Chris Brown, married to county judge Mindy Brown, has filed in the county seat recently vacated by Mindy Solomon …

CIRCUIT AND COUNTY COURT JUDGE: Noon, Monday, April 25, 2022 – Noon, Friday, April 29, 2022

Partial list of judges up …

JUDICIAL PAY RAISES (and don’t forget the pension):

“Budget negotiators treated court spending requests generously, and included Chief Justice Charles Canady’s top priority, a 10% pay raise for trial court judges.

Under the proposal, effective July 1, a circuit court judge’s salary would increase from $165,509 to $182,060, and a county court judge’s salary would rise from $156,377 to $172,015.”

WHO WANTS TO BE A JUDGE?

Jordanne Alana Spencer, wife of former SAO candidate Joe Kimok, has filed for the recently vacated county set.

Another former SAO candidate, Sarahnell Murphy, is rumored to be putting in for county soon …

Attorney and political consultant Mike Ahearn has switched races, from Sandy Perlman’s open circuit seat to the position currently occupied by Barbara McCarthy.

The evidence is mounting that McCarthy will be retiring. She’s yet to file or make any type of announcement, but Ahearn, of course, has successfully run two of her prior reelection campaigns.

In response to our questions regarding McCarthy hanging up her robe, Mike had this to say earlier today:

“It’s Judge McCarthy’s information to divulge, but I would never do anything against her.”

And with that, we’re calling 17/23 another open circuit seat …

Congratulations to Mindy Solomon, who is retiring after long stints with the SAO, the PDO, and on the county bench …

*UPDATE* (4/5) – PB Post, by Jane Musgrave: Judge who received Florida Supreme Court reprimand knows what Marni Bryson faces this week:

“It’s an uncommon charge,” (Gelin) said. “It’s rarely leveled because everyone knows lots and lots of judges don’t show up for work.”

He pointed out that when former Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga was chief justice of the Supreme Court in 2014, he launched a program to ferret out what was branded “goof-off judges.” …

That the JQC went to those lengths, indicates something else was driving them, Gelin said.

“Either her behavior was so egregious that it even bothered her colleagues or the ongoing controversy about the nude pictures could have heightened scrutiny on her,” he said …

Gelin, who acknowledged that he had problems with Bryson in the past, said he was surprised the JCQ didn’t discipline Bryson more harshly.

The watchdog group could have used Bryson’s absence to “send a message” to other judges that they could be disciplined for not showing up for work.

Still, he said, they may not have wanted to set such a precedent. “That could do real carnage to the judiciary.”

_____________________________________________________________________

Marni Bryson’s public reprimand is set for April 6th.

In January, she asked to appear by Zoom on February 9th, when her day to hang her head in open court was originally set. That motion, pictured below, was denied, and the matter was reset to April 6th for post-Omicron, in-person punishment.

Today, a mere two days before the hearing, the immediately below motion was filed once again asking for Zoom, or another continuance.

Will the Supreme Court give Bryson what she wants, and allow a Zoom appearance?

Will they reset the matter for a third in-person hearing, and will it be before or after qualifying?

Or will the motion be denied outright?

Stay tuned …

COMING SOON – A Kimok for judge? …