Gonzalez Stung By Rothstein Fallout
BY BUDDY NEVINS
One more victim of the Scott Rothstein scandal could be former judge Julio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who worked at Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, was scheduled to be interviewed this week in Tallahassee as one of six finalists to replace Judge Robert Carney.
According to the courthouse grapevine, Gonzalez’s chances for a new judicial seat went out the window the day Rothstein fled town amid charges he stole many millions.
Gonzalez now has the RRA cloud over his head.
My guess is that Gov. Charlie Crist will avoid any more association with RRA than he already has. Crist was one of Rothstein’s biggest political beneficiaries.
Crist will avoid naming Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who was appointed to the bench by Crist, lost his seat in the 2008 election by 61-39 percent to now-County Court Judge Ellen Feld.
The other finalists for the Carney seat, according to JAAblog, are Maria Schneider, Raag Singhal, Chris Pole, Michael Usan and David Haimes.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Julio Gonzalez was a star as a judge and everybody says so. He got a bad break, completely undeserved in his election. Needing a job, he joined a lawfirm that everybody was saying was going places. It did not work out well as we all now know.
But Julio can’t be blamed for that and neither can the many good lawyers that worked at RRA. If some were involved in that nightmare, it should be worked out. But for Crist to hold Julio guilty by association, when he had nothing to do with it, simply because Crist might fear how that plays out in his Senate race is for the Governor to not serve the people of this State correctly.
Far and away, Julio Gonzalez is a class act and deserves to be reappointed to the bench. His former association with the RRA firm should have nothing to do with it. He should not be made any more a victim of circumstance than is already unfortunately the case. Julio had nothing to do with what went wrong at that firm and he is a very honorable guy.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
The voters of this County spoke and decided that Julio was unfit to serve the people of this County as a County Court Judge.
You may not like this but it is what it is.
For Julio to get voted out and then have the audacity to try and get a promotion to Circuit shows arrogance second only to Rothstein himself.
The backlash to Crist in giving Julio a promotion after being voted out weighs more as a negative in the Senate race than the fact that Julio worked at RRA.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Buddy,
If pols are giving back the money SR gave them–should charities? And what about his wife? Should she give back the boobs?
November 5th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The simple fact that Julio Gonzalez lost a race for judge should have no impact on the Guv reappointing him. He was a bright and thoughtful judge who was defeated because he was Hispanic.
Alan Gold was put on the Dade Circuit bench by Chiles. He was then defeated by Leslie Rothenberg.
Chiles rightfully reappointed him because he was a great judge who was not much of a politician. President Clinton then appointed him to the Federal bench where he has become a great and courageous judge who has stood up for what is right even when it steps on the government’s toes.
Julio Gonzalez was a tremendous judge who I am afraid to say will be tainted for some time by the RRA debacle.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I agree with Sam (first time ever). The person above who said that Julio was “unfit” needs to put down the Jim Beam. Julio was ranked at the TOP of the bar pole. He was universally repected as a judge.
Julio lost because he was Hispanic (see that there is only one Hispanic elected county wide in Broward).
I also agree with Buddy that he has NO chance of getting appointed. None, Zip.
The reason he won’t get the call is mainly because of who has has worked for.