State’s judicial races set
State’s judicial races set
Mark D. Killian
Managing Editor
Twenty-two district court of appeal judges have qualified for merit retention on this year’s November election ballot. In the trial courts, there will be 50 contested circuit court contests on the August 26 primary ballot, while 209 circuit judgeships — mostly held by incumbents — were uncontested.
On the county court bench, there are 17 races on the primary ballot, while 57 were elected or reelected without opposition.
Any runnoffs will be decided in November.
Filing information for the merit retention races and the circuit court races was obtained from the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections. Information for the county court elections was obtained by examining each county supervisor of elections’ website, which may have been incomplete. Any additional or corrected information on these seats should be emailed to [email protected].
Voters in Orange County will have the largest judicial ballot this year, with eight contested circuit races and two contested county court races.
First DCA: Judges Robert T. Benton, Joseph Lewis Jr., Scott Makar, Tim Osterhaus, and Clay Roberts filed for retention.
Second DCA: Judges Chris W. Altenbernd, Morris Silberman, and Daniel H. Sleet filed for retention.
Third DCA: Judges Barbara Lagoa, Thomas Logue, and Vance E. Salter filed for retention.
Fourth DCA: Judges Alan O. Forst, Mark W. Klingensmith, W. Matthew Stevenson, and Martha C. Warner filed for retention.
Fifth DCA : Judges Wendy W. Berger, Kerry I. Evander, Charles Alan Lawson, Richard B. Orfinger, William David Palmer, Thomas D. Sawaya, and F. Rand Wallis filed for retention.
Here are the contested circuit court seats:
* In the First Circuit, Michelle Avignone Inere and Jennie Marie Kinsey have filed for Seat 22.
* In the Fourth Circuit, Anthony Paul Penoso and Michael Scott Sharrit have filed for Seat 27.
* In the Fifth Circuit, Judge Sandy K. Kautz is being challenged by Mary P. Hatcher, Denise A. Dymond Lyn, and Milan “Bo” Samargya for Seat 3
* In the Sixth Circuit, Susan St. John and Laura Leigh Snell have filed for Seat 1. Kenneth Webb Lark, Alicia Polk, and Alan Scott Rosenthal have filed for Seat 2. Brian Peter Battaglia and Kimberly Sharpe have filed for Seat 16. Amanda Lea Colón and Philippe Matthey have filed for Seat 21. Judge Bruce Scott Boyer is being challenged by Jon Newlon for Seat 35.
* In the Seventh Circuit, Charles D. Hood and Michael Scott Orfinger have filed for Seat 6. Karen Adams Foxman and Steven Leslie Sands have filed for Seat 18. Steven Neil DeLaroche, Adam Dale Warren, and Kathryn Diane Weston have filed for Seat 20. Judge Thomas G. Portuallo is being challenged by Kellie Jo Killebrew for Seat 23.
* In the Eighth Circuit, Judge William Elbridge Davis is being challenged by William Falik for Seat 11.
* In the Ninth Circuit, Norberto Sergio Katz and Kimberly Michele Shepard have filed for Seat 10. Judge Margaret Helen Schreiber is being challenged by Frank George for Seat 12. Harold M. Bacchus, Elaine Agnes Barbour, and James T. Hetz have filed for Seat 18. Orle Barrington Burey and Kevin Brett Weiss have filed for Seat 30. Patricia L. Strowbridge and Diana Michelle Tennis have filed for Seat 32. Judge Heather Pinder Rodriguez is being challenged by Roger Scott for Seat 33. Judge Janet Claire Thorpe is being challenged by Bradford D. Fisher for Seat 35. Judge Scott David Polodna is being challenged by Eugene Anthony Feliciani for Seat 37.
* In the 10th Circuit, Michelle Oakes Pincket and Christine Trakas Thornhill have filed for Seat 2. E. Taylor Davidson and Larry Stephen Helms have filed for Seat 16.
* In the 11th Circuit, Thomas Aquinas Cobitz and Stephen Thomas Millan have filed for Seat 16. Judge Rodney Smith is being challenged by Christian Carrazana for Seat 26. Mary C. Gomez, Alberto Milian, and Joseph D. Perkins have filed for Seat 27. Oscar M. Rodriguez-Fonts and Martin Glenn Zilber have filed for Seat 58. Judge Fleur Jeannine Lobree is being challenged by Mavel Ruiz in Seat 67. Veronica Diaz and Renier David Diaz de la Portilla have filed for Seat 70.
* In the 12th Circuit, Arthur Edward Jackman and Susan Bueme Maulucci have filed for Seat 17.
* In the 13th Circuit, John Julius Dingfelder, Carl Coy Hinson, and Barbara Twine-Thomas have filed for Seat 8. Michael John Brannigan and Michael Joseph Scionti have filed for Seat 19. Karen Lynn Stanley and Laura E. Ward have filed for Seat 20. Robert Arthur Bauman, Constance Daniels, and Melissa Polo have filed for seat 34.
* In the 14th Circuit, Judge James B. Fensom is being challenged by Shalene Grover and Gerard Matthew Virga, Jr., for Seat 10.
* In the 15th Circuit, Judge Diana Lewis is being challenged by Jessica Jacqueline Ticktin for Seat 14. Maxine D. Cheesman, Jaimie Randall Goodman, and Peggy Ann Rowe-Linn have filed for Seat 30.
* In the 16th Circuit, Judge Mark Howard Jones is being challenged by Donald Charles Barrett for Seat 1. Judge Tegan Slaton is being challenged by James R. Bridges and Bonnie Jean Helms for Seat 4.
* In the 17th Circuit, Judge Lynn Dena Rosenthal is being challenged by F. Jahra McLawrence for Seat 8. Dennis Daniel Bailey, Andrea Ruth Gundersen, Rhoda Sokoloff, and Russell Miller Thompson have filed for Seat 16. Julie Shapiro Harris and Stacey Schulman have filed for Seat 17. Judge Steven Brian Feren is being challenged by John Patrick Contini for Seat 27.
* In the 18th Circuit, Samuel Bookhardt III, George Thomas Paulk, and Christina Sanchez have filed for Seat 13. Brooke M. Deratany Goldfarb and Robin Calfee Lemonidis have filed for Seat 14. Donna M. Goerner, Mitchel Brian Krause, and Susan Weindorf Stacy have filed for Seat 19. Mauricio Arcadier, Nancy Maloney, and John W. Moser III have filed for Seat 23.
* In the 19th Circuit, Michael Carlton Heisey and Steven Ziskinder have filed for Seat 4. Judge Lawrence Steven Schack is being challenged by Victoria L. Griffin for Seat 11.
* In the 20th Circuit, Robert Joseph Branning and Mary C. Evans have filed for Seat 3. Judge Amy Rebecca Hawthorne is being challenged by Steven S. Leskovich for Seat 16.
Circuit Court judges returned to office or elected without opposition include:
* In the First Circuit: Michael T. Jones, Scott J. Duncan, Joel W. Boles, L. Ross Bilbrey, Thomas R. Santurri, Jan Shackelford, Edward P. Nickinson III, John F. Simon, Jr., and Michael G. Allen.
* In the Second Circuit: Charles Dodson, Kevin J. Carroll, Frank E. Sheffield, John C. Cooper, Martin A. Fitzpatrick, Charles A. Francis, and Angela C. Dempsey.
* In the Third Circuit: Greg Parker, Mark Feagle, and Leandra G. Johnson.
* In the Fourth Circuit: James Hunt Daniel, Gregg McCaulie, Tyrie W. Boyer, Lance M. Day, Adrian G. Soud, David M. Gooding, John Hillis Skinner, Harvey L. Jay, Tatiana Radi Salvador, Virginia Norton, Waddell A. Wallace, and Mallory Durden Cooper.
* In the Fifth Circuit: Richard Tombrink, Jr., Mark Jay Hill, Jonathan D. Ohlman, Richard A. Howard, Don F. Briggs, G. Richard Singeltary, Lisa Herndon, Brian D. Lambert, Curtis J. Neal, Carol A. Falvey, and Mark Anthony Nacke.
* In the Sixth Circuit: Mary Morrissey Handsel, Pamela A.M. Campbell, Susan L. Gardner, Mark Shames, Shawn Crane, Linda H. Babb, Jack St. Arnold, Anthony Rondolino, Jim Stearns, John A. Schaefer, Daniel D. Diskey, Linda Allan, George M. Jirotka, Walter L. “Skip” Schafer, Jr., Thane Bobbitt Covert.
* In the Seventh Circuit: J. David Walsh, James R. Clayton, Margaret W. Hudson, John M. Alexander, Carlos E. Mendoza, Howard M. Maltz, Sandy Upchurch, Raul A. Zambrano, and Randell H. Rowe III.
* In the Eighth Circuit: Robert K. Groeb, Phillip A. Pena, and James P. Nilon.
* In the Ninth Circuit: John Marshall Kest, John E. Jordan, Heather Higbee, Alan Apte, Wayne C. Wooten, Daniel Paul Dawson, Reginald Karl Whitehead, Frederick J. Lauten, Keith Carsten, Jon B. Morgan, and Alicia L. Latimore.
* In the 10th Circuit: Julian Dale Durrance, Andrea Teves Smith, Wm. Bruce Smith, John M. Radabaugh, Glenn T. Shelby, Peter F. Estrada, Mark F. Carpanini, Neil A. Roddenbery, and Jalal A. Harb.
* In the 11th Circuit: Norma Shepard Lindsey, Rosa C Figarola, Diane Ward, Angelica “Kiki” Zayas, Jose M. Rodriguez, Jorge E. Cueto, Daryl E. Trawick, Migna Sanchez-Llorens, Yvonne Colodny, Peter Lopez, Eric Hendon, Orlando A. Prescott, Celeste Hardee Muir, Stacy Daryl Glick, Jerald Bagley, Sarah Zabel, Cristina Miranda, Abby Cynamon, Marcia B. Caballero, Jeri Beth Cohen, Bernard S. Shapiro, Alan S. Fine, Maria Sampedro-Iglesia, Jacqueline Hogan Scola, Thomas J. Rebull, Richard Hersch, Victoria S. Sigler, Reemberto Diaz, Ariana Fajardo, Dava J. Tunis, Spencer Eig, and Beatrice “Betty” Avgherino Butchko.
* In the 12th Circuit: Gilbert Alexander Smith, Jr., Charles E. Roberts, Kimberly Carlton Bonner, Andrew D. Owens, Jr., Stephen Walker, Peter A. Dubensky, Deno G. Economou, and Edward Nicholas.
* In the 13th Circuit: Caroline J. Tesche, Samantha L. Ward, Dan Perry, Catherine Catlin, Gregory P. Holder, Rex Barbas, Ralph C. Stoddard, Jack Espinosa, Jr., Claudia Rickert Isom, Chet A. Tharpe, Lisa Denise Campbell, Matt Lucas, Vivian Corvo, William P. (“Bill”) Levens, Nick Nazaretian, Martha Cook, Richard A. Nielsen, Katherine G. Essrig, Herbert J. Baumann, Jr., Michelle Sisco, Steven Scott Stephens, Christopher C. Sabella, and Laurel Lee.
* In the 14th Circuit: William L. Wright, Hentz McClellan, Michael C. Overstreet,
* In the 15th Circuit: Rosemarie Scher, Gregory M. Keyser, Jeffrey Dana Gillen, Thomas H. (Tom) Barkdull III, Jeffrey J. Colbath, Glenn D. Kelley, John L. Phillips, Samantha Schosberg Feuer, Karen Miller, and Charles E. Burton.
* In the 16th Circuit: Luis M. Garcia.
* In the 17th Circuit: Bernard Isaac “Bernie” Bober, Michael J. Orlando, Jeffrey R. Levenson, Patti Englander Henning, Raag Singhal, Merrilee Ehrlich, Tom Lynch, John Bowman, Elizabeth Anne Scherer, Dale C. Cohen, Charles M. Greene, Renee Goldenberg, Andrew (Andy) L. Siegel, John J. Murphy III, Marc H. Gold, Alfred J. Horowitz, Michael G. Kaplan, Martin J. Bidwill, Jack B. Tuter, Jr., and Mily R. Powell.
* In the 18th Circuit: Melanie Chase, John M. Harris, Donna L. McIntosh, John D. Galluzzo, Tonya B. Rainwater, Robert T. Burger, Charles J. Roberts, Kenneth R. Lester, Jr., and George Britton Turner III.
* In the 19th Circuit: Steven J. Levin, Laurie Ehler Buchanan, Cynthia L. Cox, William L. Roby, Dan L. Vaughn, Lawrence Michael Mirman, Barbara W. Bronis, and Elizabeth A. Metzger.
In the 20th Circuit: Christine H. Greider, Hugh D. Hayes, Donald Herbert Mason, John S. Carlin, G. Keith Cary, and Michael T. McHugh.
Here are the contested races for county court seats:
* In Alachua, Susanne Wilson Bullard, AuBroncee Martin, and Jose I. Moreno have filed for the Group 4 seat
* In Brevard, Judge Michelle Vitt Baker is being challenged by Minerva Simpson for the Group 3 seat. Judge Benjamin Behnam Garagozlo is being challenged by Oscar Hotusing for the Group 8 seat.
* In Broward, Judge Ellen Meg Feld is being challenged by Mark William Rickard for the Group 18 seat. Judge Ian Jason Richards is being challenged by Jonathan Kasen and Claudia Robinson for the Group 27 seat.
* In Collier, Judge Robert L. Crown is being challenged by Sal Bazaz for the Group 4 seat.
* In Dixie, Judge Cynthia S. Munkittrick is being challenged by Jennifer J. Ellison.
* In Hillsborough, Judge Chris Nash is being challenged by Norman S. Cannela, Jr., for the Group 12 seat.
* In Lake, Judge Terry T. Neal is being challenged by Daniel David Archer.
* In Miami-Dade, Judge Jacqueline Schwartz is being challenged by Frank C. Bocanegra and Rachael Glorioso Dooley for the Group 19 seat. Judge Nuria Saenz is being challenged by Victoria Ferrer for the Group 36 seat.
* In Orange, Judge Kenneth Alan Barlow is being challenged by Tina Caraballo and Blaine McChesney for the Group 10 seat. Brian Duckworth and Will Jay have filed for the the Group 15 seat.
* In Seminole, Judge Jerri Lynn Collins is being challenged by Alex Finch and Sandra Rivera for the Group 6 seat.
* In St. Lucie, Judge Philip James Yacucci is being challenged by Stephen Smith for the Group 2 seat. Judge Kathryn Maxine Nelson is being challenged by Roseanna Bronhard, Albert B. Moore, and Leonard S. Villafranco for the Group 4 seat.
* In Volusia, Judge Peter Anthony Duncan McGlashan is being challenged by Angela Dempsey for the Group 10 seat.
County judges elected without opposition include:
* Alachua: Denise Ferrero.
* Bay: Timothy Campbell and Joseph Grammer.
* Broward: Steven DeLuca and Christopher Pole.
* Collier: Janeice Martin.
* Columbia: Thomas Coleman.
* Duval: Scott Mitchell, Mose Floyd, Gary Flower, and Angela Cox.
* Escambia: Darlene Dickey.
* Hernando: Kurt Hitzemann.
* Highlands: Anthony Ritenour.
* Hillsborough: Jennifer Gabbard, Eric Myers, John Conrad, Margaret Courtney, and Mark Lefler.
* Lee: Josephine Gagliardi and Howard Swett.
* Leon: Nina Ashenafi.
* Manatee: Charles Sniffen, Robert Farrance, and Mark Singer.
* Martin: Curtis Disque and Kathleen Roberts.
* Miami–Dade: William Atfield, Donald Cannava, Jr., Jason Dimitris, Betty Capote, Spencer Multack, Carlos Guzman, and Rodolfo Ruiz.
* Nassau: Wesley Poole.
* Orange: Nancy Clark, Jeannette Bigney, Faye Allen.
* Osceola: Stafania Jancewicz.
* Palm Beach: Reginal Corlew, Laura Johnson, Debra Moses, Robert Panse, and Daliah Weiss.
* Pasco: Paul Firmani.
* Pinellas: James Pierce, Robert Dittmer, John Carassas, and Edwin Jagger.
* Polk: Robert Williams, Jr.
* Putnam: Elizabeth Morris.
* Santa Rosa: Tony Giraud.
* Sarasota: David Denkin.
* Seminole: John Woodard.
* Volusia: Judith Davidson, Steven Henderson, and David Foxman.
Doris Maffei of the Bar’s Public Information Department assisted in developing this report.
