THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR OUR ADDENDUM REGARDING THE 3RD DCA.
SO, YOU WANT TO BE A CIRCUIT/COUNTY COURT JUDGE .....
The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida is entering a busy stretch following the expansion of the bench in Miami-Dade County.
In 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 2508 into law, creating four additional County Court seats and three additional Circuit Court seats. Last year, the Governor filled two of the County Court seats and one Circuit Court seat. The JNC is now tasked with interviewing applicants for the remaining two County Court and two Circuit Court vacancies.
THE APPLICANT POOL .....
The JNC received 32 applications, divided as follows:
10 applicants for County Court only
11 applicants for both County and Circuit Court
11 applicants for Circuit Court only
The Commission will conduct interviews on March 13 and may nominate up to 12 candidates for County Court and 12 for Circuit Court.
A NOTABLE APPLICANT: ASA Shawn Abuhoff .....
One name that immediately stands out is Assistant State Attorney Shawn Abuhoff (and not because he is listed first). Abuhoff has applied for a seat on the County Court.
Many in the legal community will recall the high-profile disputes in 2024 and 2025 between the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and members of the criminal defense bar. Abuhoff was at the center of one such controversy in the case of State v. Pratt.
In that case, the defendant was charged with second-degree murder and represented by Assistant Public Defenders Natalie Ender and Lauren Dawson. During the proceedings, the Public Defender’s Office filed a motion seeking Abuhoff’s removal, alleging that he attempted to intimidate a key witness. Specifically, Ender claimed that Abuhoff and a police officer appeared near the home of witness Bridet Lampley and banged on the window of a car in which she was seated.
The presiding judge, Judge Wolfson, denied the motion.
Shortly thereafter, Abuhoff filed a motion seeking to disqualify Ender and Dawson, Abuhoff wrote in his complaint as to Ender and Dawson that “Their actions of tampering with a witness have made them witnesses themselves and created conflicts that this court can not ignore,” His office also publicly announced that both attorneys were under criminal investigation and that it was “in the process” of determining whether charges would be filed.*
Judge Wolfson denied that motion as well.
*No charges were ever filed against either Ender or Dawson.
FACDL-MIAMI ENTERS THE FRAY .....
The dispute drew the attention of the local chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL-Miami), which alleged a broader pattern of prosecutorial misconduct.
FACDL cited several incidents, including the removal of ASA Michael Von Zamft from the case of State v. Corey Smith by Judge Wolfson. The organization also publicly commented on actions taken by the State Attorney’s Office in the murder prosecution of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney and the related charges against her parents.
Regarding the Ender and Dawson matter, FACDL’s Board of Directors issued a statement asserting that the State Attorney’s Office “continues to engage in a pattern of unethical misconduct” in cases where defense attorneys have “done nothing more than uphold their constitutional obligation and duty to defend their client.” The Board further criticized what it described as the unjustified public accusation of criminal conduct against defense counsel and their investigator.
The Miami Herald covered it in July of 2024 in two stories you can read here and here.
Here is a list of the 32 applicants:
COUNTY COURT ONLY
Yaneth Baez
Johanna Benedi
Madelin D’Arce**
Kimberly Hillery
Yvette Lavelle
Gustavo Losa
Marlin Muller
Jeffrey Pierce
Patricia Salman
COUNTY & CIRCUIT COURT
Yenly Dominguez
Christian Dunham
Aaron Feuer
Scott Janowitz
Jose Martinez
Andrew McGinley
Michelle Roth
Monica Segura
Alexander Shear
Annette Strauch
CIRCUIT COURT ONLY
(All are County Court Judges except for Mrs. Alvarez)
Rita Cuervo
Miesha Darrough
Elisabeth Espinosa
Christopher Green
Chiaka Ihekwaba
Alicia Garcia Priovolos
Jorge Perez Santiago
Stephanie Silver
Eleane Sosa-Bruzon
Michelle Urbistondo
**Destiny Goede Alvarez has been a member of The Florida Bar for five years (the minimum necessary to qualify to be a judge). She has two degrees from the University of Florida, she was President of Florida Blue Key, and she was inducted into their Hall of Fame. She is a member of the Federalist Society.
She was an Intern for Federal Magistrate Judge Amanda Arnold Sansone; spent a year working in the DeSantis Administration for the Department of Transportation; was an Associate at Gray Robinson for two years (is there any law firm more connected to the DeSantis Administration?!); and she is currently is a Partner at Goede, DeBoest, & Cross (the Goede is John Goede - her father we surmise)
Another interesting note: Attorney Madelin D’Arce, who applied for County Court, is also a Partner at Goede, DeBoest, & Cross.
THIRD DCA JNC
The 3rd DCA JNC has announced that they will be conducting interviews of seven applicants to replace Judge Kevin Emas, who is retiring from the bench on March 31. The applicants are:
Jeffrey DeSousa
Judge Javier Enriquez
Judge Spencer Multack***
Judge Joseph Perkins
Judge Thomas Rebull
Thomas Ward
Judge Robert Watson
Interviews will take place on March 17, and the JNC will nominate up to six of the seven applicants to the Governor's office.
***Judge Multack could have an uphill battle to get the call from Gov. DeSantis. Multack sits in Family Court and, until last week, sat over a paternity case between Arlene Delgado and Jason Miller. The case has already gone through nine judges, and, at one point in the litigation, Delgado moved to recuse Multack from the case, arguing that he was biased for Miller. But recently, Miller decided he didn't like Multack either.
Miller, according to a post from Above The Law, was all set to be the White House communications director for the first Trump administration when news circulated that he’d had an affair with fellow campaign staffer, Arlene “AJ” Delgado. Delgado has a 7-year-old son that she contends belongs to Miller.
Last week, Miller went onto X (formerly Twitter) and tweeted (is that still a word),
"I am actively opposing Florida Judge Spencer Multack's application to get a promotion to Florida's Third District Court of Appeal, and I will be activating EVERYONE I know and EVERY resource I have to stop his bid".
Multack recused himself four hours later. You can read the story from Above The Law here. Florida Bulldog covered it here.
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
50 comments:
How did that FACDL binder of complaints play out?
What Natalie Ender and Lauren Dawson did in that case crosses the line from zealous advocacy to unethical harassment of opposing counsel. Filing a motion to DQ an ASA because they went to talk with an uncooperative witness whom the PDs thought had favorable testimony for their client is a frivolous and dangerous litigation tactic. In an ordered system of justice, no litigator should be allowed to move to DQ their adversary on baseless grounds in an attempt to gain a tactical advantage. Rumpole, you and your commenters’ slander of Abuhoff on this blog is not only unfair, but it’s downright malicious. He is an upstanding attorney and prosecutor who has tirelessly dedicated himself to public service for the last 10 years. Your commenters’ smears against him are without proof, merit, and substance. He would be a fantastic County Court Judge if the people of Miami Dade County are lucky enough to have DeSantis appoint him.
Someone is going to get shumied because of this. Re Abuhoff
the axiom that it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a minute to lose it comes to mind.
Is the LOP / FACDL spring mixer still on?
Why are you slandering Professor Abuhoff? He’s a standup guy and would make a great Judge.
Did they ever file anything on Shawn? I remember the witch hunt email they sent for both him and Khalil, and the one against Khalil blew up in their face with the bar finding no PC
You don’t really think Gray Robinson is the most connected firm to DeSantis do you?
To 1:14 pm. It looks like the Captain is right about Gray Robinson. They were paid $5.2 million in just his first term. Only one other firm was paid more. Cooper and Kirk received $5.9m.
My assumption is there is a Federalist Society majority in Miami.
Im confident the federalist society will pick all four judges. Rumor has it you have to wear a red MAGA hat to the interview or you are toast.
Are you struggling with alcohol, opiates, prescription drug addiction? Being a lawyer takes a lot out of you. Do you leave the office or courtroom and head straight for the bar? There is help at Seaside Wellness. You are not alone. I too was a young lawyer back in my day. With the help of my friends and Christ I got help.
Nasty
The Captain Reports:
I added an extra subject to my post last night. If you scrolled down, you read about the 3rd DCA JNC.
Attorney Jeffrey DeSousa is one of the seven applicants who will be interviewed by the JNC.
DeSousa is 37 years old and a graduate of Georgetown Law School. He spent the first 6 years of his career working as an appellate attorney in the Miami-Dade PD's office. He has spent the past six years working for the AG's Office, and he is currently its Solicitor General. He has argued more than 70 times before appellate courts, including 18 times before the Florida Supreme Court.
The only other applicant who does not sit on the bench is attorney Thomas Ward. Ward graduated from UM Law, and he has been an attorney for 19 years. He spent the first 15 years of his career at Rennert Vogel Mandler and Rodriguez, handling appeals. He then moved to Heise Suarez Melville in 2022 and heads their Appellate Department. He is a member of the Federalist Society.
CAP OUT .......
Shawn, we know this is you.
Did they file anything on the foul-mouthed Division Chief?
There is a FACDL binder of complaints? Release the binder! The public is entitled to read the complaints!
Anyone but Perkins. His staff can’t stand him.
LMAO. Shawn: log off.
Rebull cannot be appointed. Grave mistake for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. See the comments at: https://www.therobingroom.com/state/FL/judge/19325/Hon.%20Thomas%20J.%20Rebull/comments
Why is he so angry?
Shutts & Bowen?
Can we get these social clubs to just kiss and make up?
So basically DeSousa is it.
DeSousa-AG's Office-Bondi-Orange Man-Desantis.
Not to hard to connect those dots.
Cap, do you have to “win at all cost” to be appointed judge?
Werd on da streetz is a big civil lawsuit is coming.
Minnesota's top federal judge is threatening to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt if they continue defying court orders in immigration cases.
Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz, a conservative who clerked for Scalia stated in his ORDER:
“This Court will continue to do whatever is required to protect the rule of law, including, if necessary, moving to the use of criminal contempt. One way or another, ICE will comply with this Court’s orders.
February 26, 2026
Really?
Espinosa is a raving idiot.
Are you kidding?
This is not even a question.
It will be Jeffrey DeSousa as Third DCA Judge.
Federalist Society. AG. Acting Solicitor General. 13 oral arguments before the FSCourt. 70 plus appeals.
Who is more qualified to be an appeals court judge? No way a circuit court judge gets this.
And he will one day be on the Florida Supreme Court.
You can’t disparage the SAO or its wonderful ASA’s.
I don’t know anything about Espinoza but the SAO has a few ASA’s that are complete buffoons.
What do you know about Espinosa?
I’m pretty sure Perkins can’t stand his staff as well. So, basically everything cancels itself out. Now more importantly ask the support staff at the SAO how things are going. Is it all peaches and creme?
Professor Abuhoff will have the last laugh when he is appointed as Judge Abuhoff. His legal intellect surpasses anyone at the SAO and PD’s office.
First term I could see it, but what about now? There was an article in the DBR about six months ago about how the administration is using smaller firms. If I had to take a guess, Lawson Huck Gonzalez PLLC is doing more work for the administration now than any other firm.
I have had the unfortunate experience of appearing before Joe Perkins. He has no idea as to how to run a civil calendar. I found him to be very full of himself and a lack of knowledge of the law. Of the 7 bottom feeders, his name should not to the final 6. Most of the others are no gems either.
Cap, who do you think are getting the 5 spots up for appointment?
Joe Perkins is not qualified to be any form of a judge. I had to put up with his long winded speeches telling everyone how smart he is in criminal court. What a relief to get rid of him. He has zero business being a judge.
Hoffman and Koenig
Release the binder! Release the binder! We are entitled!
Tom is as qualified as anyone for the 3dca. He also has a lovely wife.
Espinoza may be the most unqualified candidate of all time. Has no idea what neutral means, does not understand the most basic evidence rule and is belligerent and disrespectful to boot.
The criminal defense bar has never done anything wrong, ever. never ever. Release the prisoners.
Abercrombie and Fitch?
One candidate is all in on Desantis/Trump politics. Way more connected to that than any of the others listed. It will be Desousa. And it will be a much different and more powerful appeals court in Miami.
And they have a good excuse to put their own person in there if someone local complains, look how the Third and Miami’s legal elite handled the Bronwyn Miller situation or didn’t, no internal consequences at all. Whatever you think of her, whatever her reasons, Judge Miller was texting KFR instructions about how to appeal a case pending before Miller’s collegial body of a court, which is almost always unanimous in all compositions of 3 judge panels. Those panels, and she, decide criminal appeals taken by people convicted and sentenced to prison by KFR. Not a complicated ethical situation.
We are all aware Miller’s defense is she did absolutely nothing wrong? We’re all cool with that? Clearly the other judges on the Third were.
Our Miami legal institutions, like all legal institutions in a society worth living in, have ideals of transparency and ethical probity for a reason. In a democracy that’s how courts get their legitimacy. Without that legitimacy, courts make themselves ripe for the picking.
We are cool with that?
ReBull would be fine. Enriquez Watson and Perkins would be complete disasters. The issue that should be addressed is why such a weak list. Why isnt Lisa Walsh or Miguel De La O or Laura Gonzalez Marques applying.
Christ died a whole less than 72 hours for all our sins...
Jeffrey Pierce? Did he move to another state?
Watson can't handle his civil docket. Justice delayed is an understatement. Cases can't get heard and linger. Delayed Orders for months. Yet he is at every event possible in the evenings.
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