, Shari Olefson has made her name in the legal community using the last name of Olefson. Why oh why would she then want to sacrifice 29 years of building up the reputation of that Olefson name, by running for Judge using a different name? Isn’t she running for Judge because of that stellar reputation? And nobody doubts that she has a stellar reputation and that she is more than qualified to sit as a judge.

Why then is she using the name Africk-Olefson to run for Judge? Because, she is also married to Pamela Beth Africk. They tied the knot on March 1, 2018.

The Florida Bar lists no licensed attorney by the name of Shari Beth Africk-Olefson. Despite that fact, Shari Olefson has filed all of her campaign documents with the Department of State and she is running as a candidate for Circuit Court Judge under the name Shari Beth Africk-Olefson.

Who gets to decide which name comes first when two love-birds tie the knot? Well, traditionally, of course, it has always been the husband’s last name that replaces that of the wife’s last name. For some, (think Hillary Rodham Clinton, for example), it is the wife who adds her husband’s last name after her maiden name. In Ms. Olefson’s case, she has married another woman; ("Not that there’s anything wrong with that". Seinfeld, The Outing, Episode 57, Season Four, 1993). And she has chosen to hyphenate her name, using her spouse’s name first. So, we ask again, who gets to decide which name comes first?

More importantly, shouldn’t we be asking whether Ms. Olefson is using the Africk-Olefson name primarily for the purpose of being placed first on the ballot? We wouldn’t even be asking the question if not for the fact that Ms. Olefson lists her name with The Florida Bar as Olefson while she wants the voters to elect attorney Africk-Olefson to the position of a Circuit Court Judge.

*** At 11:15 AM, 45 minutes before the end of qualifying, candidate Africk-Olefson switched races and filed in Group 36 against challenger Kristen Padowitz.

*** At the time Africk-Olefson switched races and joined Group 36, there were two other candidates in that race: Karen Berger and Kristen Padowitz. By using the last name Africk-Olefson, the candidate jumped to the front of the alphabetical list, ahead of Ms. Berger. This moved Berger down to the second slot on the ballot.

***So, at 11:57 AM, three minutes before the close of qualifying, candidate Karen Berger, made a savvy move herself. She jumped from Group 36 to Group 43, filing against candidate Dan Casey. Casey had announced in Group 43 last July, and had been unopposed for nine months. He was three minutes away from getting elected without opposition when Berger filed against him. By doing so, Berger, who had been first on the ballot in Group 36, before Africk-Olefson jumped into that Group, became first on the ballot once again, this time ahead of Casey.

The Captain agrees that a candidate should make their filing decision with winning in mind. Nobody runs to lose, and if you can improve your chances of winning, by running in a race where there are two candidates instead of three, or by running in a race where your name appears on the ballot before your opponent, well then, go for it. But that doesn’t mean you get to use a name that you have never used before, and one that you don’t even use to maintain your license with The Florida Bar, just to run for Judge; (which carries with it the requirement that you be a lawyer in good standing before you can even run for judge).

ADDENDUM: We emailed Ms. Africk Olefson and asked her why she chose to add the hyphen between the two names?  She did respond with the following: "When I married, Africk-Olefson became my legal name.  Which is why it’s the name on my judicial filing papers.  It didn’t occur to not combine and hyphenate surnames when I married. But I suppose there are cultural reasons for doing that.  I do recall feeling proud to take on the Africk family name with my own, particularly because my father in law has been an important mentor and role model. "

So, readers, what say you? Have at it.

COMING TOMORROW: North of the Border, Part Two, and What is the law in Florida concerning what name a candidate is permitted to use on the ballot?

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 ..... CONGRATS TO OUR THREE NEWEST JUDGES .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

QUALIFYING DAY HAS COME & GONE .......

Congratulations to our newest judges who will all take the bench in January of 2019. None of them received opposition as of Noon today:

CIRCUIT COURT

Carlos Lopez

COUNTY COURT

Betsy Alvarez-Zane

Jacqueline Woodward (and Happy Birthday to Jackie today).

AND NOW FOR THE CONTESTED ELECTIONS. ANY PREDICTIONS .....?

CIRCUIT COURT

19 Incumbent Circuit Court Judges were reelected without drawing any opposition; (for a list of those judges please see our post from May 3rd ). There are three contested races this year. One candidate, Renee Gordon, returns for a second try after losing in the primary in 2016 to eventual winner Mark Blumstein. Judge David Miller is the only incumbent Judge in Miami-Dade County to draw opposition. Judge Miller is no stranger to contested elections - in 2012, the last time he ran for office, he also drew an opponent. He soundly defeated Mauricio Padilla in that contest with 62% of the vote. Miller first won election to the Circuit Court in 2000, when he defeated two other candidates, Arthur Spiegel and David Peckins (in the runoff). In fact, the only time Miller has not faced opposition was in 2006.

GROUP 8

Elisabeth Espinosa
David Miller - INCUMBENT

GROUP 14 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Cindy Lederman retiring)

Vivianne del Rio
Renee Gordon
Louis Martinez

GROUP 25 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Dennis Murphy retiring)

Yery Marrero
Joe Perkins

COUNTY COURT

17 Incumbent County Court Judges were reelected without drawing any opposition; (our May 3rd post also includes the names of these judges). There are five contested races this year. Four of the candidates have past experience running for Judge. In 2016, Milena Abreau just missed out when she lost a close County Court race to Incumbent Judge Fred Seraphin. Abreu lost by only 677 votes out of a total 210,919 ballots cast. Lizzet Martinez lost out in 2016 as well, to Incumbent County Judge Ed Newman. Rosy Aponte lost a Circuit Court race in the primary to eventual winner Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts and Elena Ortega-Tauler lost a Circuit Court race to Incumbent Judge George Sarduy.　

GROUP 2: (Judge Mary Jo Francis retiring):

Rosy Aponte
Kristy Nunez
(Jeffrey Cynamon withdrew from this race at 11:58 AM today).

GROUP 32: (Judge Caryn Canner Schwartz retiring):

Lizzet Martinez
Chris Pracitto

GROUP 33: (Judge Teretha Thomas Lundy retiring):

Olanike Adebayo
Eleane Sosa-Bruzon

GROUP 40: (Judge Don Cohn retiring):

Michael Barket
Elena Ortega-Tauler

GROUP 43: (Judge Joseph Davis, Jr retiring):

Milena Abreu
Mike Mirabal

The primary election takes place on August 28, 2018 with any runoffs to be decided on November 6th. Good luck to all of the candidates.

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 - THE DAY BEFORE “THE DAY” .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN ..... QUALIFYING WEEK .....

T-MINUS 36 HOURS AND COUNTING
It's down to the last few hours and the burning questions remain:

BREAKING NEWS:

Candidate Jeff Cynamon, County Group 2, has withdrawn from that race as of 11:58 AM.

1. Will an Incumbent Judge get an 11:59 AM Friday Surprise and have to spend those long, hot, rainy, summer days trekking from Florida City to Aventura attending every breakfast, lunch, and dinner in town?

2. Will Carlos Lopez, Betsy Alvarez-Zane, and Jackie Woodward get handed a gavel without ever sniffing an opponent?

3. What Group will Vivianne del Rio end up qualifying in?

THE CLOCK IS TICKING .......

Over the next day and a half, we expect to see some jockeying around of candidates looking for just the right place to land their campaign and deposit their qualifying fee.

The deadline is FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018 at NOON.

Here is where we stand:

CIRCUIT COURT:

Will any of the incumbents who are presently unopposed receive a last minute opponent?

Here is the list of Incumbents who are currently unopposed:

Judge Antonio Arzola
Judge Miguel de la O
Judge Victoria del Pino (appointed to fill Judge Blake’s seat)
Judge Maria Espinosa Dennis
Judge Jason Dimitris (appointed to fill Judge Brennan’s seat)
Judge Pedro Echarte
Judge Jose Fernandez
Judge Mindy Glazer
Judge Michael Hanzman
Judge Charles Johnson (appointed to fill Judge Sigler’s seat)
Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez
Judge Browyn Miller
Judge Teresa Pooler
Judge Maria de Jesus Santovenia
Judge Valerie Manno Schurr
Judge Lourdes Simon (appointed to fill Judge Luck’s seat)
Judge Ellen Sue Venzer
Judge Maria Verde
Judge Lisa Walsh

Here are the contested races: (Q next to their name means they have plucked down the $5,843.20 necessary to run for that seat).***

　
GROUP 8

Elisabeth Espinosa (Q) - UPDATED
- she has a Net Worth of $465,233
- she has raised $64,775 and loaned her campaign $25,000

David Miller (Q) - INCUMBENT
- he has a Net Worth of $2,085,500
- he has raised $205,000 and loaned his campaign $51,000

GROUP 14 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Cindy Lederman retiring)

Vivianne del Rio (Q) - UPDATED
- she has a Net Worth of 1,064,478
- she has raised $18,800 and loaned her campaign $53,000
- she is an ASA with a salary of $84,400
- on March 20, 2018 her campaign deposited a check in the amount of $22,000 which came from her spouse Cristian del Rio. The amount was meant as a $1,000 contribution and a $21,000 loan. On the same date, the campaign realized that the deposit violated the law. The only person that can loan a campaign any money is the candidate. So, on March 20, 2018, a check in the amount of $21,000 was written back to Mr. del Rio.

Renee Gordon (Q) - UPDATED
- she has a Net Worth of 457,512
- she has raised $68,293 and loaned her campaign $47,150
- she is an APD with a salary of $80,140
- In February of 2017, the Dept of State informed the campaign that they filed a Late Activity Report. They warned the campaign to be on time, but they did not fine the campaign because there was no money raised in that cycle.
- In April of 2017, the Dept of State informed the campaign that they filed another Late Activity Report. The Department again took no action
- On 2/1/18 the campaign received a Audit Letter and was given seven days to respond.
- On 2/14/18 the campaign, having missed the deadline to respond, received another Audit Letter
- On 4/11/18 the campaign received a Failed to File Activity Report for the reporting cycle.
- On 4/20/18 the campaign received an Audit Letter
- On April 27, 2018, the campaign was fined $1,650 as the result of filing the Activity Report six days late; (it was due on 4/10 and filed on 4/16).

Louis Martinez (Q)
- he has Net Worth of $135,000
- he has raised $6,950 and loaned his campaign $30,000

GROUP 25 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Dennis Murphy retiring)

Yery Marrero (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $1,955,402
- she has raised $64,793 and loaned her campaign $105,000

Joe Perkins (Q)
- he has a Net Worth of $248,354
- he has raised $33,018 and loaned his campaign $5,000

GROUP 31 (OPEN SEAT - Judge Maria Korvick retiring)

Carlos Lopez (Q)
- he has a Net Worth of $6,202,000
- he has raised $115,775 and loaned his campaign $250,000
- On 4/6/17 he received an Audit Letter from the Dept. Of State (his campaign Treasurer was Hector Lombana).
- On 2/5/18 he received an Audit Letter from the Dept. Of State
- On 3/5/18 he received an Audit Letter from the Dept. Of State
- On 3/12/18 he replaced Mr. Lombana and named himself as Treasurer

HE IS CURRENTLY UNOPPOSED ......

***Our longtime and loyal readers will remember just two years ago when candidate Daniel Espinosa, attempting to unseat incumbent Judge Rosa Rodriguez, plucked down his qualifying fee of $5,843.00 only to be TWENTY CENTS SHORT. He was not permitted to run for judge and Rodriguez won unopposed.

COUNTY COURT

INCUMBENTS SEEKING REELECTION: NO OPPOSTION

Judge Michelle Alvarez Barakat
Judge Gina Beovides (appointed to fill Judge Charles Johnson’s seat)
Judge Alexander Spicola Bokor (appointed to fill Judge Jacqueline Schwartz’s seat)
Judge Tanya Brinkley
Judge Dawn Denaro
Judge Robin Faber
Judge Gloria Gonzalez-Meyer
Judge Diana Gonzalez-Whyte
Judge Lawrence King
Judge Luise Krieger-Martin
Judge Myriam Lehr
Judge Steve Leifman
Judge Patricia Marino-Pedraza
Judge Maria Ortiz
Judge Sam Slom
Judge Linda Singer Stein
Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson

GROUP 2: (Judge Mary Jo Francis retiring):

Rosy Aponte (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $186,099
- she has raised $21,614 and loaned her campaign $50,000

Jeffrey Cynamon (Q)
- he has a Net Worth of $3,091,082
- he has raised $10,789 and loaned his campaign $150,000

Kristy Nunez (Q) - UPDATED
- she has a Net Worth of 650,521
- she has raised zero money; according to her recently filed documents, she has loaned her campaign $25,000
- she is an ASA with a salary of $78,830

　
GROUP 18: (Judge Deborah White-Labora retiring):

Betsy Alvarez-Zane (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $91,394
- she has raised $103,100 from an impressive 152 contributors and loaned her campaign $6,300
- her sole income is from her PA - $71,198
- she has a student loan liability currently in the amount of $422,000

SHE IS CURRENTLY UNOPPOSED ......

　
GROUP 21: (Judge Andrew Hague retiring):

Jacqueline Woodward (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $1,538,500
- she has raised $27,366 and loaned her campaign $375,000

SHE IS CURRENTLY UNOPPOSED ......

　
GROUP 32: (Judge Caryn Canner Schwartz retiring):

Lizzet Martinez (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $941,062
- she has raised $70,049 from an impressive 162 contributors and loaned her campaign $30,400

Chris Pracitto (Q)
- he has a Net Worth of $757,481
- he has raised $24,700 and loaned his campaign $3,500

　
GROUP 33: (Judge Teretha Thomas Lundy retiring):

Olanike Adebayo (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $28,152
- she has raised $52,000 from a very impressive 355 contributors and loaned her campaign $2,000
- her income is from her job at Regional Counsel where she is paid $54,000

Eleane Sosa-Bruzon (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $221,077
- she has raised $14,610 and loaned her campaign $26,000

　
GROUP 40: (Judge Don Cohn retiring):

Michael Barket (Q)
- he has a Net Worth of $3,135,486
- he has raised $24,880 and loaned his campaign $28,000
　
Elena Ortega-Tauler (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $641,732
- she has raised $1,300 and loaned her campaign $10,000

　
GROUP 43: (Judge Joseph Davis, Jr retiring):

Milena Abreu (Q)
- she has a Net Worth of $20,000
- she has raised $14,655 and loaned her campaign $80,000
- her income is from her PA in the amount of $77,500
　
Mike Mirabal - (Q)
UPDATED - SECOND UPDATE - THIRD UPDATE
- he has a Net Worth of 1,605,659
- he has raised $6,357 and loaned his campaign $32,921
- I updated the amount raised and the amount loaned by reducing both numbers; there are six separate Amended Financial Reports filed by the candidate.; I have now reduced the numbers again; County Elections continues to change the information, seemingly, by the minute; Last night, the total amount raised and loaned equaled $75,830; this morning that number went down to $59,278; this afternoon it reads $39,278.  Very confusing.
- Mr. Mirabal has filed new documents with the Elections Dept - he now wants his name listed as MIGUEL MIRABAL - he originally filed as MIKE MIRABAL.

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 .... MARIN & HAGUE OUT ..... UPDATED

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE ... 2018 .....

It has been a busy couple of months since we posted on December 27 and December 28 about the candidates for Circuit and County Court. Several new candidates have filed and many more have  either withdrawn or switched Groups. Here are the highlights from the past three months:

CIRCUIT COURT

In Group 14, Louis Martinez filed on February 6 and Vivianne del Rio joined the Group on March 1. They face Renee Gordon.

In Group 25, "Joe" Perkins, who had filed in Group 79, withdrew his name on March 9^th. He filed in Circuit Group 31 on March 12th; then switched to County Group 18 on March 19^th only to withdraw three days later on March 22nd. The next day he  switched once again and filed to run in this Circuit Group against Yery Marrero.

BREAKING NEWS:

Circuit Court Judge Antonio "Tony" Marin, who was expected to serve out his term in Group 79, suddenly and unexpectedly resigned effective March 9, 2018. As a result, the two candidates that had filed in this Group, Luis Medina and Joe Perkins, were forced to withdraw from the Group as Governor Scott will fill this seat through the JNC.

COUNTY COURT

See if you can keep up with these moves:

In Group 2, Kristy Nunez filed to run on March 20 only to withdraw six days later. Then Rosy Aponte withdrew from Group 32 of the County Court and on March 26^th moved into this Group against Jeff Cynamon.

In Group 18, Betsy Alvarez-Zane joined the Group on March 14^th. Laura Cruz withdrew her name on March 1 and Joe Perkins withdrew his name on March 22. That means that, for the moment, Zane is unopposed.

BREAKING NEWS:

County Court Judge Andrew Hague (Group 21) and I communicated on a few occasions back in December. He explained his three options to me: resign before the end of the filing deadline; serve out his term; or run one more time. Well, he finally made his decision known last week. And it appears that candidate Jacqueline Woodward was smart enough to stay in touch with Hague because on March 23^rd, she withdrew from Group 2 and was the first candidate to file in Group 21. Hague has made his decision and it is to serve out his term and then retire from the bench.

(NOTE: Not only was Woodward the first to file in this now open seat, but in order to scare off any opponents who are thinking about running against her, she plucked down a cool $375,000 of her own money, loaning that amount to her campaign war chest).

In Group 32, Lizzet Martinez filed on February 1. She faces Chris Pracitto.

In Group 33, Madelyn Diaz withdrew on December 29. Mike Mirabal switched from Group 33 to Group 18 to Group 43. That leaves Olanike Adebayo and Eleane Sosa-Bruzon, for now.

In Group 43, Steve Paulson withdrew on March 1. Milena Abreu currently faces Mike Mirabal.

No doubt there will be many more changes before the filing deadline which is on May 4, 2018.

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

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018: COUNTY COURT

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2018 .................
　
COUNTY COURT

Currently, there are 25 County Court seats up for election. Of those 25 seats, six judges are retiring at the end of their term; and at least 18 of the other 19 will be running for reelection. The only undecided incumbent, Judge Andrew Hague.

We have been communicating with Judge Hague and he has told us that he is still examining all options, including: running for reelection, retiring early and throwing his seat to the JNC and Governor Scott, and serving out through the end of his current term.
　
OPEN SEATS

GROUP 2: (Judge Mary Jo Francis retiring):

Jeffrey Cynamon
Jacqueline Woodward (switched from County Group 43)

GROUP 18: (Judge Deborah White-Labora retiring):

Laura Cruz (first filed in Circuit and then switched to County)
Mike Mirabal (switched from County Group 33)

GROUP 32: (Judge Caryn Canner Schwartz retiring):

Rosy Aponte (first filed in Circuit and then switched to County)
Chris Pracitto

GROUP 33: (Judge Teretha Thomas Lundy retiring):

Olanike Adebayo
Madelin Diaz
Eleane Sosa-Bruzon

GROUP 40: (Judge Don Cohn retiring):

Michael Barket
Elena Ortega-Tauler

GROUP 43: (Judge Joseph Davis, Jr retiring):

Milena Abreu
Steven Paulson

　
INCUMBENTS SEEKING REELECTION:

Judge Michelle Alvarez Barakat
Judge Gina Beovides (appointed to fill Judge Charles Johnson’s seat)
Judge Alexander Spicola Bokor (appointed to fill Judge Jacqueline Schwartz’s seat)
Judge Tanya Brinkley
Judge Dawn Denaro
Judge Robin Faber
Judge Gloria Gonzalez-Meyer
Judge Diana Gonzalez-Whyte
Judge Hague *** Undecided as of this post ***
Judge Lawrence King
Judge Shelley Kravitz
Judge Luise Krieger-Martin
Judge Myriam Lehr
Judge Steve Leifman
Judge Patricia Marino-Pedraza
Judge Maria Ortiz
Judge Sam Slom
Judge Linda Singer Stein
Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson
 

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