Update: Three Already Running For Judge in 2012
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Three judicial candidates who got crushed in the August 2010 primary are running again.
Debra Steinsaltz has opened a campaign for the Circuit Court seat now held by Marcia Beach. County Judge Peter Skolnik easily beat her in August, 60 to 40 percent.
Frieda Goldstein and Robert Abraham Jakovich have filed papers to run for County Court Group 6 in 2012. The post is currently held by Judge Fred Berman.
Goldstein was buried in August by Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez, 58 to 42 percent. She recently applied to fill a general masters vacancy, too.
Jakovich did even worse against Circuit Judge Matthew Destry, who won 64 to 36 percent.
Since Berman is widely expected to retire after this term, I would expect others entering the race.
I first ran into Berman in 1984 when he was campaign manager of then-Sheriff George Brescher’s campaign.
Brescher ended up losing to Republican Nick Navarro. Brescher ended up becoming a judge and has since retired and moved to the west coast of Florida.
Fred Berman
Berman was 50 and had a personal injury and family law practice when he was appointed to the county court bench by Gov. Lawton Chiles in April, 1995. He filled the seat of the late Harvey Ford.
He will be starting in the West Courthouse in January.
Beach is a former county commissioner who won a seat on the bench in 2000 by beating Browardbeat.com’s guest columnist and defense lawyer Sam Fields. She will be in her upper 60s in 2012, so I don’t know if she will be running for re-election.
December 27th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Goldstien never came to Broward, raised and spent $14,000.00, after paying her filing fee. While Rodriguez spent $250,000, smotherd the tv and raidio airwaves ONLY to win by 58%. With that kind of money and the legendary Judy Stern (and her ECO) behind him to win by such a small margin shows Goldstien must have done something right. Lets remember, he ran and debated an empty chair for a year to only win by 8%.
By those numbers, Goldstien should have no problem against Jackovich if he cant raise $250k and she can raise more than she did last time.
December 27th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Pathetic” above, you like to look at things in a vacuum don’t you?
Goldstein did not do well against Rogriguez, she just didn’t do as bad as other challengers. My god,the woman lost by 16 points!
She also had a built in advantage in Broward: she wasn’t Hispanic! If she had gone against O’Connor, Hurley, Merrigan, Robinson, Destry she would have been clobbered even worse!
Her poor showing against Rodriguesz will count for NOTHING in future races.
Golstein needs a job in Broward (see the losing Circuit race, the General Master application and now her run for County Judge).
She is a Miami carpetbagger who I doubt has ever been in the Broward Courthouse.
She will get crushed in any race she enters in Broward.
Mark it down now.
December 28th, 2010 at 8:30 am
@5:08. Most people don’t pay attention to judicial races; the candidates’ campaign mailers go right into the trash (or recycling bin), and television ads are ignored or quickly forgotten.
If ten percent of those who vote know anything at all about the judicial candidates, they are the ones who will provide the margin of victory.
December 28th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Rodriguez probably could have spent 5k and gotten the same results. He ran a bad campaign and over-spent.
The Goldstein woman was window dressing.
Goldstein’s baggage will keep her from getting universal support outside of the condos. Nowadays the outside the condo vote is what counts.
December 28th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Judge Rodriguez won because he worked harder than his opponent and had great grass roots support. I have known the Judge for most of my life and he is a great man.
While I am sure Carlos would never say it, myself and many of his friends were concerned throughout the race because of the negative attention brought upon him by working with Judy Stern. Judy is as smart as they come and was probably the difference in the victory. On the other side, the constant negative press regarding Eggelletion and other parts of her past were an unneeded distraction. Her daughter running as a Democrat in the heart of the Judge’s East Side Republican base was a problem that had to be overcome. If I had a nickel for every time I campaigned for the Judge and questions about Stern came up, I would not have to work this year.
At the end of the day the right person won and continues to be Judge. In my opinion if someone with less baggage had run the campaign the win would have been bigger. I think Stern is one of the better political minds around town but her enemies and association with convicted politicians makes it had on a candidate to work with her.
December 28th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Jeez Buddy – if a season of judicial politics that just ended didn’t turn out to be a major snoozefest, you’re already starting for 2012?
Holy smokes. And to write about two of the DULLEST candidates that were out there during 2010 and are coming back to cure our insomnia for 2012?
Wow, the holidays really are a slow news period.
Why don’t you find out what Jordan Jordan is doing these days……
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
December 28th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Its quite ridiculous to see all these comments from people, filled with speculation and conjecture. Its pretty clear these people dont know anything about the actual candidates. I can tell you Frieda Goldstein is an amazing attorney and has been for many years. She actually is patient and listens to the merits of a case. She has all the requirements to be an outstanding judge. Like many people, she moved to Broward from Dade, what’s the big deal?
December 28th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Rick: you say that the people posting don’t know the candidates. To the contrary!
Not only do the above posters know about Goldstein, but many others knew ALL about her in this past election.
I had an above-average knowledge of the candidates and I knew that one candidate never practiced law in broward, never entered the downtown broward courthouse, did not live in broward when she filed to run, played on being a Jewish female, was a complete unknown in the legal community in broward and the first time Judge Rodriguez ever saw her was at the SunSentinel interview. Also, she only showed for campaign appearances at near the end of the campaign.
Some publications even pointed out her more than obvious targeting of an Hispanic judge by playing ethnic politics.
Fortunately Rick we in Broward do know about the candidates from this last go-around.
December 28th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
At least Rodriguez was smart enough to keep those named Eggelleton off his campaign payroll. Judge Solomon hired Eggelleton’s brother to do “radio”. If Stern cared about her candidates she would never have that name associated with her or her candidates ever again.
Hopefully Joe’s bro Andre sent some soap on a roap to his bro for Christmas. Dont want to drop the soap where Joe is staying.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:52 am
Frieda Goldstein should be a viable candidate in this race. She has a solid legal credential in addition to her impeccable judicial temperement. She has challenged a seating judge without a visible campaign and ton of money. She started her campaign late in the season. This time, she will do a lot better running in an open seat and starting early to raise money and her profile with voters. She will be the candidate to beat once the electors get to hnow her.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:19 pm
these won’t be just one or two person races in 2012. each group will have multiple filers closer to the deadline. frieda goldstein will not distinguish herself.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
frieda goldstein has already distinguished herself as a racist oppurtunist. Not who I want for judge.