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: Maxine Dianne Cheesman 6/18/18 Date disclosure statement completed: Circuit Court Judge Judicial position sought: 15th Judicial Circuit Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction(s) in which admitted to practice law: Jurisdiction Date Admitted 15th Judicial Circuit 2005 U.S. District - Middle & Southern Districts of Florida 2006 Florida Bar No. 0011787 Years admitted to practice law: Years in the legal profession: 13 13 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: As a 22-year resident of Palm Beach County, I have the qualifications, experience and temperament to serve as Circuit Court Judge. In my practice, I litigate in the areas of real property, fair housing, bankruptcy, probate, employment and contract law - in hearings, bench and jury trials. I also have 25 years of experience as a scientist, hydrogeologist and former Director with the South Florida Water Management District. I am uniquely qualified to hear complex environmental cases. Additionally, I have a long history of community service and won the 2012 And Justice for All award from the Legal Aid Society. 1
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 15th Judicial Circuit 2014 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 N/A Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments over which you have presided: 0-5 6-15 16-30 31-50 51-100 101-200 201+ 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
Please list the primary areas in which you have specialized or have legal expertise and allocate a percentage of your practice to each area. Currently, I practice in the areas of real property- 25%; fair housing - 15%; bankruptcy - 15%; foreclosure - 10%; probate - 20%, employment - 10%, contract law - 5%. Previously, I also practiced family law from 2007-2009. At the time, it comprised about 8% of my practice. Number of evidentiary hearings, trials and/or oral arguments in which you have participated as legal counsel: 0-5 6-15 16-30 31-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Please provide the number of jury trials 2 and the number of bench trials 46 in which you have participated. Number of arbitration hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: 0-5 6-15 16-30 31-50 51-100 101-200 201+ Number of administrative hearings in which you have participated as legal counsel or hearing officer: 0-5 6-15 16-30 31-50 51-100 101-200 201+ To the extent applicable, please quantify any additional alternative dispute resolution/negotiation experience: 3
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 45 % and the percentage that has involved representing defendants 55 %. Undergraduate Education: Name of institution: University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica Degree received/major: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry Academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations: 1978 First Class Honors; 1978 Cedric Hassel Prize for Excellence in Chemistry: 1978 University of the West Indies Graduate Scholarship 4
Law School Education: Name of institution: Degree received: Nova Southeastern University J.D. (Cum Laude) Internships/in-school clerkships, academic awards, recognitions, honors, leadership roles and participation in academic organizations (e.g., law review, moot court, legal clinics): Florida Bar - Outstanding Labor and Employment Law Student, 2004-2005 Note: I worked full time as a Director with the South Florida Water Management District while attending law school Number of hours devoted to public work while in undergraduate or law school. 4180 Additional Educational History (if applicable): Name of Institution Degree Received Special awards, recognitions, honors, or leadership roles (if any) University of Florida Master of Science (M.S.) I worked full time in the public sector Employment: Present employer: Law Office of Maxine D. Cheesman, P.A. Number of years with present employer: 13 Present position: President Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: My legal, scientific and environmental background uniquely qualifies me to handle cases dealing with complex environmental issues, which often come before a circuit judge. I have a diverse law background in probate, family, and 5 divisions of the county civil Circuit Court. In county civil, I have litigated in contract law, fair housing, construction, quiet title, employment and foreclosure. I also litigate employment, fair housing and bankruptcy in federal court. As a public servant for 27 years, I have always treated people fairly, with respect, candor and patience. 5
List All Prior Employers and Occupations, Legal or Non-legal, for the Last Ten Years: Employer: South Florida Water Management District Number of years employed with this employer: 13 Position/specialty: Division Director Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: In public service, I learned to work with people from different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. At the District, I inherited a group of diverse employees, each with their own biases and intolerant of each other. That not only affected the work environment, but the quality of the work was unsatisfactory. Under my leadership, we instituted an atmosphere of tolerance, respect and kindness to others. As a result, not only did the culture change, but the quality of the work drastically improved. As Director, I managed up to 75 people at one time, and multi-million dollar budgets - with critical time deadlines. I will run the courtroom the same way - patiently listen, treat everyone with dignity and respect and keep the docket flowing by ensuring everyone is focused on each day's goals. Employer: Miami Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM) Number of years employed with this employer: 14 Position/specialty: Supervising Chemist and Hydrogeologist III Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: At DERM, I honed my analytical skills - taking large amounts of data, extracting the essential points and applying it to the law of science to either prove or disprove a hypothesis. This skill taught me how to analytically apply the essential facts of a case to the law, and come up with the right rule of law. I used this skill in law school and now in my professional legal practice. Employer: Number of years employed with this employer: Position/specialty: Explain relevant experience or skills gained that you will bring to the bench: 6
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 F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr. Bar Association Dates of Participation 2007 - present Office Held (If applicable) Florida Bar Association 2005 - present Palm Beach County Bar Association 2005 - present 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 Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County- "And Justice For All Award" 2012 Supreme Court of Florida, The Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar - Pro Bono Service 2006 & 2010 Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and Fair Housing Center of the Palm Beaches "Fair Housing Champion Award" 2018 7
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: Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Volunteer, cooking and feeding the homeless, 1996-present; Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Volunteer, assisted with numerous pro bono events doing wills & foreclosure, 2012-present; The Rotary Club "Feed Palm Beach County Day" at Gaines Park, Volunteer, 2018; I conducted Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinics and presented Bankruptcy as a Foreclosure Defense at various community forums with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, 2012-2014; Presentation to the Palm Beach County Commission on the need for a Wage Theft Ordinance, 2011; People Engaged in Active Community Service (PEACE), Board Member, 2009-2011; Represented and advised numerous clients on a Pro Bono basis, 2005-present; Volunteer at back to school events with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office & other organizations 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
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
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. 18th June 18 Executed this day of, 20. Name Maxine D. Cheesman Certification Confirmation (must be checked prior to submission): 10