Ethnic politics, ethics issues spill over into some judicial races in Miami-Dade
By David Ovalle, The Miami Herald | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
In all, there are eight races -- with four incumbent
Circuit judges preside over cases ranging from felonies to juvenile and complex civil disputes. Two seats in county court, where judges preside over minor civil disputes and misdemeanor cases, are also in play.
In this election cycle, 32 circuit judges and seven county judges retained their seats when no one chose to run against them.
Perhaps the most high-profile open circuit contest pits former Miami-Dade School Board member
Diaz
He touts endorsements from politicians such as
Diaz
His opponent, Diaz, 36, is no stranger to politics, either.
She has served as an assistant
Diaz has raised close to
Diaz was in the news recently after a
An investigation concluded "the appearance of impropriety is strong" but that no rules were broken. She dismissed the complaint as "frivolous."
Ethics investigators are also looking at Diaz for her receipt of two free VIP tickets from the
Diaz
His opponent shot back, saying: "He's a politician. He'll continue to run the campaign as if we're running for governor or the
Diaz
Their judicial race is not the only one filled with drama.
Smith is a former
"It's very important you have experience on the bench. You can't trade experience for an experiment," Smith said.
So far, Smith has raised over
Carrazana, 41, has been a lawyer since 1999. Smith supporters say Carrazana, a Cuban American, targeted the well-respected black incumbent hoping to win on the appeal of a Spanish surname in this heavily Hispanic electorate.
"He's hoping to slide by on his name," said Smith's campaign manager, attorney
Carrazana denies playing ethnics politics. Instead, he says he is targeting Smith because he disagrees with Smith rulings over the years favoring insurance companies. Smith was once employed by campaign supporter
"I believe I am the best qualified candidate," Carrazana said.
Replied Smith: "I don't favor any side. If the law is on your side, the law is on your side."
The campaign saw an early twist when Carrazana's longtime firm, Panter, Panter & Sampedro, fired him in May because he filed to run against Smith, a story first reported by
"The partners also said that if I won the election, I would be blackballed by other members of the judiciary," Carrazana said.
The firm had vowed to back Smith, and Carrazana's decision prompted a "bunch of calls" from upset people in the legal community, said partner
"It's a very sad thing. I did not want to do it," Panter said in an interview. "Our word and our bond is very important in this community. I gave
Carrazana also claims Handfield called him after he filed to run, promising him "the African-American vote" if he switched to an open seat. Handfield calls that an "absolute lie," saying he called Carrazana well before the qualifying deadline and only promised his personal support.
Carrazana, who travels frequently to
Political observers say targeting candidates with non-Hispanic surnames is a time-honored tactic in
In
Since then, Lobree, 46, was appointed again, this time to the circuit bench. This year, she drew opposition from criminal defense attorney
"This county has a propensity to not support names they don't recognize," said Lobree's campaign consultant,
He said the campaign decided to hit the "name issue" head on with the creation of a jingle: "Vote for
Ruiz says she did not target Lobree because of her last name. Instead, she believed that since Lobree has twice been appointed, someone else deserved a shot.
Ruiz, who works for the taxpayer-funded Regional Counsel office, says her trial experience will help her manage the day-to-day grind of court. "I've also dedicated my life to working with indigent people," she said.
In other incumbent races:
--
--County Judge
In the open circuit races:
--Defense lawyer
--Defense attorney
--Oscar Rodriguez-Fonts, a private defense attorney, is taking on
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