It is unknown whether or not the JQC tour is stopping in other jurisdictions, but we’re guessing it’s a one-off given the recent landslide of JQC cases in the 17th Circuit, already the historical all-time JQC champ statewide.
Expect happy faces on the judges at least for the time being, and be sure to post a comment right here on JAABLOG if not …
Once upon a time, Broward bar associations surveyed lawyers on the performance of judges. The judges didn’t necessarily like being critiqued, and after JAABLOG came along and judges started to draw challengers come election time, the easily disseminated (via blog) bar polls simply disappeared.
It’s not just here in Broward where lawyers’ opinions about judges are no longer sought out. Just last year, more than a decade after the Broward surveys were killed, the Florida Bar 86’d its poll for higher court judges seeking merit retention. Read about it here in this 2024 Sun Sentinel Editorial End of Bar poll means less accountability for judges.
That being said, some circuits in Florida thankfully still believe lawyers’ first-hand knowledge of judicial performance matters. The Miami-Dade Bar 2024 Judicial Poll is one example, while up in Gainesville The Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association publishes a long list of survey questions and past poll results.
Since Broward is welcoming a new judicial administration, we thought we’d reimplement surveying of both lawyers and the general public via the JAABLOG comments section. It may not be the most scientific method, but in the absence of any official local bar association polls,** it’s the best we can do. It also may be a better method given the public is included, since tax dollars pay for judicial salaries, benefits, and highly lucrative judicial pensions.
(**We’ve called and emailed Braulio Rosa, Director of the Broward Bar Association (BBA), to see if the BBA is willing to restart its own polling. We’ll let you know when he gets back to us.)
And without further ado, for the first up in the 2025 JAABLOG JUDICIAL POLL, we’re starting near the top with a member of judicial administration itself: County Criminal Chairperson Deborah Carpenter-Toye:
Please post a comment if you’ve had any interactions with Debbie in court, or with the office she’s responsible for regarding scheduling and other important matters. Access to dockets and efficiency are big categories for JAABLOG, in addition to the following topics you may wish to consider:
Legal Acumen:
Demonstrates knowledge of the law;
Listens to legal arguments;
Comprehends legal concepts;
Analytically reaches decisions in unsettled areas of the law; and
Willing to make decisions based on established law.
Communication Skills:
Able to articulate question and decisions;
Decisions are well reasoned;
Decisions are clear and concise; and
Decisions address issues raised.
Professionalism:
Shows courtesy/civility;
Shows patience/temperament;
Shows industry/promptness;
Has integrity/ethics;
Shows impartiality;
Shows preparedness; and
Participates in professional activities.
Office Management:
Quickly and efficiently sets hearings, displays flexibility with both general scheduling and with Zoom hearings;
Helpful with proposed orders, etc.;
Responsive and collaborative, gives clear direction;
