THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
ELECTION UPDATE .....
The following is a reprint of a relevant portion of my post of February 15:
Group 34 of the County Court has a new candidate. Her name is Denise Scanziani and she has been a member of The Florida Bar for seven years. Now what is interesting about this is the fact that Judge George Sarduy is/was the only other candidate in Group 34. As many of you know, he was recently elevated to the Circuit Court by Gov. Crist. That leaves Group 34 open and the seat is up for election in 2008.
ELECTION UPDATE .....
The following is a reprint of a relevant portion of my post of February 15:
Group 34 of the County Court has a new candidate. Her name is Denise Scanziani and she has been a member of The Florida Bar for seven years. Now what is interesting about this is the fact that Judge George Sarduy is/was the only other candidate in Group 34. As many of you know, he was recently elevated to the Circuit Court by Gov. Crist. That leaves Group 34 open and the seat is up for election in 2008.
BUT ....The JNC has begun the process of replacing Judge Sarduy with a new judge appointed by Gov. Crist. That appointment will mean that Group 34 will no longer be an open seat and the newly appointed judge will not have to stand for election until 2010.
So this causes me to ask the following question:
Does candidate Scanziani know this?
CAPTAIN OUT .....
Friday, February 15, 2008 1:17:00 PM
Fast forward five days - and apparently someone placed a call to Scanziani and mentioned my column.
In what can only be described as a desperate move by a real loser of a person, judicial candidate Denise Scanziani has withdrawn her candidacy from Group 34 of the County Court only to file in Group 17 of the County Court against incumbent Judge Eric Hendon.
What really stinks about her move is that, in a matter of ONLY FIVE DAYS, Scanziani managed to change her ethnicity. Last week she was Italian - this week she's Hispanic. Why the strong words? Because now Denise has filed to run as Denise Martinez-Scanziani. With the hyphen, she will now be listed on the ballot as Martinez. Just to cover her tracks, she also changed her heading on the Florida Bar home page, adding the Martinez name.
But, she has not managed to change it on the property she owns with her husband in Homestead or at her law office in South Dade County where the answering machine allows you to leave a message for Denise "Scanziani". Her web page mysteriously leaves out the "Martinez" too. Oh yeah, Scanziani also forgot to tell her stationary company, because it also is sans the "Martinez" name.
This stinks - and I hope the voters of Dade County "smell it" the same way I do and send her packing back to her solo practice where she belongs. Is this the type of jurist we want sitting on the bench? Is this what a judge should be standing for and representing in this community? The County Court is the "peoples court" - there will be many more unrepresented litigants appearing before her than if she were in Circuit Court. That means citizens of all colors and ethnic backgrounds and languages will come before her and look to her to make a fair and just decision. And, for her first decision, she decides that it will be one of deception to the voters of Miami-Dade County.
Ms. Scanziani - read the Statement of Fair Campaign Practices you signed your name to and swore to uphold! (see Code of Miami-Dade County Sec. 2-11.1.1. Ethical campaign practices ordinance).
It reads, in part:
1) Statement of Fair Campaign Practices. The following voluntary Statement of Fair Campaign Practices shall guide candidates for public office in Miami-Dade County:
Friday, February 15, 2008 1:17:00 PM
Fast forward five days - and apparently someone placed a call to Scanziani and mentioned my column.
In what can only be described as a desperate move by a real loser of a person, judicial candidate Denise Scanziani has withdrawn her candidacy from Group 34 of the County Court only to file in Group 17 of the County Court against incumbent Judge Eric Hendon.
What really stinks about her move is that, in a matter of ONLY FIVE DAYS, Scanziani managed to change her ethnicity. Last week she was Italian - this week she's Hispanic. Why the strong words? Because now Denise has filed to run as Denise Martinez-Scanziani. With the hyphen, she will now be listed on the ballot as Martinez. Just to cover her tracks, she also changed her heading on the Florida Bar home page, adding the Martinez name.
But, she has not managed to change it on the property she owns with her husband in Homestead or at her law office in South Dade County where the answering machine allows you to leave a message for Denise "Scanziani". Her web page mysteriously leaves out the "Martinez" too. Oh yeah, Scanziani also forgot to tell her stationary company, because it also is sans the "Martinez" name.
This stinks - and I hope the voters of Dade County "smell it" the same way I do and send her packing back to her solo practice where she belongs. Is this the type of jurist we want sitting on the bench? Is this what a judge should be standing for and representing in this community? The County Court is the "peoples court" - there will be many more unrepresented litigants appearing before her than if she were in Circuit Court. That means citizens of all colors and ethnic backgrounds and languages will come before her and look to her to make a fair and just decision. And, for her first decision, she decides that it will be one of deception to the voters of Miami-Dade County.
Ms. Scanziani - read the Statement of Fair Campaign Practices you signed your name to and swore to uphold! (see Code of Miami-Dade County Sec. 2-11.1.1. Ethical campaign practices ordinance).
It reads, in part:
1) Statement of Fair Campaign Practices. The following voluntary Statement of Fair Campaign Practices shall guide candidates for public office in Miami-Dade County:
STATEMENT OF FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES
As a candidate for public office in Miami-Dade County, I believe that political issues can be freely debated without appealing to racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or other prejudices. I recognize that such negative appeals serve only to divide this community and create long-term moral, social and economic problems.
Therefore:
1. "I shall not make my race, religion, national origin, gender ... an issue in my campaign".
3. "I will CONDEMN any APPEAL to prejudice based on race, creed, national origin ...
11. I will not use or permit the use of campaign material that FALSIFIES, DISTORTS, or MISREPRESENTS facts". (emphasis added by The Captain).
I believe that any voter of Miami-Dade County and certainly Judge Hendon has the right and the responsibility to file a violation claim against candidate Scanziani as a result of her signing and agreeing to abide by the terms of the Statement of Fair Campaign Practices.
Shame on you Ms. Scanziani. Shame.
CAPTAIN OUT .................