Judge Carey's election is now in a recount with him 277 votes behind his opposition, attorney Catherine Catlin. I can tell you that this can challenge a belief in submitting sitting judges to the re-election process. Still, I believe that there must be direct voter input into the process of selecting our judges. Perhaps a once elected judge should be subject to a merit retention vote, rather than a direct contested election. The merit retention is currently used to allow voters to have input into our appellate system. It might work well for the judges who have been elected to a trial court. I do not know what the answer is for a trial judge appointed, but not elected, due to an opening during a term. Perhaps such an appointment should be subject to open election for the first election cycle and merit thereafter. My concern is for the politicizing of judicial office and the escalation of the contentious and expensive nature of any campaign for any office, even a non-partisan one.
Thank you to all who voted, as you are among the less than 5% who voted at all.
Regards,
Lee D. Gunn IV
Gunn Law Group, P.A.
Tampa, FL
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