THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
ELECTION NIGHT — THE RESULTS ARE IN … ALMOST
AS OF 1:53 A.M., 100% OF THE VOTES HAVE BEEN COUNTED:
767 of 767 precincts reporting.
A total of 244,454 voters cast ballots in Tuesday's Primary Election, representing approximately 19% of Miami-Dade County's registered voters.
Based on the results as they stand tonight, two judicial races are headed to a runoff on November 3rd, General Election Day.
CIRCUIT COURT — GROUP 5
There will be a runoff between Arthur "Marty" McNeil and Monica Segura.
CIRCUIT COURT — GROUP 69
There will also be a runoff between Rita Baez and Bonita Jones-Peabody.
COUNTY COURT — GROUP 25
And this one is razor thin.
Incumbent Judge Luis Perez-Medina currently trails challenger Maribel Diaz, an attorney with the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector's Office, by just 572 votes.
With the margin well under one-half of one percent, The Captain expects this race will be subject to Florida's recount procedures before anyone starts measuring the drapes in the judge's chambers.
For now, Maribel Diaz leads.
AND THE STUNNER OF THE NIGHT …
Incumbent Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz appears headed for defeat at the hands of 30-year-old attorney Destiny Goede Alvarez.
Alvarez's candidacy has generated controversy from the beginning.
First came "The Name Game," which Captain Justice previously reported on: Alvarez changed her name shortly before submitting her application to the Judicial Nominating Commission and later changed it again before qualifying to run for judge.
Then came her decision to challenge an incumbent Circuit Judge despite having been a member of The Florida Bar for barely more than five years—and without having tried a single jury trial.
And then came the money.
As we reported, Alvarez received campaign contributions from 25 Political Committees/PACs, with 24 contributing the maximum $1,000.
A substantial amount of political money and support lined up behind Alvarez, much of it from conservative-aligned political committees.
Tonight, that support appears to have paid off.
Barring a significant change in the remaining votes, Destiny Goede Alvarez will become one of Miami-Dade County's newest Circuit Court Judges.
AND FINALLY …
Congratulations to Assistant Public Defender/Judge-Elect Renee Gordon, who wins election to the Circuit Court on her third try.
And congratulations to incumbent Judge Spencer Eig, who has won another term on the Circuit Court bench.
Two runoffs. One race separated by just a few hundred votes. And an incumbent Circuit Judge apparently headed for defeat.
Not a boring night in Miami-Dade judicial politics.
CIRCUIT COURT
GROUP 5
Arthur "Marty" McNeil - 42%
Monica Segura - 36%
Alex Annunziato - 22%
GROUP 35
Renee Gordon - 63%
Cristobal Padron - 37%
GROUP 67
Judge Mavel Ruiz - 111,142 (49.54%)
Destiny Alvarez - 113,215 (50.46%)
(Alvarez leads by 2,073 votes)
GROUP 69
Rita Baez - 37%
Bonita Jones-Peabody - 35%
Yaneth Baez - 28%
GROUP 76
Spencer Eig - 56%
Yenly Dominguez - 44%
COUNTY COURT
GROUP 25
Judge Luis Perez-Medina - 109,982 (49.87%)
Maribel Diaz - 110,554 (50.13%)
(Diaz leads by 572 votes)
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
30 comments:
The multi candidate races will have November runoffs because no one got over 50%, correct ?
Unbelievable that a lawyer with absolutely no trial experience who changes her name to her husband‘s to pander to the Hispanic community beats a well regarded experienced trial judge. That’s Miami for you
Correct. Is Miami-Dade ready for it?
Correct Rumpole. Please see my updated post confirming the two runoffs set for November 3rd.
Is Mavel Ruiz "a well regarded experienced trial judge"?
It was sad that Judge Lobree was targeted by Hispanic female without any real experience who after becoming a judge collected multiple JQC complaints and became an angry person lost last night to the future chief judge if the 11th judicial circuit because let’s be honest. The future is bright with a vibrant new face who wants to learn.
Stop complaining because what happened to Judge Lobree was terrible. What happened last night was inevitable. We got rid of a terrible slacker who was never prepared and became an angry woman.
I gave Mavel a chance several times, but she was essentially a displeasure to practice before. Not that I liked voting for a MAGA kid, but oh well. Maybe she will turn out all right. If Mavel had more support from the bar, she may have gotten over the vote count she needed.
Insane that Goede’s first EVER trial will be from the bench as a judge. Let’s see how long she lasts there—or whether she finds herself with an opponent six years from now. Elections have consequences, and Miami-Dade just lost an incredible, experienced judge who has the respect and support of so many in the legal community. Time will tell.…
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again." - Alvarez campaign slogan
Rump, I’m so glad you’re doing these election posts despite your retirement. Thank you for staying on top of all of this!
What are Goede’s actual qualifications? Zero trials? Working at her dad’s firm? And now we’re already calling her the “future Chief Judge of Miami”? This sounds suspiciously like the same talking points from the comments under the Political Cortadito article under the username Nick Alvarez??
You are not a careful reader. I’ve now repeatedly said I was taking a sabbatical and would continue blogging Thanks for the otherwise nice
words I guess.
Why wait five years to be a judge? You pass the Bar just put your name on the ballot. Might as well. Hey, you participated in Mock Trial. You. Are. Ready.
Mavel did not try many cases at the pdo as far as i remember. i voted for her but she made a huge mistake by issuing a stay in the trump case. not savvy. and legally wrong. politics is rough. now she can concentrate on her law suit against destiny child.
Lets hope she has some kind of hidden talent because she is the most unqualified Dade county Judge elect that I can remember.
The administrative judges will find a place to hide Destiny where she cannot do too much damage. Can't imagine her trying to make snap evidentiary rulings during the course of a jury trial. She may be bright and may have had a bright future, but her career will forever be tainted by the way she started. Imagine condoning a fake website of your opponent that trashes her. In the past that alone would warrant sanctions from the JQC. Today , in magaland, probably not so much.
Reminds me of the incompetent lawyer (forgot her name) who ran against Davia Tunis, a respected and veteran lawyer and Judge and won, only to resign in disgrace without completing her term. Thank goodness. A 5-year lawyer, with no trial experience hired by her Daddy wins over Judge Ruiz, a veteran judge. And the public wonders why we have such poor judges (with a few exceptions)
To 5:24 PM. Can a guy get any respect. Rumpole does not do the Election posts. Captain Justice has been doing these election posts, and JNC posts, for 18 years. You’re welcome. JEEZ.
I plan to continue to break news, call out candidates playing the Name Game, and provide informed content to our readers. Thanks for reading The Captain.
To 5:57 PM. I dont know this Nick Alvarez. Nor do i read Cortadito. Tell him to either stop copying my content or give me attribution., Even the Daily Business Review gives me attribution when they quote from one of my stories. Captain Justice OUT …
To 10:19 am. You are speaking about Rosy “I have no f’ing clue what I’m doing” Aponte. She beat Judge Tunis, who served for two decades as a judge, and beat her good, winning 56% of the vote. She lasted less than three years before resigning in disgrace. The CJ kept trying to hide her where she could do the least amount of damage. It didn’t’t work. That, and some other goings on, led to her resigning. In disgrace. Cap Out …
Cap here again. Even more disgusting is Aponte’s law firm website where she writes “With years of experience and a Former Circuit Judge Lawyer leading our firm, we bring a deep understanding of the legal system and a strategic approach to every case. Trust our expertise to guide you through even the most challenging legal matters.”. She skips the part where she resigned in utter embarrassment and disgrace. Shameful
CP -- I mean this sincerely when I write that you do a true public service. Although it has started to change, nobody traditionally has criticized judges in more mainstream media, and so the public is left in the dark. I would add, however, that the comments section also serves a public service, and I do wish that Rumpole (or you, if you are a moderator) would more quickly approve them and do less censorship.
11:23 I along with unpaid blog interns clear the comments. I rarely censor comments. Only nasty comments or comments that identify people in a manner that I deem harmful are not posted. And I think I stopped posting most nasty comments directed at me because … well I can and F them. Let them make their own blog. So as to your criticism - yawn.
The quality of judges in this town has gone so far downhill since I started practicing in the early 2000s, absolute hack after hack listed above. Even the ones who are crim atttys are the bottom feeders. What a disgrace
The fact that people are upset over Mavel Ruiz no longer being a judge says so much about the type of judges we have now.
Mrs. (and now Judge) Alvarez is not Hispanic. She took her husband's name for the election because no one could readily pronounce her maiden and post-marriage name, Goede. It's important for voters to know how to pronounce your name easily. In civil, where Judge Ruiz was for years and never paid attention, evidently, the rules are very different from criminal, and now are even more challenging and different. Pretrial handling of matters is the critical stuff in civil. Mrs. Alvarez grew up in a civil firm; I have hope that she will do well, but was not at all sorry to see Judge Ruiz removed, solely for her lack of knowledge.
She should’ve refused the DSA endorsement.
If anyone is curious about what Aponte is up to these days, she is making a nuisance of herself in civil court and appearing “of counsel” for her former law firm. For those keeping score, this is the firm that has been caught sending runners to accident sites and that is run by a disbarred New York attorney. The former judge’s incompetence as a lawyer has become notorious among those who are unfortunate enough to have her appear in their cases.
WE KNOW Destiny is not Hispanic , but the uninformed voters who no longer read the Herald saw two Hispanic names and picked the first one in alphabetical order.
Correct
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