FLORIDA BAR JUDICIAL CANDIDATE VOLUNTARY SELF-DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Transcription

1 FLORIDA BAR JUDICIAL CANDIDATE PLEASE BEAR IN MIND YOUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER JUDICIAL CANON NO.7 IN PROVIDING ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. THE FLORIDA BAR DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ANSWERS NOR WILL THE BAR EDIT YOUR ANSWERS TO COMPORT WITH THE CANONS. Name: Renee Gordon June 18, 2018 Date disclosure statement completed: Circuit Court Judge Judicial position sought: Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction(s) in which admitted to practice law: Jurisdiction Date Admitted State of Florida July 1995 Florida Bar No Years admitted to practice law: Years in the legal profession: 23 Years 22 Years Personal Statement: In 100 words or less, without discussing any particular issue that may come before you as a judge, explain why you believe you would be a good judge: I have worked either as a full-time or contract attorney for the Public Defender s office for 22 years, having tried more than 150 cases to verdict in misdemeanor, juvenile delinquency, and felony matters. Meanwhile, I also operated a successful private law practice during 12 of those years, handling Civil, Probate, Juvenile and Family Law cases. Thus, my professional experience includes pre-trial practice, settlement negotiation, and trial completion in civil and criminal courts. A native Miamian, I am familiar with the diversity and unique qualities of this county, and I possess the judicial temperament necessary to administer justice to all litigants. 1

2 Prior Candidacy in Judicial Election(s): If you have run in an election for judicial office before, please list the court, relevant date(s) and position: Court Relevant Dates Position Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida 2016 Circuit Court Judge Prior and/or Current Judicial Experience: If you have held judicial office, please state the Courts involved, the dates of service, and the office: Court Relevant Dates Office Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments over which you have presided: Please provide the number of jury trials and the number of bench trials over which you have presided. Current judges may respond to the following questions regarding legal practice only with reference to pre-judicial legal experience. Area(s) of practice: Civil Criminal Government Other 2

3 Please list the primary areas in which you have specialized or have legal expertise and allocate a percentage of your practice to each area. Criminal 30% Juvenile 40% Civil 15% Probate 10% Family 5% Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments in which you have participated as legal counsel: Please provide the number of jury trials approx 85 and the number of bench trials approx 70 in which you have participated. Number of arbitration hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: Number of administrative hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: I have represented several children in administrative school hearings. To the extent applicable, please quantify any additional alternative dispute resolution/negotiation experience: I have represented more than two thousand (2,000) juvenile respondents in proceedings where the State Attorney announced an intent to transfer the matter to the adult criminal court. 3

4 Have you ever been Board Certified in any area(s) of practice? If yes, please identify: The area(s) of practice: No When you were certified in each area of practice: Whether you are currently certified in those areas: Please provide the percentage of your practice that has involved representing plaintiffs 20 % and the percentage that has involved representing defendants 80 %. Undergraduate Education: Name of institution: Morris Brown College Degree received/major: Bachelor of Arts / Business Administration Academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations: 1. Hartford Insurance Group National Scholarship recipient 2. Avon Scholarship recipient 3. Student Government (Secretary) 4. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Dean of Pledges) 5. College Housing Resident Assistant 4

5 Law School Education: Name of institution: Degree received: University of Connecticut School of Law Juris Doctorate Internships/in-school clerkships, academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations (e.g., law review, moot court, legal clinics): 1. Black Student Lawyers Association (President) 2. Health Care Legal Clinic Number of hours devoted to public work while in undergraduate approx 4000 or law school. approx Additional Educational History (if applicable): Name of Institution Degree Received Special awards, recognitions, honors, or leadership roles (if any) University of Florida (transferred) Honors Award for GPA, Student Tutor Employment: Present employer: Office of the Public Defender, Miami-Dade County Number of years with present employer: 10 years ( and 2015-Present); 10 years ( contract attorney) Present position: Assistant Public Defender Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: As an experienced Assistant Public Defender, I bring comprehensive legal knowledge; pre-trial practice, negotiation of pleas, and 150 trial cases to verdict. In addition to my litigation skills, I also bring administrative skills of supervising and training staff as I was a Senior Supervising Attorney in the Juvenile Division of the Public Defender. 5

6 List All Prior Employers and Occupations, Legal or Non-legal, for the Last Ten Years: Employer: Law Office of T. Renee Gordon Number of years employed with this employer: 12 years Position/specialty: Solo Practitioner (Criminal, Civil, Probate, Family, Juvenile) Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: As a solo practitioner, I had the responsibility of managing my own law practice while continuing my work as a contract attorney for the Public Defender's office. In addition to the administrative skills of hiring and supervising staff, I also had to master the art of time-management in order to appear on several court dockets in different courthouses within the course of one day. These combined experiences will assist in making me an excellent jurist, as judges must supervise and manage their staff and their calendars. However, I believe that a judge's temperament is a key factor in the ultimate impression left upon litigants, regardless of the outcome of a case. Therefore, I will rely upon the interpersonal skills which I have garnered while serving my clients in order to ensure that court staff, attorneys, and the public feel respected and regarded when engaging with me. Employer: Number of years employed with this employer: Position/specialty: Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: Employer: Number of years employed with this employer: Position/specialty: Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: 6

7 Law Organizations: Please list legal organizations in which you have been an active member for more than two years and all legal organizations in which you hold a leadership position or which required nomination to join: Organization Name Dates of Participation Office Held (If applicable) The Florida Bar Present Present Member Juvenile Rules Committee Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association Florida Association For Women Lawyers , Present present Member; Volunteer for Law Day; Volunteer for Mentoring Program, Member, Membership Comm. Member Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association Present Member; Volunteer at Legal Clinics Honors and Publications: Please list relevant published articles or books that you have authored, speeches or lectures you have given, and honors, prizes or awards you have received: Title Date Additional Information Representation of Juveniles in the transfer to the adult criminal court 2014 CLE seminar presenter "Litigation Strategies and Education" "You may be a minor but the consequences of an arrest, plea and trial are not minor" United Way American Values Award 11th Judicial Circuit John Balikes Award Excel Int'l Church "Living Legend Award" Delta Sigma Theta Mercedes R. Clark Trailblazer Present Workshop for newly hired Public Defender Lecturer for students at high schools, Church/Synagogue youth groups, and Dept. Of Juvenile Justice. Community Service Award Exemplary Service Award /Child Welfare Community Service Award Leadership Award 7

8 Public Service Pro Bono, Volunteer Work or Military Service: Please provide the dates, activities and any special accomplishments, honors or leadership roles you have played in volunteer, public or military service organizations or in providing pro bono, volunteer, public or military service: Pro Bono representation of juvenile respondents charged with criminal offenses Put Something Back Pro Bono Miami-Dade County Bar Participant Present High School, Department of Juvenile Justice, and Church/Synagogue presenter on "You May Be A Minor, But The Consequences of an Arrest, Plea and Trial are Not Minor" Present Annual "Back to School" Volunteer for City of Miami Gardens and churches Present Panel presenter on "Direct File; Transferring Children to the Adult Court System" for various groups, boards and agencies Present Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Social Justice Committee Appointed to Miami Dade County Black Affairs Advisory Board Farm Share food distribution volunteer Health: Do you currently suffer from or have you suffered from any of the following ailments in the last three years: Dependence on narcotics, drugs or intoxicating beverages Pathological or compulsive behavior Memory loss or impaired judgment Yes No If yes, please identify the ailment and provide full details, including the relevant dates, including dates of diagnosis, if applicable, the treatment received and any additional relevant information: Discipline: If you have ever been found, either involuntarily or by consent, to have committed a violation of The Florida Bar Disciplinary Rules, the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration or the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct for which the discipline imposed was one of the following: (a) public reprimand; (b) suspension; or (c) disbarment, please provide the following information: Date of charge: No Date of disposition: Rule(s) found to have violated: Discipline imposed for rule violation(s): Date reinstated to the Bar or bench: Any conditions imposed for reinstatement (e.g., financial penalty, probation or public service): 8

9 If you have been found to have committed a violation of the ethical or discipline rules, please explain the circumstances surrounding your discipline: For Current or Former Judges: Has the Florida Supreme Court, or a similar body in another state, ever ruled against you on a Notice of Formal Charges by the Judicial Qualifications Commission? If so, please explain the circumstances surrounding the charges and include a description of any discipline imposed: Military Discharge: If you served in the military and your discharge was anything other than honorable or you received a court martial, please provide that information here: Criminal Convictions: Have you ever been convicted or pled no contest to a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude? If so, provide the following information: Date of conviction or plea of no contest: None Crime for which you were convicted or pled no contest: Sentence: Any additional conditions imposed: If you have been convicted or pled no contest to a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude and would like to explain the circumstances surrounding your criminal conviction, you may do so here: 9

10 CERTIFICATION I certify that the information given on The Florida Bar Judicial Candidate Voluntary Self-Disclosure Statement is complete, true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. 18 June 18 Executed this day of, 20. Name Renee Gordon Certification Confirmation (must be checked prior to submission): 10