11 candidates run for county judge seats in Orange, Seminole
Eleven candidates are running for five county judge seats in Orange and Seminole counties in the Aug. 23 primary.
In Orange County, three incumbent judges are running to keep their spot on the bench, while a prosecutor and government attorney campaign for an open judicial seat. In Seminole County, a retired circuit judge is competing against two attorneys for a chance to be a county judge.
Judicial races, which are non-partisan, are open to all voters.
County judges serve six-year terms and earn an annual salary of $172,015. They handle misdemeanors, small claims, traffic offenses and civil disputes involving $30,000 or less.
Orange County, Group 2
County Judge Andrew Bain faces a challenge from Assistant Public Defender Jared Adelman to keep his seat.
Before being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the bench in 2020, Bain, 37, said he worked as a prosecutor for about seven years in the Orange-Osceola circuit, responsible for cases involving misdemeanors, felonies and juvenile delinquencies.
Bain said his life experiences — from being a McDonald’s fry cook to a professional athlete — have made him a judge with “sharp hearing and the ability to understand.”
“The ability to listen with your whole body by a person with diverse life experiences brings the ability to understand the parties before the court,” Bain said.
Adelman, 36, said he has spent 12 years working at the Orange-Osceola public defender’s office, where he manages attorneys as a division chief. He said he has also volunteered with Teen Court, a juvenile diversion program, for the last 20 years.
Adelman described his judicial philosophy as a belief that judges should “follow the law and not allow their personal opinions to impact their decisions.”
“Patience and the ability to listen to both sides without prejudging the issues is the most important quality a judge can have and the temperament necessary to do the job,” he said.
The incumbent said he is the better candidate for the position because he has “actual judicial experience.”
“I am the only one with both criminal and civil experience,” he said. “... My opponent has expressed that judges should not be learning on the bench. I am a lifetime student of the law and will continue to be until I leave this profession.”
Adelman said he has “substantially more trial experience” than his opponent and is board certified in criminal trial law.
“I have spent my career making sure that every individual has a voice and that everyone’s rights are protected,” he said.
Orange County, Group 8
County Judge Elizabeth Starr is running for re-election against private attorney Michael Morris.
Starr, 49, has been a county judge for seven years in both the criminal and civil divisions after being appointed by former Gov. Rick Scott in 2015. Before that, she said she served as the Central Florida bureau chief for the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, where she dealt with cases involving fraud, price gouging and telemarketing scams.
Starr said her judicial philosophy is interpreting the law based on “the plain meaning of the language” and not inserting her opinion or beliefs.
“Everyone who comes into my courtroom is treated exactly the same because I pride myself on simply following the law,” she said.
Morris, 59, said he has been an attorney for close to three decades, practicing mainly in the area of family law but also bankruptcy, civil and criminal cases. He has also served as a voluntary guardian ad litem for children and participated in clinics for legal aid groups.
Morris said judges have to be patient but also be able to “keep cases moving at a pace that will resolve them in a reasonable manner.”
“As judges, we have to set aside our personal beliefs, and simply be stewards of the law, while trying to be civil and educational to those coming before us about their cases,” he said.
Starr said her judicial experience in both criminal and civil cases makes her a better fit for the job, as does her judicial philosophy.
“Not following the law as it is written allows judges to bring their own beliefs into the courtroom and into their decisions, eviscerating any type of neutrality that is required of judges,” she said.
Morris said unlike his opponent, he is not a “textualist,” a mode of interpreting legal texts based only on the text’s ordinary meaning.
“I will listen to all arguments but still decide them according to the law as it stands at that time,” he said.
Orange County, Group 9
Prosecutor Steven Casey Miller is competing against Amanda Sampaio Bova, a senior attorney for the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation, for an open spot on the county judicial bench.
Miller, 36, is an assistant state attorney in Lake County. He said he worked previously for the Orange-Osceola state attorney’s office after graduating from Florida A&M University’s law school in 2013.
As a judge, Miller said he would not take things personally or have an ego.
“To me, we’re all equal,” he said. “... Just because I wear a black robe and you walk in [with] a white T-shirt and some shorts doesn’t make me any better than you.”
Sampaio Bova, 42, said before her current job, she was an assistant public defender and ran her own practice. She has been involved in local and state legal organizations, including serving as chairperson on a Florida Bar grievance committee.
Sampaio Bova said county court, known as the “people’s court,” requires judges who are understanding and patient, as well as having the ability to “explain to people in a respectful way that judges are bound by the law.”
“Judges are not supposed to make new law or to rule based on their personal preferences,” she said. “Where judges have discretion, I would seek to use sound discretion, and rule fairly and consistently.”
Sampaio Bova said she would be a better fit for the position because she has more experience than her opponent and is a board-certified attorney.
“I have a strong record of community involvement, leadership roles and community service,” she said. “He has no reported record of community service and he has not held leadership positions in any Bar organizations that I can find a record of.”
Miller said he did not know much about his opponent. The prosecutor said he decided to run for the position after observing judges during the past nine years in court and feeling frustrated.
“You start to see the good versus the bad,” he said. “You start to see the ones who follow the law versus the ones who disregard the law.”
Orange County, Group 17
Incumbent County Judge Elizabeth Gibson faces a challenge from criminal defense attorney Josh Adams to keep her spot on the bench.
Gibson, 43, was appointed by DeSantis to the post in 2020 after previously serving as the general counsel for Christian Care Ministry and a prosecutor in the Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Adams, 42, also worked as a prosecutor before opening a practice with his wife in 2013 where he focuses on representing indigent clients.
Both candidates have ties to the military. Gibson said she comes from a military family who came to Orlando when her family was stationed at the Naval Training Center. Adams said he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and led an infantry fireteam during combat operations in Afghanistan.
As a judge, Gibson said she listens carefully to all the parties and makes a “diligent effort” to ensure that everyone understands where things stand.
“I see individuals who are not familiar with our justice system, and I think it is essential for me as the judge to take the time to ensure they leave with a clear understanding of what is happening with their case and a feeling that they were heard and treated fairly,” she said.
Adams said he’d prioritize showing those who appear before him a “high degree of respect” and ensuring trials are completed “in a fair way to all parties.”
“My judicial philosophy would be first defined by hard work, to ensure the litigants receive the access and attention their cases require,” he said.
Gibson said she is “uniquely qualified” to continue serving on the bench because of her experience and record of service.
“This breadth of experience shaped me into a judge who works every day to treat everyone who comes to court with respect and equity,” she said.
Adams said he is a better fit for the position because he has more experience in dealing with the different cases that come before a county judge, like evictions, dog bites and car accident injuries.
“I have proven myself as a problem solver, and I have superior experience with all sides of county court,” he said.
Seminole County, Group 5
Retired Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester faces off against two attorneys, Carsandra “Sandy” Buie and Erik Swenk, for a spot on the county bench.
Lester, 68, served as a circuit judge for 24 years, primarily in the felony division presiding over serious criminal cases but also in other divisions hearing juvenile delinquency and guardianship cases.
“My judicial philosophy is one of ensuring that constitutional rights are protected inside and outside of the courtroom,” Lester said. “... My philosophy is to get a good result based upon the facts, law and the assistance of counsel in an atmosphere conducive to determining the truth of the matter.”
Lester presided over the early stages of the George Zimmerman case in 2012 before he was ordered to step down by an appeals court after Zimmerman’s defense argued he had shown bias. Lester had accused Zimmerman, who faced a murder charge for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, of showing “blatant disregard for the judicial system” by failing to disclose more than $100,000 in donations from the public.
“Voters should understand that lying in court is not tolerated,” Lester said of the incident this week. “You do not reward lying by ignoring it and it does have consequences.”
Buie, 54, said she began her career as an assistant public defender before opening her own practice focusing on probate and estate matters. She also serves children with special needs in court on dependency cases and has been recognized for her service by the statewide Guardian Ad Litem program.
“I will be free from bias and have a commitment to equality and justice under the law,” she said.
Swenk, 42, said he works as a hearing office supervisor for the Florida Department of Children and Families inspector general’s office, where he presides over administrative public assistance hearings. Before that, he had his own practice representing clients in real estate foreclosures and creditor’s rights claims.
“I believe our judges are also in a unique position to not only rule on cases that come before them but to address the underlying issues that cause the actions that bring people into our courts in the first place,” Swenk said.
Buie said she is the right choice for the position because she has grown up in the area and shares “Seminole County values.”
“As an attorney, I have worked to serve our community by representing children in need [and] protecting the weakest members of our society,” she said. “I have a passion for service and justice.”
Lester cited his 40 years of experience as a judge and attorney as the reason he would be a better fit for the role.
“I bring the full range of life, business and legal experience to the table, meaning there is a good chance that I have seen the situation that brings the parties to court on a multitude of occasions,” he said.
Lester pointed out that Swenk has a history of substance and alcohol abuse. Swenk, who has been open about his battle with addiction, said he has maintained his sobriety for years.
“Miraculously, I found a program for recovery that allowed me to break completely away from the hold of alcohol and turn my life into one of service to others,” he said.
Swenk said he is the better candidate because, unlike Lester, he can finish his term. Florida’s Constitution sets the retirement age for judges at 75.
“With one candidate who has already retired and is now looking to come back for a term that cannot be completed under our state constitution, and the other candidate lacking any experience as an adjudicator, I believe this sets me apart from both other candidates,” he said.
Lester said he would “age out” of the position in August of his last year.
“The remaining few months I would do for free as a senior judge or at senior judge reduced rates if they won’t let me work for free,” he said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the group in which candidates Kenneth Lester, Carsandra Buie and Erik Swenk are running. It’s Group 5.
