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