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: Sarah Willis June 18, 2018 Date disclosure statement completed: Circuit Court Judge (Group 25) Judicial position sought: 15th Judicial Circuit Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction(s) in which admitted to practice law: Jurisdiction Date Admitted Florida Bar - State of Florida May 2, 2006 US District Court, Southern District of Florida November 4, 2013 Florida Bar No Years admitted to practice law: Years in the legal profession: 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: Having been a litigator and a quasi-judicial officer, I am uniquely qualified to serve as Circuit Court Judge. I served as an Assistant State Attorney in the Special Victims Unit, handling complex, high profile criminal cases involving capital sexual battery, rape, homicide, child pornography, child molestation and aggravated child abuse. As an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor for the Florida Attorney General, I handled complex multi-jurisdictional cases involving racketeering, murder, money laundering and child pornography. Most recently, I presided over thousands of post-judgment family matters and mental health matters in the Circuit Court as a General Magistrate and Child Support Hearing Officer. 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 N/A 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 N/A Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments over which you have presided: As a General Magistrate and Child Support Hearing Officer for the 15th Judicial Circuit, I have presided over hundreds of evidentiary hearings on domestic relations and mental health matters in the Circuit Court 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 law (approximately 66%), Family Law (approximately 25%) and Mental Health (approximately 9%) Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments in which you have participated as legal counsel: Please provide the number of jury trials 89 and the number of bench trials 33 in which you have participated. I have been the lead or sole chair in 73 of my 89 jury trials. My trial experience includes many serious and complex matters, involving charges such as capital sexual battery, lewd molestation, homicide and racketeering. 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: To the extent applicable, please quantify any additional alternative dispute resolution/negotiation experience: 3

4 Have you ever been Board Certified in any area(s) of practice? If yes, please identify: The area(s) of practice: N/A 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 % and the percentage that has involved representing defendants %. Undergraduate Education: Name of institution: Florida Atlantic University Degree received/major: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) - Major: Painting; Minors: Spanish and Psychology Academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship; Florida Atlantic University Presidential Scholarship; Golden Key National Honors Society; National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Academic All-Stars; Florida Atlantic University Lower Division Honors Program; Rotoract, President 4

5 Law School Education: Name of institution: Degree received: Florida State University College of Law 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): Certified Legal Internship at the Office of the State Attorney, 15th Judicial Circuit; Summer abroad at Oxford University; Mock Trial Team, Recruitment Chair; Women Lawyer's Association, Vice-President Number of hours devoted to public work while in undergraduate or law school. Additional Educational History (if applicable): Name of Institution Degree Received Special awards, recognitions, honors, or leadership roles (if any) Employment: Present employer: Self Number of years with present employer: 1 month Present position: Attorney Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: Florida Statutes required me to resign from my position as a General Magistrate and Child Support Hearing Officer in order to run for Circuit Court Judge. 5

6 List All Prior Employers and Occupations, Legal or Non-legal, for the Last Ten Years: Employer: State of Florida Number of years employed with this employer: 3 years, 8 months Position/specialty: General Magistrate for the 15th Judicial Circuit Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: As a General Magistrate and Child Support Hearing Officer, I presided over hundreds of Circuit Court cases involving: Establishment of Child Support and Paternity; Post-judgment Dissolution and Paternity matters (i.e. child support, alimony, parental responsibility, timesharing, equitable distribution); Mental Health (Marchman Act and Baker Act proceedings); and Guardianship. As a Magistrate, I demonstrated an ability and eagerness to learn new substantive areas of law and procedure, all the while maintaining a compassionate yet strong judicial demeanor when dealing with challenging issues and litigants in court. Employer: Rudolph & Associates, LLP Number of years employed with this employer: 7 months Position/specialty: Associate Attorney Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: I was introduced to a new area of law and, representing individuals as they were dealing with emotional family matters, I gained a better understanding of the attorney/client relationship. Employer: Florida Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution Number of years employed with this employer: 2 years Position/specialty: Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: Prior to serving as an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor, I was an Assistant State Attorney for nearly six years, during which time I served in the Special Victim's Unit handling complex, high profile criminal cases involving capital sexual battery, rape, homicide, child pornography, child molestation and aggravated child abuse from investigation through sentencing. As an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor for the Florida Attorney General, I handled complex multi-jurisdictional cases involving racketeering, murder, money laundering and child pornography. As a prosecutor, I have litigated 89 jury trials, many of which involved the most vulnerable of victims and the most serious of charges. 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 Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Palm Beach Chapter Dates of Participation 2010 to 2015 and Present Office Held (If applicable) Working Parents Committee, Chair, Palm Beach County Bar Association Family Law Practice Committee Palm Beach County Bar Association Professionalism Committee 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 Florida Bar Family Law Section Continuing Legal Education; Panel Member, "A View From the Bench: How Judges Approach and Decide Contested Timesharing Cases" Palm Beach State College; Adjunct Legal Instructor on Sex Crimes Investigations, Human Trafficking Investigations, and Crimes Against Children March 2016 March January 2014 Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association (FPAA), Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Course, Lecturer on Human Trafficking FPAA Seminar, Introduction to Human Trafficking April 2013 December 2010 The 2010 Human Trafficking Seminar was the first of its kind offered by FPAA. 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: Lawyers for Literacy Summer Slide Program Volunteer, Summer 2018, Summer 2017 and Summer 2016 Chester Bedell Mock Trial, Volunteer Judge, 2015 Working With CSEC Cases, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Community Intervention Project Training, West Palm Beach, Florida, January 2013 and August 2013 Women's Foundation's Girls Leadership Institute, Mentor, November 2013 and September 2012 Trainer for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) training course, 2011 The Butterfly House - First Rape Crisis Center in Palm Beach County, Steering Committee for State Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto which successfully led to creation of the center at Wellington Regional Hospital, Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force Committee on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Youth Court, 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: N/A 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: N/A 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. 22 June 18 Executed this day of, 20. Name Sarah Willis Certification Confirmation (must be checked prior to submission): 10