by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The Fourth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission sent six names to Gov. Rick Scott Tuesday for his consideration to fill the vacancy created by the death of Circuit Judge Jefferson Morrow.
The commission interviewed 24 applicants Tuesday and selected nominees for the vacancy:
• Suzanne Bass, Law Office of Suzanne Bass.
• Kevin Blazs, Duval County Judge.
• Alan Chipperfield, Office of the Public Defender, Eighth Judicial Circuit.
• David Hallman, attorney for Nassau County.
• Harvey Jay III, Saalfield, Shad, Jay, Stokes & Inclan.
• Andrew Kantor, Brennan, Manna & Diamond.
It was the maximum of nominees allowed. Scott has 60 days to choose from the pool of nominees or ask the commission for a new list.
The applicants included attorneys, Duval County judges and three lawyers from the State Attorney’s Office.
The commission had the discretion to choose applicants to interview from the pool of 24, but it chose to interview all who applied.
The commission met in the chambers of Chief Judge Donald Moran at the Duval County Courthouse.
As it was meeting, state legislators were working to change the process for appointing judges in Florida.
“This might be the last time we meet,” said commission Chair Wayne Alford, referring to proposed legislation in the Florida Senate.
Having been passed by the House, the Senate is considering SB 2170, which would retain the current membership-selection process of the judicial nominating commissions but would terminate all current members of judicial nominating commissions.
“The governor would appoint new members to each commission for staggered terms: two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2012 (one of which shall be an appointment selected from nominations by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar); two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2013; and two appointments for terms ending July 1, 2014,” according to the bill. The final three appointees would serve four-year terms.
Currently, each nominating commission consists of nine members. The Fourth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission includes Chair Wayne Alford, Richard Alexander, Chip Bachara, Dexter Van Davis, Kyle Gavin, Deno Hicks, Robert O’Quinn, William Prichard Jr. and Greg Strickland.
Five members are appointed by the governor, but four selections are made from a list submitted by The Florida Bar Board of Governors. It presents the governor with a list of three recommendations for each seat and the governor can choose from the list or ask for a new list.
Two members of the commission are not attorneys. Strickland is an investigator for the Public Defender’s Office and Deno Hicks is a governmental affairs specialist..
Gavin and Bachara are the newest appointees to the commission and applicants were notified that Gavin would not be voting in the process as long as an applicant from his firm, Katie Dearing, was involved in the selection process.
Davis was also attending his first meeting as a member of the commission and found himself in the position of interviewing some of his mentors — former Fourth Circuit Assistant Public Defender Alan Chipperfield and Assistant State Attorney Mark Borello.
“It’s tough because I know and respect them, but it also helps because I know more about them then what is on the paper,” said Davis.
The commission gave each applicant about 15 minutes to explain why he or she wanted to be a circuit judge and answer questions from commission members. Eighteen men and six women applied.
The commission members asked questions aimed at finding out if the applicant could be a fair and impartial part of the judicial system.
As a judge: Could defense lawyers give equal weight to the prosecution’s argument and could prosecutors do the same with a zealous advocate? Could an attorney who has handled mostly criminal cases transition to the civil division?
For the two Duval County Court judges: would they be prepared to handle a case that could include the death penalty?
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