Half My Life

Twenty-three years, and sixty pounds ago, I joined the Public Defender's Office of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. I went to law school because I wanted to make sure that poor people received quality legal representation. The reason that America is the greatest country on earth is because our Constitution strikes the delicate and necessary balance between the government and the individual citizen. In our country, it is not enough simply to make an accusation. The government has the responsibility of proving a person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before taking a person's life or liberty. Attorneys make sure that the government abides by the rule of law, and that clients have the opportunity to present a defense. When I was sworn into the Florida Bar on May 22, 1985, I took an oath to "never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed." Each day that I have practiced law I have attempted to uphold this duty.

The modern system of public defenders was established in the 1960s. In Florida, the Public Defender is a constitutional officer and an elected position. Each of our twenty judicial circuits elects a State Attorney and Public Defender to hire qualified assistants and make sure they are well trained and in the proper courtrooms in order to keep our criminal justice system functioning. The elected Public Defender also works with the Legislature and County Commissioners in order to ensure the efficient operation of the courts. In these times of scarce resources and repeated budget cuts, it will be more important than ever to elect a Public Defender who is familiar with all facets of the job and has experienced every type of criminal case. When I am elected, I will make sure that my Assistant Public Defenders will provide quality legal services in a professional manner so that all citizens in our community can have confidence in the outcome of criminal cases. I will also collaborate with all our elected officials to make sure that we are spending our money wisely, impacting lives in a positive manner, and making our justice system work as intended by our founding fathers.