GOV. SCOTT APPOINTS THREE NEW CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES .......

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

BREAKING NEWS:

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

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of three new Circuit Court judges to replace Judges Bagley, Marin, and Zabel.

JUDGE DAWN DENARO. She has been a member of The Florida Bar for 25 years. She is a former ASA (18 years) and current County Court Judge. She was first appointed by Scott in 2011 to the County Court. She was elected in 2012 without opposition and was up for re-election this year. She again drew no opposition. She fills the vacancy created when Judge Jerald Bagley resigned.

JUDGE ANDREA RICKER WOLFSON. She has been a member of The Florida Bar for 17 years. She is a former ASA (9 years) and current County Court Judge. She was first appointed by Governor Crist in 2010 to the County Court. She was elected in 2012 when she defeated Greer Elaine Wallace. She was up for re-election this year and she drew no opposition. She fills the vacancy created when Judge Antonio Marin resigned.

JUDGE RENATHA FRANCIS. She has been a member of The Florida Bar for 7 years. She previously worked as a staff attorney for the First DCA and then as an associate at Shutts & Bowen. She was first appointed by Governor Scott to the County Court only ten months ago, on August 14, 2017. She has not had to face the voters. She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Sarah Zabel.  I believe Francis becomes the first Jamaican born Circuit Court Judge in Miami-Dade County and she will be the only black female to currently serve on the County's Circuit Court bench; (with the retirement of Judge Teretha Thomas, County Court Judge Tanya Brinkley becomes the only other black female judge in the County out of 123 judges).

This all means that the JNC will be hard at work over the next couple of months as this now opens up three more seats on the County Court bench.

Interesting side note: There were ten names sent to the Governor by the JNC to replace Judges Bagley and Marin. Those appointments were scheduled to take place this week. Of the seven not selected, all of the names (except one) that were sent up just two weeks ago to replace Judge Zabel were identical to those sent up to replace Bagley and Marin. The one new name sent to Scott: Renatha Francis.

Those who will have to try again include: Judges William Altfield, Alexander Bokor, Tanya Brinkley, and Carlos M. Guzman, and attorneys Ayana N. Harris, Julie Harris Nelson, and Luis Perez-Medina. (Carlos Lopez’ name was also sent up but he won election to the Circuit Court when nobody filed to run against him last month).

CAPTAIN OUT .......
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