Q. Please describe your experience.

I have had the honor of serving as a circuit judge in Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit since 2021. I spent the first three years presiding over felony cases ranging from crimes punishable by up to five years in prison to death penalty cases. Since 2024 I have presided over high level civil disputes, including personal injury, insurance disputes, contract disputes, employment disputes, real estate disputes, and other business disputes.

Before becoming a judge, I was in private practice focusing on fraud, commercial, banking, business and privacy litigation as well as government representation. My litigation experience included representing fraud victims in disputes involving fraud (e.g., check kiting, Ponzi schemes, wire fraud, check fraud, lending fraud, tax fraud, asset tracing, and fraudulent transfers and restructuring), regulatory and sanctions compliance, privacy issues, contracts, corporate issues, real estate, the Uniform Commercial Code (especially articles governing negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, funds transfers, secured transactions, and letters of credit), banking, insurance, class actions, and business torts (e.g., defamation, invasion of privacy, tortious interference, malicious prosecution, and fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation).

My governmental experience included advising local, State, federal, and foreign governments in issues ranging from eminent domain, procedure, investigations, employment law, and treaty implementation as well as representing governments in litigation.

I am an honors graduate of Boston University School of Law.  I started my career at a national law firm and then joined a boutique firm, where I subsequently became a partner and practiced until transitioning to the judiciary.

Q. Why did you decide to serve our community as a circuit judge?

I have had the good fortune of meeting with many attorneys, across practice areas, as a judge and as an attorney.  I am convinced that there is a consensus within our community regarding what we desire in our judiciary.  With today’s ever increasing caseloads and ever decreasing funding, we need judges who are present, thoughtful, and ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. We need judges before whom you can appear with 100% confidence that he or she has read all materials before the court. I decided to serve our community through our Circuit Court so I could put all of my energy into being the type of judge I always wanted to preside over my cases as an attorney.

Q. Are you a Republican or Democrat?

I’m not allowed to answer that question. In Florida, judges are elected in strictly non-partisan elections. Florida requires judicial elections to be non‐partisan to preserve the impartiality of the judge’s position.  

Indeed, judicial election rules are much stricter than other non-partisan election rules, such as those for mayors and commissioners, where although the officials do not appear on the ballot as being associated with a political party they may privately share their political affiliation. Unlike those officials, judges are expressly prohibited from publicly or privately disclosing their political party affiliation. These rules are interpreted so strictly that a judge commits ethical misconduct by injecting partisan politics into a judicial race even when the judge does not expressly reveal partisan affiliation. For example, the Florida Supreme Court has held, as part of a finding of “egregious” misconduct, that a judge acted unethically by merely noting the party affiliation of the Governor who appointed her opponent to the bench.

In sum, if a judge refuses to share his or her political affiliation with you, the judge is acting ethically. If a judge ever shares his or her political affiliation you or otherwise injects partisan politics into the race, even in private conversation, the judge is committing ethical misconduct.

Q. What's your biggest achievement so far?

My family.  My wife Fernanda and I have been married for over 22 years (and I without question married up).  I’m also a proud dad to two young boys.

Q. What are you the most proud of in connection with your first term as a circuit judge?

I kept my promise. I would like to think I have developed a reputation as being a hardworking judge who knows the law,  who reads and thinks about all submitted materials,  and who is not swayed by smoke-and-mirror tactics. 

Q. What are your hobbies?

At this stage of my life, I spend as much time as possible with my young children. When I do have free time, I enjoy jujitsu, smart-home programming and coding, and reading and watching documentaries about outer space.