DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW
Former judges can’t use title ‘judge’ during campaigns

"The nonbinding (state Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee) opinion released May 13 could be a factor in the state Judicial Qualifications Commission’s case against Broward County Court Judge Terri-Ann Miller."

SENTINEL
A fortune built from a jail cell in Palm Beach County

'The Fixer' a veteran with statewide respect

"The former attorney general (Bob Butterworth) can open doors Obama can't."

Study: Exposure to lead may push children to become criminals

"The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime."

MIAMI HERALD
Imperato Reduces Gardiner's Extraordinary Bonds
"Bail had initially been set at more than $1.4 million for most of the 13 suspects accused of being involved in the Chappy Sports Gambling and Bookmaking Enterprise, an Internet operation based out of Costa Rica. Its employees worked in South Florida and processed countless thousand-dollar bets for customers."

Crist Will Overhaul Supreme Court with At Least Four Appointments

BRADENTON HERALD
Fla. Supreme Court lets judges do limited fundraising

"Judges will be able to lend their names and titles to law related events including fundraisers, a sharply divided Florida Supreme Court ruled."

LAW.COM
Religious Group Questions Fla. Judicial Ethics Code

"The Florida Code of Judicial Conduct rule at issue mandates that judges must recuse in any case where in the course of an election campaign they committed themselves on an issue or controversy that later comes before them on the bench."

THE CALGARY HERALD
Vampirish way to serve your traffic violations

"When Broward County Court Judge Steven Shutter hands down a sentence, convicted motorists are often given a choice of paying the fine, performing community service or donating blood."

SUN-HERALD.COM
Special DUI Rehab Court Approved In Sarasota
Defendants convicted of DUI charges may soon obtain rehabilitation through a special court endorsed Wednesday by the Sarasota County Commission  Wayne Applebee, criminal justice policy coordinator, was joined by County Judge David Denkin to ask the commissioners to authorize the establishment of the court through grant funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  "Studies show what makes this program work where others have failed is that (offenders) appear in front of the same judge — me — on a regular basis every two weeks," Denkin said. "The purpose? To see how they're moving through the program, to reward them for good behavior and to deal with immediate sanctions for poor behavior."

ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Florida should set bar higher for circuit judgeships

"(T)he perfect candidate to ascend to the bench would be a lawyer who has done time in both trenches, as prosecutor and public defender, good-guy avenger and perpetual underdog. (We need more judges who know what "underdog" feels like.)

My candidate would then have gone into private practice to hone skills in civil or family or some other useful law, gaining perspective and experience over at least a decade, hopefully more.

But to become a circuit judge in Florida, you need only to have been a member of the Florida Bar for five years...

(W)e would hope no one would run for judge just because hanging out a shingle can be a tough go and, hey, the gig comes with a steady paycheck, benefits and a really nice parking space. We would hope."

ABOVE THE LAW
Looking To Transition From Law To Near Journalism? ATL Is Hiring