This story is part of a collaborative initiative of independent local news outlets working towards a more informed and engaged Central Florida as the News Collaborative of Central Florida.
Florida is approaching judicial election season. Candidates are filing and raising campaign funds. Lawyers and judicial workers across the state are preparing to learn who will be doling out justice throughout Florida, and Osceola is no different. The qualifying deadline to appear on the Aug. 18 ballot is Friday, April 24, just a couple weeks away.
Florida judges elected in August fall into two categories: circuit judges and county judges. Florida Supreme Court retention questions and appellate court elections appear on the November ballot. Typically, civil cases involving more than $50,000 go before circuit judges. Osceola county judges operate from the Osceola County Courthouse and their cases are exclusive to that jurisdiction.
But once in the election, unlike other political races, Judicial candidates in Florida are not allowed to campaign in the typical sense. While they are allowed to get their name out to the electorate through advertising, they are not able to give their party affiliation, and are forbidden from personally soliciting for campaign funds, endorsing other candidates for office, or from making declarations they will judge one way or the other on specific cases.
As of the beginning of April, only two circuit judgeships are going to be decided by competitive elections. Should no other judge hopefuls enter the races, the others will win by virtue of simply having qualified and will not be on the ballot. Most candidates for circuit court judgeships and every candidate for Osceola County judgeships are not facing competition on the ballot (yet) If they do, their competition will be coming in late, and probably at a disadvantage. This can mean scrambling to get their filings and qualifying documents in.
Here’s a current list of those who’ve filed to run for bench seats in the 9th Circuit:
Division 1: Temika Hampton-Johnson;
Division 2: Christina Arguelles, Christie Mitchell;
Division 6: Chad Alvaro;
Division 8: Christine Arendas;
Division 12: Tiffany Faddis;
Division 18: Ginger Miranda;
Division 30: Kevin Weiss;
Division 31: George "Steve" Kerestes, Kamilah Perry;
Division 32: Deborah Barra;
Division 39: Vincent Falcone;
Division 40: Alicia Latimore;
Osceola County Judge
Group 1: Celia Thacker Dorn;
Group 3: Stefania Jancewicz;
Group 4: Juna Pulayya
