Information on judicial candidates available on Florida bar’s website

TALLAHASSEE — Want to know more about the local judicial candidates who will appear on the ballot in August? Wondering what Florida’s lawyers think about the appeals court judges facing a merit retention vote?

Online and in print, The Florida Bar provides information as part of its initiative to educate Florida’s voters about judicial elections.

Detailed information on more than 100 county and circuit court judicial candidates is available now on The Florida Bar’s website. The opportunity to submit a judicial candidate voluntary self-disclosure statement was offered to all candidates for contested county and circuit seats. The 10-page statements give voters basic biographical information, legal experience and community work as well as a short essay on why candidates feel they would be good judges. Completed statements are available at www.floridabar.org/judicialcandidates.

The Bar also has printed 100,000 copies of the "Guide for Florida Voters," which is available at supervisor of elections offices throughout the state and at many public libraries. It also is available to civic groups upon request. Email votersguide@floridabar.org.

The Bar’s "The Vote’s in Your Court" web page at www.floridabar.org/thevotesinyourcourt is a go-to source for information on judicial merit retention. There, voters will find the "Guide for Florida Voters," soon to be posted in Spanish as well, which answers many questions voters might have about merit retention. There also are links to the Code of Judicial Conduct and biographies of the appeals court judges and one Supreme Court justice up for merit retention votes. A merit retention poll of Bar members will be completed in early September.

Election dates this year are Aug. 28 and Nov. 6. All county and circuit judicial races appear on the primary ballot, with runoffs in November. The merit retention vote is in November.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Information on judicial candidates available on Florida bar’s website