by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Attorney David L. Thompson may have been the last to qualify for the Group 34 Circuit Court seat, but he’s sure life has prepared him for the job.
Thompson is a general practice attorney with an office in Sam Marco. He went to law school at the University of Missouri at Columbia and has an undergraduate degree in journalism. Thompson ended up in Jacksonville after joining the Navy where he was stationed at Mayport and served as a judge advocate general.
All of this experience, he feels, has prepared him for a second career on the bench.
“I have always had great respect for judges and the job they do,” said Thompson, who is originally from New Orleans. “I have always been amazed by their temperament and that’s extremely important to do the work of the court. My life’s experiences have given me that kind of temperament. It’s the job I should do.”
Thompson is running against attorneys Jack Bettman, John Merrett and Wes White — none of whom are well-known outside the legal community.
“We all have the same problem,” said Thompson, adding he’s talked to a lot of people in and out of the legal community about running and he likes what he’s heard. “I have been encouraged by members of the Bar and other people. I will do what I have to (in the campaign) and let the chips fall.”