Governor Scott Names Two New Circuit Court Judges

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

AND YOUR TWO NEWEST CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES ARE .....

Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II
Jason Bloch

Today, Governor Rick Scott named County Judge Rudy Ruiz and Assistant County Attorney for Miami-Dade County Jason Bloch as replacements for Judge Darrin Gayles and Judge Beth Bloom.  Prior to his appointment as a Judge in 2012, Ruiz also served as an Assistant County Attorney for Miami-Dade County.  Before that, Ruiz worked for White & Case.  He began his legal career as a law clerk to Federal Judge Federico Moreno.  Bloch's entire career, from 1994 to the present, has been with the County.

Both Gayles and Bloom have moved to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  Judge Gayles was sworn in on June 23rd of this year; Judge Bloom one week later on June 30th. Judge Gayles has been assigned to the Miami Division; Judge Bloom to the Fort Lauderdale Division.

On September 10th of this year, the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, submitted ten prospects to Governor Scott's office for consideration.  Five of those ten are County Court Judges.

The nominees were:

Ayana N. Harris
Laura Anne Stuzin
Jason Bloch
Judge Jason Emilios Dimitris (2013)
Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II (2012)
Judge Charles Kenneth Johnson (2010)
Diana Vizcaino
Judge Wendell Graham (1994)
Judge Lourdes Simon (2010)
Lauren Fleischer Louis 

JUDGE GLADYS PEREZ RESIGNS .....

County Court Judge Gladys Perez has submitted her letter of resignation to Gov. Scott.  Her last day on the bench, according to the DBR, is November 30, 2014.

Perez told the DBR that she has accepted a job at Shutts & Bowen in the firm's class action and mass litigation defense practice group.

Judge Perez was appointed to the bench by Gov. Crist in 2009 and ran unopposed in Group 37 in 2012.  She sat in the County Civil Division at 73 West Flagler. (Did the failure of the Court Bond initiative have anything to do with her decision; or was it all about the Benjamins?).  Her term would have run through the end of 2018.  The JNC will now have to send up to six names to Governor Scott who will then name her replacement.

JNC BACK AT WORK:

With the appointment of Judge Ruiz and the resignation of Judge Perez, Governor Scott will now have two open County Court seats where he will name the replacements. That means the JNC will have to begin the whole process anew.  Stay tuned for the announcement of when those applications will be due.

POST ELECTION ANAYSIS: WHY DID CRIST LOSE .....

The Daily Kos provides an excellent analysis as to why Charlie Crist lost the election to Rick Scott.  Their verdict ..... Scott had more votes.  Seriously, while low Democrat voter turnout has been discussed, in fact, the Dems turned out in numbers very similar to 2010.  The real reason that Scott won is because of the Republican turnout.  It was much higher than anticipated in both the Panhandle and in the area of Duval (Jacksonville) County.  A good read for all of you poli sci majors.

JUDICIAL EFFICIENCY .....

If closing cases is the best measure of judicial efficiency, then Judge Robert Scola gets the award for the Southern District of Florida.  Scola was appointed to the Federal bench by President Obama in 2011.  According to TRAC, he closed 536 cases in the 12 months ending June 30th of this year.  Scola's reputation when he was in State court was always as a no nonsense judge.  Kudos to Judge Scola.

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