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: Adam McGinnis June 15, 2018 Date disclosure statement completed: County Court Judge Judicial position sought: Orange County Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction(s) in which admitted to practice law: Jurisdiction Date Admitted Florida 9/22/2005 Florida Bar No Years admitted to practice law: Years in the legal profession: 13 years 15 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: County Court is the people's court. It is a citizen's first impression of our judicial system. I ran in 2012 to serve as a County Judge because I believed then, as I do now, that a Judge is an individual's last hope to make sure they are treated fairly and with respect, regardless of why they are in Court. As a sitting Judge, I have spent six years committed to the promotion of legal, moral and ethical values in our system and I am asking the citizens of Orange County to once again put their trust in me. 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 County 2012 Orange County 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 County 2012-Current Orange County Judge Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments over which you have presided: I have presided over evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments almost every day during my tenure as a Judge. The actual number is in the thousands ,000+ Please provide the number of jury trials and the number of bench trials over which you have presided. I estimate that I have presided over more than 2,000 jury and non jury trials as a Judge in both criminal court and civil court. 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 Traffic 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. My law practice concentrated on criminal and traffic defense. During my time as an attorney in private practice I represented over 20,000 individuals in County Court. My typical clients were individuals and small business owners who were either appearing in court for the first time or so scared to appear that they hired me to appear on their behalf. Being a small business owner myself and interacting directly with my clients gave me the insight to understand not only the legal ramifications of a case but the financial, social and mental ramifications that an individual undergoes during litigation. Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments in which you have participated as legal counsel: As a lawyer I appeared in County Court before a Judge, Hearing Officer or Magistrate on a daily basis. I represented clients in over 30,000 hearings. Please provide the number of jury trials 20+ and the number of bench trials 100+ in which you have participated. Almost every trial that I participated in was in County Court, I have tried civil cases, criminal cases, probate cases, traffic cases and landlord tenant cases. Number of arbitration hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: My practice did not include areas of law with arbitration. Number of administrative hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: My practice did not include areas of law with administrative hearings. To the extent applicable, please quantify any additional alternative dispute resolution/negotiation experience: I was a Florida Supreme Court certified County Mediator. As a mediator I volunteered and mediated hundreds of county civil mediations. As an attorney, I represented clients as lead counsel in at least 25 mediations or settlement conferences. As a Judge I have reviewed and referred hundreds of cases to mediation. I have been involved in mediations with regards to every matter that appears in County Court. 3

4 Have you ever been Board Certified in any area(s) of practice? If yes, please identify: The area(s) of practice: 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 5 % and the percentage that has involved representing defendants 95 %. Undergraduate Education: Name of institution: University of Central Florida Degree received/major: Bachelor in Science, Liberal Arts. Minor in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida Academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations: Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity-Member and Pledge Trainer. Tau Alpha pi, National Honor Society for Engineering Technology-Member. UCF first year advising department, St. Petersburg College Math department tutor. 4

5 Law School Education: Name of institution: Degree received: Barry University School of Law, Orlando, Florida Juris Doctor Internships/in-school clerkships, academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations (e.g., law review, moot court, legal clinics): Hispanic American Law Student Association-Treasurer-Board Member of the Year 2005 Black Law Student Association-Member Women's Lawyer Association-Member Student Body Government -Treasurer Student Bar Association-Member Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity-Social Chair Book Award-Immigration Law Number of hours devoted to public work while in undergraduate 100's or law school. 100's Additional Educational History (if applicable): Name of Institution Degree Received Special awards, recognitions, honors, or leadership roles (if any) Valencia College St. Petersburg College University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Studied under Chief Justice W. Rehnquist Employment: Present employer: State of Florida Number of years with present employer: 5 years 6 months Present position: Orange County Judge Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: I was elected by the citizens of Orange County in 2012.As a Judge I have reduced the case load and median case time in every division I have been assigned to. I began the innovative practice of en masse hearings in county civil court and was able to reduce the case load for all Orange County civil divisions by 15% in one year. I have been assigned to almost every division in County Court, in addition to mastering new areas of law, I have obtained thousands of hours of experience in all aspects of running a docket and courtroom. I have a reputation in the community of being fair and working with all parties. 5

6 List All Prior Employers and Occupations, Legal or Non-legal, for the Last Ten Years: Employer: Skubiak and Rivas, P.A. Number of years employed with this employer: 1 year Position/specialty: Attorney Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: Our Firm focused on traffic and criminal cases throughout Florida. During my time at the firm I was the attorney assigned to handle all criminal jury and non jury trials. I was able to expand my legal knowledge of County Court through the experience of the partners at the firm. Together, we represented approximately 4,000 people in County Court in Handling over 4,000 cases in one year required organization, discipline and legal skill. I tried cases to verdict in both County and Circuit Court in both Orange and Osceola County. I took pride in mentoring younger attorneys in the community and growing the firm financially. Employer: Adam K. McGinnis, P.L. Number of years employed with this employer: 6 Position/specialty: Attorney Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: My firm focused on Traffic and Criminal Cases. Handled over 20,000 cases in County Court throughout my state wide practice. I also handled landlord tenant, credit card disputes, foreclosure actions, probate, real estate transaction. I was a member of Attorneys Title Fund. 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 Orange County Bar Association Dates of Participation 2005-Current Office Held (If applicable) Rotary Club of West Orange County Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida 2011-Current 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 Key Note Speaker at the May 2017 Barry University School of Law Graduation. May 2017 I am the first graduate of Barry University School of Law to be Elected as a Judge. Rising Star Alumni of the Year Award, Barry University School of Law November 2013 Presenter for Inside the Courts, 9th Judicial Circuit Presenter Bench Bar Conference-First Party Insurance Presenter OCBA Professionalism Panel-Family Matters 9th Judicial Circuit Warrant Committee

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: Usher, daycare volunteer at First Baptist Church of Orlando, 2011-Current UCF Creative School for Children, Volunteer at Lake Eola Charter School teacher assistant Volunteer soccer coach at Pine Hills Boys and Girls Club Fairview Vista Condominium Association, West Orange Rotary Club handy cap wheel chair ramp projects Board Member and Treasurer, UCF/Barry Law School Moot Court Judge Public Defender Clothing Drive 2011, 2012 SouthSide Church Backpack giveaway 2009, 2010, 2011 Clearwater Central Catholic assistant soccer coach Orlando Science Center 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: 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: No 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: No 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: 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. 15 June 18 Executed this day of, 20. Name Adam McGinnis Certification Confirmation (must be checked prior to submission): 10