Four circuit court judge contests will be decided in November’s general election, including two in Miami-Dade’s 11th Circuit, Broward’s 17th, and in the 9th Circuit Court serving Orange and Osceola counties.

The majority of jury trials take place in Florida’s 20 circuit courts, which include up to seven counties. The jurisdiction includes all criminal and civil matters not handled by the lesser county courts, like criminal felonies, civil matters over $50,000, and juvenile and family matters. The judges can also hear certain appeals.

Of the 23 circuit court judge races in Florida this year, 19 contests were resolved after the primary election when one candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote. 

Two sitting circuit court judges were defeated by rarely successful primary challenges. In the 9th Circuit, two lawyers already knocked incumbent Judge Mikaela Nix off the bench, sending the two challengers to a runoff. Judge Mavel Ruiz in Miami-Dade was defeated by Coral Gables civil litigation attorney Destiny Alvarez, while seven other judges defended their positions.

Prospective circuit court judges, who must be members of the Florida Bar in good standing for at least five years, are elected in nonpartisan races to serve six-year terms. 

Arthur LeMar “Marty” McNeil and Monica Segura: 11th Circuit Group 5, Miami-Dade County

Public defender Arthur LeMar McNeil, known as “Marty,” and Monica Segura, a senior managing associate general counsel at University Property & Casualty Insurance Company, are vying for one of the open seats on Miami-Dade’s circuit court.

McNeil began his career at the public defender’s office but left to start his own law firm from 2008 to 2016, handling family law, civil cases, and foreclosures at the peak of the housing crisis, he told The Florida Trib in an interview. McNeil then returned to public defense, working in the capital litigation unit handling death penalty cases.

“I’ve practiced in circuit court for most of my career, and I’ve done high-volume, high-level litigation,” he said. “It gives just a diverse area of practice that lends to the bench. Most judges don’t stay in one rotation their entire career.”

McNeil, endorsed by the Miami Herald and the Florida League of Prosecutors, came in more than six percentage points ahead of Segura in the primary election.

“I volunteer in the community, giving back and trying to make sure that people’s needs are addressed and they have the best opportunity to succeed as possible,” McNeil said about his service with his church in Miami Gardens and other work with nonprofits.

Segura, who attended college and law school at the University of Miami, works as corporate counsel for UPCIC, an insurance provider. She describes herself as a proud daughter of a former police lieutenant and boasts an endorsement from the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.

“I have served as an attorney, a special magistrate, a law professor, and a leader in our legal community,” Segura said in a brief campaign spot. “But being a judge requires more than that. It requires fairness and integrity.”
Segura did not respond to the Trib’s request for an interview.

Rita Maria Baez and Bonita Jones-Peabody: 11th Circuit Group 69, Miami-Dade County

Rita Maria Baez and Bonita Jones-Peabody finished neck and neck in the primary for a seat on the bench in Miami-Dade’s 11th Circuit. Baez earned just over 37 percent of the vote, while Jones-Peabody received nearly 35 percent. Candidate Yaneth Del Carmen Baez, unrelated to Rita Maria Baez, was endorsed by the Herald, but did not advance to the general election.

Rita Maria Baez, a Miami native and daughter of Cuban immigrants, is a longtime civil litigation attorney at her own private practice. Endorsed by the Hispanic Police Officers Association, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, and Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, Baez was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1996. 

She has practiced in bankruptcy and family law, as well as being “counsel in numerous jury trials,” her campaign website says.

“I’ve been a lawyer for 30 years, and now I just want to do something different. It’s different but it’s something that I’m trained to do, and I’m prepared to do,” Baez said in a local interview. “I’ve always been a hard worker. I believe I have the right temperament to be a good judge. I know the law, and I’ve always been in court.”

Jones-Peabody, a Miami-Dade native, boasts more than 35 years as a trial attorney, handling more than 200 criminal jury trials and more than 75 civil cases, according to her campaign. 

Endorsed by South Florida labor unions, the SAVE Action PAC, the political arm of SAVE LGBTQ, and the South Florida Council of Firefighters, Jones-Peabody secured the Herald endorsement after its initial pick did not advance to November.

“I have worked inside of the courtrooms in high-stakes cases. I have worked inside the courtroom on cases that bring families back together,” Jones-Peabody said in a campaign video. “I’ve worked in the law dealing with some of the toughest times for individuals, and I’ve stood beside them, letting them know that dignity is something that they deserve, and I want to bring to the bench with me.”

Jones-Peabody and Baez did not return interview requests from the Trib.

Temika Hampton-Johnson and Charles Hart: 9th Circuit Group 1, Orange and Osceola counties

Attorneys Temika Hampton-Johnson and Charles Hart are facing off in November after defeating incumbent Judge Mikaela Nix in August’s primary election. 

Nix was targeted by an anonymous opposition website over the summer, according to local reporting, focusing on an incident where a murder suspect was released after Nix did not verify the defense’s false claim that he was not charged within a month of his arrest, which should prompt his release. She granted his release, WFTV reported.

Hampton-Johnson, a private practice attorney, led the primary results, earning more than 44 percent of the vote across both counties. Former state prosecutor Charles Hart, who received 28 percent of the vote, barely edged out Nix.

Endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Rising, Hampton-Johnson has served as a public defender, a probation and parole officer, a military police officer, a family law attorney, and a community and labor lawyer, her campaign website says. She attended law school at Florida A&M University.

“She brings to the bench more than legal experience—she brings the compassion, perspective, sound judgment, and common sense that reflect both her professional career and her life experiences,” the campaign website says.

Hart, a small business owner, former Assistant State Attorney, and University of Florida alum, boasts his extensive practice in the Ninth Judicial Circuit and legal background.

“Through years of courtroom experience in criminal, juvenile, dependency, family, probate, guardianship, injunction, and civil matters, I have developed a deep understanding of how judicial decisions impact real people and their lives,” Hart’s bio says. “I understand the unique needs of our courts, our legal community, and the people we serve.”

Hart’s blog posts on his campaign website, discussing his legal background and trial experience, are all at least 93 percent AI-generated, according to online AI-detector ZeroGPT.

Hart and Hampton-Johnson did not respond to the Trib’s request for interviews.

Tamar Hamilton and David Andrew Fry: 17th Circuit Group 52, Broward County

Tamar Hamilton is a private practice attorney working civil litigation, real property, probate, and contract law, which has included contested hearings and bench trials, according to her campaign. 

“My journey started as a law clerk, the person just answering the phone,” Hamilton told a crowd at the Faith Center in Sunrise, saying hearing “so many people that were not being heard, not being listened to” inspired her to go to law school. 

She also works as special magistrate, an independent, quasi-judicial role for evaluating evidence, hearing arguments, and recommending rulings, according to her campaign. Hamilton boasts endorsements from faith leaders, the Broward Teachers Union, and local county leaders.

David Fry, who lives in Coconut Creek, is a current assistant public defender in Broward County, according to his campaign bio, after beginning his career as an assistant state attorney in Orlando. With a master’s in education, he previously taught middle and high school in Miami. 

His experience includes criminal trial cases including serious violent crimes, drug trafficking, and economic crimes, as well as complex civil cases while working at a large insurance defense firm.

Fry, who came in behind Hamilton in the primary results, is endorsed by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, which cited his qualifications. He is also supported by SAVE Action PAC, law enforcement unions, including the Broward Deputy Sheriffs Association, and state Reps. Dan Daley and Michael Gottlieb.

Hamilton and Fry did not respond to the Trib’s request for interviews.