Herald Picks Seidman, But Both Candidates Great
BY BUDDY NEVINS
“Do you want to see the three guns I carry? County Judge Lee Seidman joked.
Seidman and I were discussing his judicial campaign. We were discussing the rumors that constantly follow Seidman, including the one that he packs guns all the time — one on his ankle, one on his waist and one in the small of his back.
The judge is one of the Broward legal system’s favorite piñatas. He is a constant target of anonymous bloggers and the wagging in the courthouse corridors.
He is unconventional.
Maybe he carries guns. So what? It’s legal.
Maybe he drives a former police car. So what? That’s legal, too.
Maybe his maneuvering earlier this year as he tried to decide which judicial seat to run for was a bit too Machiavellian.
But Seidman doesn’t deserve all the derision.
Seidman is a veteran state and federal prosecutor. He also served as a general masters in family court.
Seidman knows his stuff.
The problem is that Seidman is facing another eminently qualified candidate, Sandra Perlman. They are running for an open circuit court seat as Seidman attempts to move up from the county bench.
Perlman has 24 years legal experience, much of it at the Broward Public Defenders Office. She now handles death penalty cases, which is a job for only the top lawyers in the office.
The Miami Herald today had nice things to say about Perlman. The paper, however, endorsed Seidman, which is a big boost to his campaign.
I like Seidman and Perlman. The voters can’t lose in this race. Broward will be well served by either one.
The Herald endorsement is here.
July 7th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
when was he a federal prosecutor?
FROM BUDDY: According to the Herald, around 1999
July 7th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Buddy, or should I say, Sam.
You seem to have fallen in Sam Fields’ trap. Fields needs all these incumbents because he appears in court regularly. Do you, Buddy, really know Lee Seidman or are you following the orders of your paymaster? Everybody knows Fields pays you to print his crap.
July 7th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Kudo’s to the Herald on most, if not all, of their judicial endorsements so far.
Most of the judicial challengers, while brash in their bold challenges to sitting judges, campaign with proper demeanor.
Some however, do not.
Here is an example of why these challenges are laughable:
It is truly unfortunate that judicial “candidate” Alan Schneider was overheard at the recent meeting of the Hollywood Democratic Club on June 22nd telling another attendee, who happened to be an elected official:
“Judge Elijah Williams sits on the Juvenile Criminal Court because that’s all he can do”.
Defamatory statements like that are sure to win him votes.
Nice going Alan, keep campaigning for Judge Williams with your unique “foot stuck in mouth strategy”.
Judicial candidates usually talk about their own qualifications when they address voters, but Mr. Schneider apparently does not have any valid qualifications to disseminate, so he instead badmouths and berates his 8-year veteran incumbent opponent?
Alan Schneider obviously knows Judge Williams as well as Broward County knows Alan Schneider…not at all, according to the Herald.
What gives Alan Schneider the right to challenge and then berate a fine Judge like Judge Elijah Williams while having only 9 years of legal experience and a big mouth?
This group of challengers, for the most part, are why the Miami Herald has chosen to bestow endorsements on the incumbents.
July 8th, 2010 at 2:06 am
If you have seen the floor show which is Judge Williams courtroom you will see that Schnieder is right. His amosNandy combined with Judge joe brown routine would not go far in any other Division.