In Florida, stories from county courts rarely make the news, yet they are far more likely to make a real impact on the lives of average Floridians. County-court issues such as evictions, small-claims disputes, misdemeanors and traffic offenses tumble through the court system by the hundreds every day, but for each of those litigants or defendants, the stakes can be sky-high: The loss of a driver’s license could mean the end of someone’s employment. A county court lawsuit could have as much as $50,000 in dispute. And it’s impossible to deny the impact of an eviction.
That’s why county courts are so important — and why it’s so important that the right people serve as county court judges. The never-ending churn of cases demands efficiency. But the best judges must also keep sight of the fact that the people who appear before them are often scared. Some don’t have attorneys. Others might not speak English. Upholding justice means seeing the human beings as individuals, not just members of a large crowd.
It’s a balancing act that demands wisdom, compassion and above all, experience. That’s why the Orlando Sentinel is recommending that voters retain the incumbent in two local judges’ races. Though both are facing highly competent challengers, both of these judges have commanded the respect of their peers and the area’s legal community. Voters shouldn’t throw away the years of hard-won knowledge that these two jurists represent.
Orange County Judgeship, Group 11
Judge Adam McGinnis has been on the bench since 2012, following a legal career that included traffic-ticket defense and other cases that put him in county court every day. As a judge, he’s served in nearly every division of county court — overseeing first appearances at the jail, hearing domestic violence injunctions, managing misdemeanor and civil dockets. It’s a tenure that lets him speak with ease about all the challenges a judge might face, and how he keeps the human needs of the people who appear before him in mind.
Over that time, he’s learned to deal with litigants who are clearly in over their heads — walking the tough line between making sure they understand what is going on, without favoring them over other parties. That’s given him knowledge that should help him identify the right places to expand self-help resources and other educational programs that help people understand the law before they walk into the courtroom.
“A county court judge is really the only elected official that a lot of individuals ever meet face to face,” he told the Sentinel editorial board last month. He’s keenly aware of the power —- and responsibility — that conveys.
Lisa Gong Guerrero, who is challenging McGinnis this year, expresses much the same attitude — in fact, during the editorial board interview, she and McGinnis mostly shared overlapping values and priorities. She has an impressive background as a prosecutor, with 18 years’ experience that includes high-ranking jobs handling homicide cases and overseeing other attorneys. She seems to have all the qualities that would make for an excellent judge at the county or circuit level. But replacing McGinnis would be a mistake for voters who have benefited from his legal expertise for more than a decade.
The Orlando Sentinel endorses Orange County Judge Adam McGinnis for re-election in Group 11.
Osceola County Judgeship, Group 2
When she was first elected as an Osceola County judge six years ago, Gabrielle Sanders-Morency brought the kind of backstory that helped strengthen her rapport with the people who appeared before her. Born in Haiti, she came to the United States at the age of 7 with little knowledge of English — but blew through barrier after barrier, focusing on law in middle school and never looking back. She started work as a prosecutor, and realized how critical judges were to the fair administration of justice, both inside the courtroom and through allocating (and demanding) resources where they are needed.
It speaks volumes about her reputation in the Osceola County legal community that she was elected without opposition in 2018, even without a judicial background. Assigned to a county civil docket, Sanders-Morency seems to have quickly solidified that reputation through her courtroom demeanor and transition to criminal court. She’s adopted procedural changes that move cases toward resolution more quickly, preserving courtroom time for those people who might otherwise be overlooked or outgunned. She also speaks compellingly of the need to improve access to interpreters and translation services for the wide variety of people who appear in county court (and who are not always high-priority for the limited resources now.)
Her opponent, Chris Bailey, is also an appealing candidate, and has good ideas about improving access to courts through technology. But he’s only been practicing law since 2017, and while he’s tried a wide variety of cases (largely in private practice) he doesn’t have a good argument for voters to unseat Sanders-Morency. Osceola voters should keep her on the job.
The Orlando Sentinel endorses Osceola County Judge Gabrielle Sanders-Morency for re-election in Group 2.
We urge voters to not rely solely on our opinions in deciding how to cast a vote. Voters should check the candidates’ campaign websites and social media accounts (if they don’t have either, that should be a red flag). Ask friends and neighbors what they think. Google the candidates and check out their campaign finances. In addition, we’ve recorded our interviews and posted them in full at OrlandoSentinel.com/opinion.
Election endorsements are the opinion of the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, which consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Insight Editor Jay Reddick and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Send emails to insight@orlandosentinel.com.
