GOVERNOR SCOTT APPOINTS TWO NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGES .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

BREAKING: GOVERNOR DESANTIS WILL NAME THE NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ON WEDNESDAY at 10 AM with an announcement at the Freedom Tower in Miami.  Expect DeSantis to name a justice to fill the open seat for a justice that must reside in the 3rd Appellate District. The three finalists include: Judges Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck and attorney John Daniel Couriel.

Also, as I touched on below, Gov. Scott appointed a total of 76 people to various posts around the state last Friday.  DeSantis has indicated that he will be rescinding many of those appointments.  It is clear that DeSantis was not happy with Scott's actions in pulling off these last minute appointments.


YOUR TWO NEWEST COUNTY COURT JUDGES ARE ...

NATALIE MOORE.  Ms. Moore has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2006. She is currently an Assistant State Attorney and also a Training Director at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.  She previously served in the Hate Crimes Unit.  She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Carlos Guzman.

ROBERT WATSON. Mr. Watson has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2003. A Stanford law grad (Georgetown undergrad), he is currently a principal with the law firm of Kobre & Kim. Prior to joining Kobre & Kim, Mr. Watson served as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Before that he practiced at Holland & Knight, where he focused on money laundering cases, commercial disputes and international arbitration. He currently represents corporations and individuals in white-collar criminal defense matters, regulatory enforcement actions and internal investigations. He speaks Spanish and Portuguese and focuses on representing clients in connection with matters related to Latin America.   He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Alexander Bokor.

In case you were wondering, this is Governor Scott’s last day in office and therefore his last appointments to the bench.  Scott has been very busy over the holidays naming dozens of appointments to Boards, Committees, Commissions, and the bench.  While for the past eight years, he has almost always taken the full 60 days to review the JNC names sent to him before he selects a new judge, for these two appointments, Scott needed only 18 days to choose Ms. Moore and Mr. Watson as their names were included in a JNC correspondence sent to Scott on December 20, 2018.

Those that were not chosen from the JNC final list included:

Karl S.H. Brown, Peter S. Heller, Zachary James, Scott M. Janowitz, Jeffrey M. Kolokoff, Jonathan Meltz, Julie Harris Nelson, Christopher Pracitto, Manolo Reboso, and Stephanie Silver.

So now we will wait to see what kind of judges our new Governor will choose.  Governor-Elect Ron DeSantis, our 46th Governor of the Great State of Florida, will be sworn in on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 9 AM.

As one of his first acts that will have a lasting effect on our judicial system, expect Governor DeSantis to quickly name three replacements to the Florida Supreme Court.  That's because as of 5 PM tomorrow, Justices Pariente, Lewis, and Quince, will all be retiring.

Also on the Agenda, two open seats on the Miami-Dade Circuit Court. With the elevation of Judges Bronwyn Miller and Eric Hendon to the 3rd DCA, Desantis will get to name their two replacements.  The JNC is accepting applications until January 18, 2019, so don't expect to see their replacements named until early April.

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

LEAGUE OF PROSECUTORS JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENTS 2018 .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENTS .......

The League of Prosecutors has spoken:
(those endorsed are listed in BLUE)

　
CIRCUIT COURT

GROUP 8

Elisabeth Espinosa
David Miller

GROUP 14

Vivianne del Rio
Renee Gordon
Louis Martinez

GROUP 25

Yery Marrero
Joe Perkins

COUNTY COURT

GROUP 2:

Rosy Aponte
Kristy Nunez

GROUP 32:

Lizzet Martinez
Chris Pracitto

GROUP 33:

Olanike Adebayo
Eleane Sosa-Bruzon

GROUP 40:

Michael Barket
Elena Ortega-Tauler

GROUP 43:

Milena Abreu
Mike Mirabal

TWO NEW COUNTY COURTS JUDGES COMING TO A COURTROOM NEAR YOU:

By this time next week, Governor Scott is expected to name two new County Court Judges (to replace Judges Spencer Multack and Shelly Kravitz) from among the following names:

Milena Abreu
Ramiro Christen Areces
Raul Antonio Cuervo
Marcia Giordano Hansen
Julie Harris Nelson
Peter S. Heller
Kimberly Hillary
Lody Jean
Elijah A. Levitt
Jonathan Meltz
Griska Mena
Luis Perez-Medina

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

JNC SENDS SIX NAMES TO GOVERNOR SCOTT .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

AND YOUR NEXT COUNTY COURT JUDGE WILL BE .....

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit's JNC met late into the night on Monday.  Just think about that.  They could have been watching the Fins lose another game, this time to the Giants on Monday Night Football.

With the ascension of Judge Charlie Johnson to the Circuit Court, that opened up a spot on the County Court bench.  There were a total of 23 applicants for the job.  The JNC narrowed the list of applicants to 16 and interviewed each of those attorneys on Monday afternoon.

The following names have been sent to Governor Scott for his consideration:

Ramiro Areces; ***UPDATED***  A reader informs us that we are mistaken.  The Ramiro Areces that made it out of Committee was the son, Ramiro C. Areces, who has been a member of The Florida Bar for just seven years.  His father is an Immigration attorney with 28 years of experience.

Gina Beovides; Legal Aid attorney with nine years of experience; (last nominated in March of 2015 for an open County Court seat)

Alexander Spicola Bokor; Assistant County Attorney since 2008; a ten year member of The Florida Bar he previously worked for Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton; (last nominated in March of 2015 for an open County Court seat)

Karl S.H. Brown; a General Magistrate currently assigned to Family, he was assigned to the Child Support Division before that; (last nominated in March of 2015 for an open County Court seat)

Joseph Mansfield; Assistant State Attorney; (last nominated in March of 2015 for an open County Court seat)

Julie Nelson; currently works for ROIG Lawyers handling insurance defense cases; started as a law clerk for Judge Hoeveler; then began her career as an ASA; twenty year member of The Florida Bar

Two names missing from the final cut included John Wylie who was qualified to be sent to the Governor's desk five months ago for an open Circuit Court seat and Jonathan Meltz who also made it to the Governor's desk nine months ago for an open County Court seat.

But, there are several new members on the JNC and you just never know what they may do next.

Those they did not make the final cut:

Elijah A. Levitt
Griska Mena Rodriguez
Luis Perez-Medina
Paul Aiello
Norman Powell
Peter S. Heller
Gordon C. Murray, Sr.
John W. Wylie (nominated for Circuit Court in July 2015)
Jonathan Meltz (nominated for County Court in March 2015)
David Alschuler

The Governor has 60 days to decide on whom our next County Court Judge will be.

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

Governor Scott Appointment ..... IT'S ABOUT TIME

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

HOLY SARCOPHAGUS, BATMAN .........

Rick Scott surprises us again, with another great appointment.  This time it is a four year appointment to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit's Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC).

And who did Governor Scott appoint?  Criminal defense attorney:

                                          ROBERTO "BOB" PARDO

Congratulations to Bob.  A well deserved honor and great news to know that the JNC finally has a criminal defense practitioner to weigh in on nominees to the Circuit and County Court bench here in Miami-Dade County.

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

GOV. SCOTT PICKS TWO NEW JUDGES .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

AND YOUR TWO NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGES ARE ......

Late this afternoon, Governor Scott chose two new Miami-Dade County Court Judges.

LAURA ANNE STUZIN, replaces Judge Rudy Ruiz.  She has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1994.  She joined the State Attorney's Office that year and spent four years as an ASA here in Miami.  She then spent two years working for Coffey, Diaz, & O'Naghten before joining heavyweight Rumberger, Kirk in 1999.  She has been with that firm for the past 15 years.  She currently practices in the areas of casualty defense, criminal defense, construction defect, professional liability and product liability. 

According to Rumberger Kirk's web site, it states: "With more than nineteen years of experience, Laura’s practice includes representing clients in premises liability matters involving claims of slip and fall, general negligence, inadequate security and malicious prosecution in cases seeking damages for personal injury, wrongful death and damage to personal and real property and criminal defense. Laura also practices in catastrophic casualty defense which involves handling claims related to the operation and safety of commercial trucking equipment. She has represented clients throughout Florida in general casualty defense including automobile accidents, trucking accidents and other casualty claims involving catastrophic loss and wrongful death."

DIANA VIZCAINO, replaces Judge Gladys Perez.  She has been a member of The Florida Bar since 2000.  Like Stuzin, she began her career as an ASA in Miami and she spent five years with that office.  She then joined Boyd, Mustelier, Smith and Parker for two years and then the U.S. EEOC for one year.  In 2008, she took a job as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Miami where she has spent the past seven years.

According to the Miami City Attorney's web site, it states that Vizcaino : "is currently the Division Chief of the Labor & Employment Division. Ms. Vizcaino represents the City in employment litigation matters, arbitrations, collective bargaining and formerly the Civil Service Board. Ms. Vizcaino is also the Recruitment and Internship Coordinator responsible for all new hires, internships, and consultant engagements."     

TO DIRECT FILE OR NOT TO DIRECT FILE - THAT IS THE QUESTION .....

On March 3rd, we posted on the opening of the Spring Session of the Florida Legislature.  Two of the bills we focused our attention on included HB 195 and SB 444, both bills relating to the Prosecution of Juveniles.  Today, Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez penned an excellent Op-Ed in the Miami Herald titled: Public Defender: Don’t put kids in adult prisons.  It is a must read and let's hope the legislators up in Tally read it too.

ANOTHER WEEKEND IN PARADISE .....

Another great weekend is in store for South Florida and on Saturday you can take in the first ever E-Grand Prix.  What is an "E" Grand Prix you ask?  That would be the world's first fully electric racing series; the Formula E Grand Prix is on its fifth round of competition and will make its Miami debut Saturday on Biscayne Blvd.

And on Sunday March 15th, it's the world famous, or infamous, 38th Annual Calle Ocho Festival.
   
CAPTAIN OUT .....
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

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

JNC NOMINATES TEN FINALISTS TO GOVERNOR SCOTT

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

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

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission received 33 applications for the two open Circuit Court seats previously occupied by Judge Darrin Gayles and Judge Beth Bloom. Those two judges were elevated to the Federal District Court.

Of those 33 applicants, the JNC personally interviewed 22, including seven County Court Judges and 15 attorneys.  Last night, they forwarded ten (10) names to Governor Scott for consideration; five of whom are County Court Judges.***  Presumably he will name two of those ten to the open judgeships.

The names sent to the Governor include:

Ayana Harris; Federal APD
Laura Stuzin; Rumberger, Kirk
Jason Bloch; Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office
Judge Jason Dimitris
Judge Rodolfo Ruiz
Judge Charles Johnson
Diana Vizcaino; City of Miami Attorney's Office
Judge Wendell Graham
Judge Lourdes Simon
Lauren Fleischer Louis; Boies, Schiller

While the Governor has 60 days to select our two newest judges, (which would bring the deadline to November 8, 2014), we would not be going out on a limb by predicting that he will likely name the two new Judges before election day, Tuesday, November 4th.

If he selects any of the five County Court Judges, that would give him a two-fer.

***Two other County Court Judges that were interviewed, Judges Gloria Gonzalez-Meyer and Gladys Perez, did not make the final cut.

If you want to provide the Governor with your thoughts on any of the finalists, please contact:

Office of Governor Rick Scott
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
(850) 717-9337

or

Peter Antonacci
General Counsel
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
850-717-9310

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

INAUGURATION - JANUARY 21, 2013 - HUH????

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

MONROE, TAYLOR, HAYES, WILSON, EISENHOWER, REAGAN, and now, OBAMA .....

What do these seven men have in common? (Yes, I know they were all Presidents).

Only six times in our nation's history has the constitutionally mandated date for a Presidential Inauguration fallen on a Sunday.  This Sunday, January 20, 2013 will be the seventh time.  President Obama will take the oath of office in a private ceremony on Sunday.  He will follow that up with a public ceremony on Monday, January 21, 2013 at the Capitol.

Trivia Questions 1 and 2: Who was the first President to take the oath of office on January 20th?  And why did our country change the Inauguration date from March 4th to January 20th?  Bonus points if you can manage to answer either question without the use of Google or Bing.

WETHERINGTON, RIVKIND, FARINA, BROWN, and now, SOTO .....

50 years ago you could look around the classroom of any 1LW and what you would find were a lot of white males sitting behind their desks.  Fast forward to 2012 and 57% of our Circuit and County Court Judges (70 of the 122) in Miami-Dade County are female.  The current numbers are:

Circuit Female: 44
Circuit Male: 36
County Female: 26
County Male 16

On Friday, January 11, 2013, Judge Betila Soto became the Chief-Judge Elect.  Current Chief Judge Joel Brown, who took over in 2009 and was in his second two year term announced that he would not seek a third term.  Judge Soto was the only Judge who filed notice that she was running for the job.  Judge Scott Bernstein was considering a challenge, but chose not to run.  Judge Soto becomes the first female Chief Judge in our Circuit and will assume the job on July 1, 2013.

Judge Gerald Wetherington served as CJ from 1981-1991.
Judge Leonard Rivkind served for two terms from 91-95
Judge Joe Farina was our longest serving CJ; elected seven times, he served from 1995-2009.

Trivia Question #3: Who preceded Judge Wetherington as Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit?

HEY CAPTAIN, THERE ARE 123 JUDGES IN THE ELEVENTH, NO? ......

Yes, you are correct.  And there is currently one open seat in the County Court.  Group 17 seat-holder Eric Hendon was elevated to the Circuit Court bench when Judge Joe Farina retired and a total of 22 attorneys have applied for the job including:

David Alschuler, Robert A.Coppel, Michelle Ashby Delancy, Norida Diaz, Jason Emilios Dimitris, Shahrzad Emami, Erica L. Gerstin, Julio Gomez, Pamela M. Gordon, Christopher Green, Scott Janowitz, Oscar Levin, Steve Lieberman, Shirlyon J.McWhorter, Jonathan Meltz, Sandra Miller-Batiste, Andrew A. Ostrow, Melba Pearson, Bruce S Reich, Leslie Sharpe, Joshua B. Spector, Julie Harris Terry

Our early favorite would have to be Jason Dimitris.  Who do you think deserves consideration and who does not belong on the list?  Be nice.

RATE THAT JUDGE .......

Speaking of appointments, Governor Rick Scott has made a total of 24 judicial appointments in Miami-Dade County in his first 24 months in office: (please post your ratings and reviews of our new judges in the comments section - 5 is our highest rating and 1 is our lowest; the DCBA has their rating system and we have ours; please consider judicial demeanor, legal acumen, etc.):

Fleur Lobree (County)
Victoria Brennan
Lisa Walsh
Michael Hanzman
Dawn Denaro
Specer Multack
William Altfield
Thomas Rebull
Rosa Figarola
Ivan Fernandez (3rd DCA)
Donald Cannava
Angelica Zayas
Norma Lindsey
Richard Hersch
Rodolfo Ruiz
Ariana Fajardo
Cristina Miranda
Rodney Smith
Thomas Logue (3rd DCA)
Eric Hendon
Betty Capote
Carlos Guzman
Alan Fine
Fleur Lobree (Circuit);(no, you are not reading double)

That's 13 males and 11 females in case you are keeping count.  The real question is whether they keep count up in Leon County.  Interesting to note that, it was only immediately after this BLOG posted an piece about the fact that there was an absence of blacks getting appointed by the Governor, that Governor Scott chose Rodney Smith (June 12, 2012) and Eric Hendon (December 1, 2012) to open Circuit Court seats.  Coincidence?  See The Captain's post of May 15, 2012.

JUDICIAL ROTATIONS ......

And finally, the list that you have all been waiting for, courtesy of our friends at FACDL.  Our annual January rotation is taking place this month and there will be new faces on the bench at the Gerstein Justice Building.  Say hello to:

Judge Maria Verde - she takes over for Judge Arzola in Division 5.
Judge Teresa Pooler - she takes over for Judge Bloom in Division 13.
Judge Miguel de la O - he takes over for Judge Walsh in Division 15.
Judge Jeri Beth Cohen - she takes over Drug Court for Judge White-Labora.
Judge Fleur Lobree - she takes over for Judge Firtel in Division 62.

Other changes that you may notice throughout our criminal justice system include:

Judge Lindsey moves from Juvenile to Civil
Judge Maria de Jesus Santovenia moves into Juvenile
Judge Betty Capote has been assigned to Criminal at NDJC
Judge Michele Barakat has been assigned to Criminal at SDJC
Judge Tanya Brinkley has been assigned to Criminal at SDJC
Judge Ivonne Cuesta has been assigned to Criminal at Hialeah
Judge Diana Gonzalez has been assigned to Criminal at GJB
Judge Lawrence King moves from Criminal to Civil at SDJC

Finally, a special congratulations to Judge Deborah White -Labora who leaves her Drug Court assignment after five years.  Judge White-Labora took over Drug Court  from one of the best judges our Circuit has been blessed to ever have, Judge Jeffrey Rosinek.  Rosinek took the Drug Court program to new heights during his tenure and Judge White-Labora did a yeoman's job filing his shoes.  Judge White-Labora moves to Domestic Violence at the Lawson Building.

The Captain welcomes all our new judges to the GJB and to our branch courthouses.  I'm sure Rumpole will have more introductory comments for each of you.

Trivia Question #4 - DADE COUNTY’S MOST REMARKABLE JURIST, name him .....

UPDATE: Congrats to 2:20 pm who provided the correct answer with the name of Judge Vince Giblin.  To read a truly incredible story about one of Dade County's most "infamous" Judge, please see: http://www.browardbar.org/media/pdfs/JudgeGiblinArticle2010.pdf

In my days at college, I had a reputation as a successful skive. But I had nothing on this man. He was a well respected attorney with a brilliant legal mind who at one time represented Public Enemy Number One before serving as a Circuit Court Judge in Miami. While practicing law he was held in Contempt of Court no less than three times and he was acquitted each time. As a Judge he disbarred attorneys for being accused of their affiliation with the communist party. He actually served a term as Judge in a neighboring County earlier in his career despite the objections of the Ku Klux Klan. While on the bench, he was arrested for driving away from the scene of a traffic stop by a Coral Gables motorcycle officer. The Judge was on his way to the courthouse and was late for the bench. Name that Judge. (Judge Silverman is disqualified from answering this one as he is our most noted Historian of the Miami-Dade Historical Society).

CAPTAIN OUT .......
captain4justice@gmail.com

Election Central

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Election Central .....

Circuit Court Group 49. Richard Hersch now has an opponent. (ht to 5:48 pm).

Attorney Victor De Yurre, a member of the Florida Bar since 1977 has filed to run against Mr. Hersch. Many of you will remember Mr. De Yurre from his previous life in politics. He first ran for the Miami City Commission in 1987 against incumbent Commissioner Joe Carollo. He defeated Carollo and served on the City Commission from 1988-1995.

Like most politicians elected in our city, De Yurre attracted his share of controversy. In 1991, New Times did one of their many stories about De Yurre. The City of Miami was on the verge of bankruptcy, (so what’s new), and De Yurre had spent the taxpayers money on lavish trips out of the State and Country. De Yurre had taken nine trips in 1990, cultural missions is what I think they call them, to places like Italy, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco (supposedly to see programs for homeless people), and Brussels, among some of the places.

The trip to San Francisco must have been anything but eventful. I say that because, in 2002, New Times did a feature story called: “What Did You Do In The War On Poverty”? In the story they interviewed several past members of the Miami City Commission and they asked them each that exact question. When they got to De Yurre, he responded: “I can't put my finger on anything now. I can think of global things, like funding low-income housing projects. We also had those façades on Eighth Street, Overtown, and Liberty City -- injections of money that helped people spruce up places. I can't think of any individual thing I did. I really can't think of anything else I could have done.”

As a lawyer, De Yurre appears to have a solo practice in the downtown area. I have no idea what type of law he practices. I believe he has a son, Anthony, who is also a lawyer. Anthony works for Pathman, Lewis, and is involved in the political scene and is a mover and shaker in the community in his own right.

I would imagine that De Yurre could prove to be a formidable opponent to Mr. Hersch -of course, if Hersch happens to get tapped by Governor Scott to one of the three open Circuit Court seats, then he won’t have to worry about running for Judge again until 2014.

I also reported on November 21st on this BLOG that Fleur Lobree has drawn yet another opponent.

ELECTION CENTRAL ..... GROUP 20 COUNTY COURT

JUDGE LOBREE DRAWS YET ANOTHER OPPONENT

On October 12, 2011, on the Justice Building BLOG, I reported the following:

And the newest filing has someone challenging newly appointed County Court Judge Fleur Lobree:

William Pena Wells; (he is the attorney that caused much discussion on this blog on the issue of his being suspended by the Bar for three years as the result of his criminal conviction).

The newest candidate:

Michelle Alvarez Barakat. Ms. Barakat has been practicing law since 1999. She worked for the Florida Bar in lawyer regulation. She now practices in a two person firm with her husband, former ASA Brian Barakat. According to her web site, her practice concentrates on criminal defense and commercial litigation.

JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS UPDATE:

We are waiting to hear from Governor Scott on several appointments:

Circuit Court open seats include: Judge Ivan Fernandez, Judge Amy Steele Donner, and Judge Robert Scola. Six names sit on Scott's desk for the Fernandez seat and the Donner seat. The JNC has not yet selected the names to replace Scola. Expect two new Circuit Court Judges to be named sometime during the week before Christmas.

Donald "DJ" Cannava
Miguel de la O
Richard Hersch
Norma Lindsey
Deborah White-Labora
Angelica Zayas

County Court open seat: Judge Rosa Figarola. The Governor has five names on his desk. Expect a new County Court Judge to be named around the same time as the two new Circuit Court Judges.

David Alschuler
Tanya Brinkley
Donald “DJ” Cannava
Ivonne Cuesta
Steven Lieberman


Cap Out .....

REGIONAL COUNSEL APPLICANTS & MORE

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

BREAKING NEWS -

GROSSBARD - LAESER - PLOSS - SMITH - ZENOBI -

REGIONAL COUNSEL - 3RD DCA APPLICANTS .......

What a crowd of applicants! And such a diverse group. One lists his home address with the Bar as "United States"; six other candidates live outside of Miami; two are current APD's; two currently work for the OCCCRC; and one candidate has been practicing law since the Johnson administration (as in "All the way with LBJ"). Here are your candidates for the next Director of the Office of Regional Counsel for the Third District:

Gregory T. Brown (1988), no office address
John D. Bruhn (1989), office in Bradenton
Gena Lauren Cohen (2002), pers. injury atty in Sunrise
Roland Falcon (1997), office in Jacksonville
Robert Friedman (1985), APD in Tallahassee
Joseph P. George, Jr. (1994), Incumbent
Ana Gomez-Mallada (1989), office in Lighthouse Point
Steven Grossbard (1973)
Kevin J. Hellmann (1996), APD in Miami
Marie H. Kim (not listed in the Bar)
Abraham Laeser (1973), retired ASA
William Earl Ploss (1978)
Russell A. Shepherd (1992)
Sky E. Smith (1965), that's 46 years practicing law
Shari L. Vrod (1998), OCCCRC in West Palm Beach
Eugene F. Zenobi (1970), OCCCRC in Miami

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

No changes in non-incumbents that have filed to run in Miami-Dade:

Maria Elena Verde
Miguel de la O
Maria de Jesus Santovenia
Richard Hersch

None have opposition.

COUNTY COURT

Non-Incumbents include:

Ivonne Cuesta (no opposition)

Tanya Brinkley & John Malgoza Rodriguez filed in same race. Rodriguez has thrown down $100,000 of his own money to fund the campaign.

NEW JUDGES ON THE WAY

We are two weeks away from the appointment of two new Circuit Court Judges. Candidates that are on the Governor's desk include:

Miguel M. De La O
Rosa C. Figarola
Richard Hersch
Thomas J. Rebull
Alan D. Sackrin
Deborah White-Labora

We are four weeks away from the appointment of two new County Court Judges. Candidates that are on the Governor's desk include:

William Altfield
Tanya Brinkley
Ivonne Cuesta
John Goran
Steven Lieberman
Spencer Multack
Thomas Rebull
Martin Zilber

We are three weeks away from the appointment of a new 3rd DCA Judge. Candidates that are on the Governor's desk include:

Judge Jennifer D. Bailey
Bambi Groff Blum, Esq.
Judge Ivan F. Fernandez
Thomas W. Logue, Esq.
Judge Jose M. Rodriguez
Edwin A. Scales, III, Esq.

Have a great weekend.

CAPTAIN OUT .......