--David Oscar Markus
www.markuslaw.com
305-379-6667
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
3 comments:
Just how many times can they ask
"What happened next?"
Yeah, but David leaves out he is spending the rest of the year with Mr. Personality, Judge Middlebrooks. Can't imagine it isn't a laugh a minute.
Maybe I'll pop in to say hello.
Well, at least the Judge has nice hair.
As many of you know I am running for Clerk of Court in Miami.
On September 4, 2008, the Miami Dade Elections Department and Tallahassee sent numerous emails between each other seeking a loop hole to place the incumbent Harvey Ruvin at the top of the ballot. The email trend started early on September 4 and ended late afternoon the same day.
Before I paid the filing fee on the last day of qualifying I was told by the Miami Dade Elections Department that I would be at the top of the ballot because it went by last name order from A to Z (alphabetical).
I took that into consideration along with being told that in County races in the General no party races are listed just the candidates names.
I had several decision to make on June 20, 2008, at 11:55am, based on the number of people that had joined the race:
(1.) Do I want to stay as a democrat and fight with Ruvin and Nelson in the primary,
(2.) Switch to NPA and bypass the primary and join two other NPA candidates
or (3.) Drop out of the race because it just was too crowded.
The filing fee to remain as a democrat was $11-K the fee for NPA was $7-K.
So I asked a few questions and received answers from the Elections Department, I also reviewed the law and Miami Dade Charter for other answers. It was two answers I got from the Miami Dade Elections Department that confirmed what I had known:
(1.) Based on the candidates in the race if I ended up in the General election I would be first on the ballot in alphabetical order.
(2.) In county races on the General election ballot (not the primary) only the names of the candidates not the party appear.
Given those two confirmed answers I wrote the $7-K check and filed as a NPA candidate.
On Friday, I am assuming by mistake I received a copy of a Sept 4, 2008, email which clearly shows Miami and Tallahassee seeking a loop hole to change the rules in the middle of the game. Emails that began early and ended late evening on Sept 4, 2008.
After checking the ballot that is on the elections web site I am now last (4th) on the ballot (go figure) and Harvey Ruvin is listed first. I checked the 2004 and 2006 ballots and all are listed in County races from A to Z and has always been that way.
The email communications between the Elections Department in Miami and Tallahassee are simply amazing. They cannot point me to any law or Miami Dade charter that allows them to change the rules in the middle of the game.
Darrin E. McGillis
Paid for and approved by Darrin McGillis candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court, Miami Florida
Post a Comment