THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
ELECTION UPDATE .....
Welcome to our seventh of nine weekly reports analyzing the contested judicial elections in Miami-Dade County. In Week One, we focused on the only contested County Court race of Lindsay v. Lesperance. Since then, we have provided you with the Circuit Court races of Cueto v. Velis; Migna v. Manny, Colodny v. Kopco v. Millan, Garcia v. Glick and Corona v. Cynamon.
As we reported on May 2, 2008 on this blog, there are nine contested races here in Miami-Dade County; eight in the Circuit Court and one in the County Court.
Our final three reports cover three Circuit Court races where an incumbent has a challenger: this week we cover the Chumbley race, next week Geri Cohen, and the final week we cover the Bernard Shapiro race.
Today, we cover Group 51, a seat currently held by Judge Douglas Chumbley.
MARCIA CABALLERO .....
Marcia has been a member of The Florida Bar for 19 years. She was a school teacher for three years before becoming an attorney. She filed to run in October of 2007 and has raised more than $21,000 from 108 contributors. Marcia has throw in another $50,000 of her own money.
Ms. Caballero graduated from Thurgood Marshall Law School at Texas Southern. Her practice primarily handles criminal defense and PI cases, but she also takes on family law, probate and real estate matters. She also donates her time as a Guardian ad Litem.
You can read all about Ms. Caballero on her website at caballeroforjudge.net.
DOUGLAS CHUMBLEY (i) ....
Judge Douglas Chumbley earned his present job when Governor Bush appointed him to the Circuit Court bench in June of 2006 to replace retiring Judge Fredricka Smith. He has spent the past two years sitting in the Juvenile Division. Prior to becoming a judge, Chumbley was in private practice for 24 years with three different firms; spending the last nine years with Carlton Fields.
Chumbley has been a member of The Florida Bar for 26 years and he graduated from Washington & Lee Law School.
As a siting Judge, Chumbley has been extremely successful in the fundraising department bringing in $68,651 from 332 contributors. He has also kicked in $100,000 of his own money to the campaign.
You can check out keepjudgechumbley.com for all the latest news on Judge Chumbley's campaign.
Please do your homework on the two candidates. Help out our readers by giving us your comments, pro and con, on each of the candidates.
The election takes place on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.
CAPTAIN OUT .........
ms caballero sounds as if she is a qualified candidate.why she would choose a great judge and public servant is beyond me
ReplyDeletePlease tell me there there are others out there who realize that absolutely none of these candidates are really qualified (save for the 5 year Florida Bar Requrirement).
ReplyDeleteMario? Migna? Stacy? Manny?
Is this who we all vision as determining who should get the death penalty?
I mean, seriously.
Having appeared before Chumbley
ReplyDeletecountless times in Juvenile Court I will say that the man is extremely patient, treats everyone with respect and decency and is a generally nice man. And doing all of those things in Juvenile court is extremely hard to do. He is
fair to both sides and does not appear to play favorites. In short he is what a judge should be.
Rumpo what do you think is more dangerous- the coming Iran/Israel conflict or the brewing troubles between Shumie and the Q?
ReplyDeleteThursday, July 10, 2008 8:46:00 AM
ReplyDeleteI echo those comments you made.
If you ever meet the man you will come away knowing he is the guy for the job.
Holy Shit have you read the 169 page report of Judge Tunis regards John "Jack" Thomas.
ReplyDeleteRecommends disbar for life!
http://cdn3.libsyn.com/gamepolitics/Corrected_Final_Report_of_Referee-Thompson.pdf?nvb=20080710152703&nva=20080711152703&t=0dd38726e0de85872197b
It is difficult to envision a judicial candidate who has never been a judge as a qualified judge when you compare them to a judge who has been doing it for the past few years. Somehow, the sitting judge always gets a bit more respect in our minds because we get used to seeing them in a black robe every day. However, if you lined up all the current sitting judges and all the people running in open seats together, and if you had the public who didn't know which ones are judges decide on who is qualified- we would see a surprising result. Just because someone has been a judge for a few years does not mean that they are so much better than everyone else. New generations come and I am sure that many of you remember some of the judges 15 years ago when they just started. Did they seem qualified then and did your level of respect for them go up by now?
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that in our legal community we have attorneys and bloggers who only know how to be negative and try to bring people down. I respect and encourage all the young people who have a passion for becoming a judge to go for it and not pay attention to a few attorneys who are not happy with themselves because they know they could never have the guts, time and energy to run for a judge. All those people know how to do is cry on the blog and they will never have the decency to say anything to a person's face.
Ms. Caballero is a great candidate and is very qualified. Mr. Chumbley is just as great. Let the best person win and attorneys will not be the ones to decide- it will be the community of the Miami Dade county.
All the young candidates and the ones running for the first time- go for it and let the best man or woman win. I admire all of you for your energy and determination. This blog would be so much better if there wasn't for the "haters".
Reliable sources reprot overhearing the following at a local restaurant in the Gables. The candiate was not identified by name, nor was the Big Shot, so I leave it to your imagination!
ReplyDeleteCandidate: I need a man who has powerful friends. I need a million dollars in cash. I need you all mighty one and all of those politicians that you carry around in your pocket like so many nickels and dimes.
Don Big Shot: We've known each other for many years but this is the first time you've ever come to me for counsel or for help. I can't remember the last time you invited me to your house or office for a "cortadito" or "expresso." But, let's be frank here. You never wanted my friendship and you were afraid to be in my debt.
Candidate: I didn't want to get into trouble, I wanted to be mainstream.
Don Big Shot: I understand. You found paradise in America. You had a good profession, made a good living, the police protected you and there are your courts of law and you didn't need a friend like me. But, now you come to me and you say "Don, give me justice," help me keep my seat. But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me Godfather. Instead, you come and you ask me to do political murder for money.
Candidate: Please be my frined
Godfather.
Don Big Shot: What have I ever done to make you to treat me so disrespectfully. If you had come to me in friendship then this scum that is running against you would be suffering this very day. And if by chance an honest man like yourself should make enemies then they would become my enemies. And then, they would fear you, and not thnik of running against you.
Candidate: Please, please be my friend.
Don Big Shot: Good. Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service for me or my friends. But, until that day, accept this justice as a gift form the establishment.
Candiate: Thank you Godfather.
Don Big Shot: Give this to, uh, Roberto. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away and make this an ethnic thing!
I am not sure why Ms. Caballero picked to run against Judge Chumbley (who by all respects is doing a good job)?
ReplyDelete8:57, ooh what a good question! What's your answer Rump?
ReplyDeleteRumpy why not start a poll on the side of your blog and see who your readers think is most qualified?
-Attorney Rejected by the Princess,
proud member since 2008
the trialmaster does not know either.the trialmaster does not do juenvile. However, 26 yrs of practice with carlton-fields means that Judge Chombly is taking a pay cut from private practice which is rare in that most of those are running because they can make 2 nickles to rub together as attorneys. Therefore the trialmaster endorses and asks his cult followers to vote for Judge Chombley. thank you
ReplyDeleteI think that Caballero is qualified and will make a great judge. And as far as the 5 year requirement- well, there are many attorneys in the REG Justice Building who have way over 5 years of experience and are still not fit to be attorneys. What are we supposed to say for them? I walked into a courtroom the other day where a young kid was taking a harsh plea and his attorney never even got the discovery from the state. Talk about the experience and integrity. It does not come down to the years of being an attorney, it comes down to trial experience and integrity.
ReplyDeleteCaballero seems like a compassionate woman who can hold herself very well and that's exactly what we need in a judge- a human being, a competent attorney and a reasonable person who can judge issues and facts in an impartial manner. Whether she has 5 years of experience or 10 is somewhat irrelevant. There are plenty of people holding on to their "experience" of 20 years but have never stepped their foot in a courtroom or have never tried a case because all their clients take a plea at arraignment.
I am now working for the Florida House of Representatives. A step up from you bottom feeders who tried to bring me down.
ReplyDeleteHere is my lastest work:
June 2008 — Present (2 months)
Assisting State Representative with key issues and events during the summer of 2008 to further the people as well as the progress of the District.
While here, I assist in researching legislative issues; filing and tracking legislation; writing press releases and newsletters; handling constituent requests; scheduling appointments; attending state and local meetings and other events on behalf of the Representative, as well as working with groups to identify key issues for the district.
Advisor
Consulate General of the Republic of Nicaragua
(Government Relations industry)
May 2007 — Present (1 year 3 months)
Advising the Consul General in the develpment and generation of new commerce, political and community relations to further the growth of the Republic of Nicaragua. Advising for the the creation of new businesses and business structures with Nicaragua. Within that scope, working to create awareness and support for Nicaragua and its people.
Some of the entities that I am currently working with are:
Consular Corps.
Miami-Dade County
City of Miami
City of Coral Gables
City of Doral
City of Sweetwater
Computer&Net Solutions, Inc.
Zoological Society of Florida
The Miss Cuban and Teen Pageant
President
Pericles International Enterprises, Inc. (Sole Proprietorship)
(Sole Proprietorship; 1-10 employees; Government Relations industry)
July 2004 — Present (4 years 1 month)
Pericles aim is to help promote worthy causes and people. In the past, we have performed consulting work at various type of levels. Whether, we are working to get candidates elected, pushing a not-for-profit entity or promoting a worthy cause; you will get the intelligence, professionalism and experience that gets the job done.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/juanfdarce
trial master is funny today.
ReplyDeletei agree that most judges can't make it "in sector."
the lot running for judge this term is evidence that judicial pay should be increased to 250k per year. This would attract better candidates.
signed,
the ultimate
David Ranck is a talented lawyer. Yes he is a bit crazy, but, what good trial lawyer isnt?? Salvador Dali painted a wonderful oil on canvas called "the average bureaucrat". He was expressing people like Horn, Weed and men and their ilk.
ReplyDeletethe ulitamate
The point seems to be missed. Ms. Caballero apparently is well-qualified. The question is, with so many bad judges to choose from, why challenge a good one?
ReplyDeleteWhen you vote against an incumbent, you are basically saying: "You're fired"... and when you vote for someone whose main reason for challenging an incumbent seems to be their ethnic and gender differences, you are asking that someone be fired for reasons that would be illegal in the private sector. The question becomes, are you firing them for cause, or because of gender/ethnic reasons? I suggest that to fire a competent incumbent Judge discouragees good attorneys from giving up their practices to become Judges and punishes them for all the wrong reasons. If a Judge is a good Judge, they should not be challenged just because they are easy targets because of ethnicity, gender or perceived inability to raise funds. Chumbley and some others we can name, have the chops, the reputation and the respect. Why support someone who seems to have challenged him for all of the wrong reasons? We need to retain the good judges regardless of gender, ethnicity etc...not challenge them because the political consultants have no where else to put the eager candididate because they already represent other incumbents/candidates in races where a challenge is deserved. This is the way the system works, newbies! Wake up. Fake Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI've been in front of Chumbley on several occasions and think he is a fine judge. He is fair, intelligent, and has a good temperment. Nice JA too.
ReplyDeleteDon't know a thing about Caballero.
8:51 to answer your question: Chumbley is not a hispanic last name....hence a hispanic vs. non hispanic (Jewish, White, Black, etc.) works better than any other.....look at the previous elections. Why do you think people do it- Cuellar against Judge Jeri Beth Cohen (Jewish)- who would she run against a judge of 16 years. Migna Sanchez ran against Judge Schwartz (Jewish) for the same reason. Denise Martinez against Shapiro (Jewish). Hispanics always go against non hispanics, regarless of whether those non hispanics are good or bad judges. It is a shame but that's how it works.
ReplyDeleteInteresting posts. I’ve been to a few of the campaign venues that have included Judge Chumbley and Ms Caballero, among others, and have never gotten the sense that ethnicity was an issue. While scrutiny of Ms Caballero’s qualifications for the seat that she seeks is fair game, the suggestion that she’s in it to capitalize on her Hispanic name seems a bit elitist at best.
ReplyDeleteNo, 11:17, that's too puerile of a reason, and just shows you are hate mongering. But, heck, that's what you and a few others do on this blog. Even though the vast majority of judges are non-hispanic, according to you, a hispanic candidate can only run against a hispanic judge. That's really what you are saying. Let's keep segregation alive, right? I really feel sorry for you because you are so scared of others who are not of your same ethnicity.
ReplyDeleteDear 3:13:
ReplyDeleteObviously I have hit a nerve with you. You are clearly either totally uninformed or have an agenda. And why would you think I have no Latino roots? You missed the point of my post. Everyone who is or has been part of the election process in Dade knows that if one of the political flacks has a candidate wanting to run, rather than turn away the business, they will run that candidate in any other open seat, regardless of whether that incumbent has a good record and doesn't deserve to be "fired". Again, I say, this serves to discourage people with thriving practices and lots of experience from running for a job where they may be "fired" for no good reason. Don't play the "ethnic card" here pal, because it is just a cover for your lack of understanding, or paranoia or both. Further, do some research and find out if there is another county in Florida where it costs so much to run for Judge and where the political consultants run the show as they do here. It's being going on for decades and it is not getting better. Fake Anonymous
Hey 4:17, Your only response is to call someone who disagrees with you as uniformed. That's very clever. Your argument that people don't become judges because they may be "fired" makes absolutely no sense given the historical lack of attrition. Morevoer, the only one playing the ethnic card was you in your prior post -- that was the only basis of your prior argument. And to assume that someone has an agenda and you don't, well, that's a realy cute comment. Take some yoga or something and let go the anger.
ReplyDeleteJUST A REMINDER
ReplyDeleteSTACY GLICK FOR JUDGE FUNDRAISER ON MONDAY
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