Governor Selects Ed Merrigan for Zack's seat

Have no clue who the new jurist is, one Edward Harold Merrigan, Junior of Sunrise, but I heard he had some pull as Jack Seiler's brother in law. That may be so and it may have been an in, but it does not render him unqualified. He may bring a great skill set to the bench. And we should not censor him for seeking an office he was entitled to apply for. Likely to serve in the north satellite.

Still, Merrigan is not a minority, a hispanic, a woman, a Cuban American, a Haitian American or one of the eminently qualified other final candidates who could have been so appointed to the bench. No, there should not be affirmative action. And you can't have a race in one year to catch up to the injustices of the past thirty. There just should be, however, a consistent attempt to fill the bench with diversity, and it does not end with the appointment of Judge Gillespie to replace Judge Dijols.

It ends when the Bench and the Bar administration better reflects the population of our community. And we still have a long way to go. The numbers remain embarrassing and hardly reflective of South Florida's multiple ethnicities or diverse populations.

The governor's appointment of Ed Merrigan, after the judicial screening process and the JNC did its task, may have been the most prudent. Time will tell. It would be equally prudent to continue to encourage more minorities in this very diverse county to reach for the gavel as a career as well. History has told us that.

Death Row Inmate Seeks Judicial Vacancy

Congratulations to the Daily Business Review Blog for breaking an intriguing story this afternoon in their online update. It is worth the price of admission, just as the Review is an absolute must in your daily mailbox.

When Gov. Charlie Crist said he wanted a diverse slate of applicants for the state Supreme Court, he probably wasn’t thinking about the constituency behind bars. But Mike Lambrix, pictured in his orange jumpsuit to the right, wants the job.

In a letter Monday announcing his intent to apply for a vacancy on the court, a Florida death row inmate claimed the court should do a better job of representing its imprisoned citizens.

C. Michael Lambrix, who was sentenced to death in 1984 for a double murder in Glades County, wrote in his Jan. 16 letter to Judicial Nominating Commission chairman Robert Hackleman that he wanted to be considered to replace retiring Justice Charles T. Wells and considers his time behind bars as an asset instead of a liability.

Lambrix’s most compelling qualification? He would be the only applicant "that has been totally screwed by the so-called justice system."

"I do believe that our judiciary needs fresh blood and a conflicting perspective, and that my appointment would serve the interest of all Floridians," he wrote. "Arguably our judiciary could be served by incorporating a voice that can empathize and represent this significant percentage of our population."

Lambrix pointed to his 20-year experience as a "jailhouse lawyer" and argued the appointment process hinged more on rewarding political ideology than qualifications.
"I’m already a convicted felon, so at least the public will know what they are actually getting rather than a wolf in sheep’s clothing," he wrote.

If the public doesn’t like his appointment, Lambrix told the Governor, they could always vote him out six years later in a merit retention election- if he is around.

Hey — it’s quicker than judicial disciplinary actions.

http://dailybusinessreview.typepad.com/insidetrack/

Mike Lambrix's humble Story and website, asserting his innocence:

http://www.deathrow.at/mike/index.html

4th DCA JNC Seeks Candidates for Vacancies

Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission continues to accept applications to fill Judge Larry Klein's judicial vacancy and now announces that it is accepting applications to fill the vacancy on the Fourth District Court of Appeal created by the resignation of Judge Jorge Labarga.

The application deadline for both vacancies is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009.Applicants must have been members of The Florida Bar for the preceding ten years, registered voters and must reside in the territorial jurisdiction at the time of assuming office.

Applications can be downloaded from The Florida Bar's Web site, www.flabar.org, or can be obtained from the office of the Chair: Kara Berard Rockenbach, Chair Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission1401 Forum Way, Suite 500 West Palm Beach, FL 33401The original completed application plus nine copies and all attachments must be delivered to the Chair at the above address no later than 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Submission of a photograph is encouraged. Applications received after the noticed deadline will not be accepted for consideration by the commission in accordance with Amended Local Rule III of the Judicial Nominating Commission, Fourth District Court of Appeal Local Rules.

If an applicant previously applied for Judge Klein's vacancy and wishes to be considered for Judge Labarga's vacancy, please send a letter to the Chair indicating this request for consideration for both vacancies by the stated deadline.

If an applicant previously submitted an application to this commission within the past three months for prior judicial vacancies, the applicant has the option of reactivating his/her prior application by sending the Chair a letter by the stated deadline specifically requesting consideration for one or both vacancies.

With the letter, the applicant may provide any supplemental information to be considered by the commission. All materials must be submitted by the deadline published in this notice.Members of the bench, Bar and the public are encouraged to contact members of the commission concerning applicants for judicial positions.

A list of the Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission members is available on The Florida Bar's Web site or by contacting Chairman Rockenbach by phone, e-mail at krockenbach@gprmpa.com or letter to the above address.

27 Candidates Opt for Judge Zack's County Seat

A County Court seat opened up with the resignation of Robert Zack, and 27 candidates have now applied for the opening, evenly balanced amongst men and women. Judge Zack will be staying on for a few months, so do not expect a successor to be named immediately.

At least half the candidates have over ten years experience.

Christopher Pole, a distinguished former prosecutor now in private practice, recently a finalist for a circuit seat, has re submitted his name.

Brenda DiIoia, now known as much for the TV show ‘Speeders Fight Back,’ on TRU.TV, submits her name after a close loss in an election campaign. She is
Broward County’s Chief Traffic Magistrate, and her show was just renewed. Another candidate, Maria Varsallone, has also served as a Traffic Hearing Officer for Broward.

Jordan Jordan has served as a Special Master, as has Nick Lopane, who also previously lost an attempt at a judicial election.

Karen Black-Barron and Melinda Brown have each practiced about 20 years and are members of the Family Law Section. Pamela Gordon, admitted in 1998, lists Family Law as her specialty also. Shari Olefson, also with about 20 years in, lists her forte as real property and trust law.

Shannon DeJesus was only admitted in 2001, and indicates he is a member of the Young Lawyers Division. Is there an Elder Lawyers’ Division? Maybe candidate William Lefkowitz will know. He lists his admission date as 1973.

Assistant Public Defender James D. Wells is an applicant also. Stephanie Moon, who entered the Bar in 1996, is with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District and serves on the Federal Courts Committee. Samuel Lopez lists a few sections, including Administrative Law. His practice commenced in 1997.

The Florida Bar lists four Scott Levines, in Broward County alone. So maybe this one from Plantation is a favorite. The Governor could pick from any four names and one of them will show up for work.

The nominees to be screened are as follows. Feel free to leave feedback.


Black-Barron, Karen E.
Bloom, Michael S.
Brown, Melinda Kirsch
DeJesus, Shannon
DiIoia, Brenda
Francois, Phoebee R.
Goldstein, Frieda M.
Gordon, Pamela M.
Hurtado, Jorge E.
Hyatt, Steven W.
Jordon, Jordan H.
Lefkowitz, William H.
Levine, Scott A.
Levy, Nadine L. Girault
Lopane, Nicholas
Lopez, Samuel D.
Mastrarrigo, Lorena V.
McCarthy, Barbara
Merrigan, Jr., Edward H.
Moon, Stefanie C.
Olefson, Shari
Pole, Christopher W.
Ricca, Michele McCaul
Robinson, Michael A.
Varsallone, Maria L.
Wells, James D.
Williams, Gerard S.