The 4th Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission will send today to Gov. Rick Scott the names of six candidates selected from a group of 17 applicants for the vacant seat on the Duval County Court.
The opening was created in June when County Judge Eric Roberson was elevated to the circuit court.
The candidates are:
Assistant Public Defender Michael Bateh, who currently is Capital Crimes Unit division chief.
He joined the Public Defender’s Office in 2000 as an investigator and became an assistant public defender in 2002. Bateh was in private practice from September 2006 until he returned in March 2008 to the Public Defender’s Office.
Meredith Charbula, who has been an assistant state attorney in the circuit since January 2014.
She is a former military police officer, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General and also was a Florida assistant state attorney general from 2003 to 2013.
Michael Fackler, a shareholder at Milam Howard Nicandri Gillam & Renner.
Fackler joined the firm in 2007 and was named shareholder in January 2016.
Before joining Milam Howard, he was an associate at McGuireWoods from September 2004 to February 2007.
Crystal Freed, a private practice attorney and president of The Freed Firm.
She was previously an associate at Akerman Senterfitt and Reznicsek, Fraser & Hasting before forming The Freed Firm in 2008.
Jennifer Mansfield, a partner at Holland & Knight since 2008.
She joined the firm as an associate in 2001 after serving as judicial clerk for U.S. District Judge Ralph Nimmons from August 1999 to August 2001.
Rhonda Peoples-Waters, president of the Rhonda Peoples-Waters law firm since 2008.
She was an assistant public defender in the 4th circuit from 1999 to 2007.
Peoples-Waters was president of the D.W. Perkins Bar Association in 2008-09 and in 2015-16, president of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s board of directors.
The candidates will be submitted to Scott by Judicial Nominating Commission Chair Gilbert Feltel, who said they were chosen based on experience and merit and the commissioners’ determination as to which applicants have “the most achievement and the best chance of success” as a county judge.
Scott has 60 days to make the selection, or he may ask the commission to submit other candidates.
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