by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
About a month ago, so few attorneys had applied for the vacant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida job that Judicial Nominating Committee chair Marcos Marchena saw fit to extend the application deadline. In fact, as of May 30 only one Florida attorney had applied for the job and Marchena wanted to send at least three names to the president for consideration.
The deadline to apply is Friday and the applicant pool has improved, but they still aren’t beating down the door for a chance at the job.
“I think we have received a couple of more applications and I got some phone calls over the past week to 10 days from others asking me how they can get a hold of the application,” said Marchena, an Orlando attorney and partner in the law firm of Marchena & Graham. “I’m guessing this will be similar to the Southern District two years ago when we only got six to seven applications.”
Marchena was appointed to the Committee by U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez and heads the 20-member group that’s comprised of primarily, but not entirely, attorneys.
The job became open when Jacksonville attorney Paul Perez resigned from the post March 30 and took the job as Chief Compliance Officer for Fidelity National Financial Inc. At the time, several U.S. attorneys across the country were either resigning or being fired, something that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has come under scrutiny for since.
On March 31, James Klindt was appointed to the position on an interim basis. Klindt, who has been with the office since 1988, has not applied for the job according to Marchena.
The job pays well — $145,000 annually — and comes with plenty of responsibility. The Middle District stretches from Jacksonville to Florida’s southwest coast and there are offices in Orlando, Ocala, Tampa and Fort Myers. The Middle District includes 35 counties, nine million people and in year’s past, attorneys have clamored for the job.
Currently, however, the state of the Attorney General’s Office, the fact that Pres. Bush only has about 18 months left in office, and the lack of a strong Republican candidate to succeed Bush are all playing roles in the low number of applicants. Because the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District serves at the pleasure of the president, every U.S. Attorney across the country will have to tender their resignation before Bush leaves office. That leaves their future in the hands of the next president.
“The consternation is more over the fact that in order to do a good job, we had to rush the process,” said Marchena. “I think that various newspaper articles across the state have helped get the word out.”
Marchena said getting the job may or may not be a good resume-builder. For an established attorney, getting the job and shutting down their firm or practice for 18 months may not be wise. A young attorney, however, may see it as an opportunity to serve in a top position, make a good impression and hope to get reappointed.
“If it’s at the correct time in your career, it can be a resume-builder,” said Marchena. “You do get to a point in time when you no longer need a resume-builder.”
Once the application deadline passes, Marchena and his committee will review the applications about a week later. From the applicant pool, some or all of the candidates will be asked to give personal interviews, likely in mid-July.
“After the interviews, we will immediately make our recommendations and hopefully we will have at least three names to send to the Senators,” he said.
The nominees will be sent to Martinez, a Republican, and Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, for review. They will then submit a single candidate’s name to Bush for consideration and ultimately, approval from the Senate.
The following comprise the other 19 members of the nominating committee:
• W.C. Gentry, Jacksonville
• Glorious Johnson, Jacksonville
• Wayne Hogan, Jacksonville
• Dr. Javier Garcia Bengochea, Jacksonville
• Bruce Smathers, Jacksonville
• Brian T. Wilson, Orlando
• Tom Cardwell, Orlando
• Becky Martinez, Orlando
• Tom Dukes, Orlando
• William B. Wilson, Orlando
• Gary Lester, The Villages
• Genean McKinnon, Winter Park
• Kathleen Passidomo, Naples
• Martin Garcia, Tampa
• Richard Hadlow, Tampa
• Harlan R. Paul, Deland
• Will Stainton, Tampa
• John M. Fitzgibbons, Tampa
• Benjamin H. Hill III, Tampa