President appoints attorney for district

Paul Perez, chosen U.S. attorney for the Middle District, might work out of Jacksonville instead of Tampa.

By GRAHAM BRINK, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 29, 2002

TAMPA -- Paul Perez will be President Bush's selection as the next U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, according to an announcement late Monday from the White House.

For several months, speculation in Tampa was that Perez, a Jacksonville resident, would get the nod. Many of the presidential appointments were put on hold after the Sept. 11 attacks as more pressing matters took priority. Perez's nomination will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Perez beat out two other finalists, assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Nucci of Miami and Paul Byron of Orlando. Nine lawyers originally applied to fill the position.

"I'm very excited and prepared for the challenged that awaits me," Perez told the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. "I think my legal experience and life experience to this point have prepared me well to take over as U.S. attorney."

"My strength is in my qualifications," Perez said in March. "I certainly don't have the political connections."

If confirmed, Perez will take over for U.S. Attorney Mac Cauley, was has run the office since Donna Bucella resigned in May.

Bucella was appointed by President Bill Clinton. The nation's 93 U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president. Many times, only a handful keep their jobs when a new party takes over the White House.

The U.S. attorney in Florida's 35-county Middle District, which stretches from Jacksonville through Orlando and down to Fort Myers, oversees a 220-employee operation with a $17-million budget. The job pays about $125,700 annually and has been based in Tampa, although some observers think Perez might work out of the Jacksonville office.

Reached late Monday, Steve Cole, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa, said the office had not received official word of Perez's appointment. Cole said he thought the announcement might be made this week and the office had been working over the past couple of months to ensure a smooth transition.

Perez could take over in the next few weeks, depending on how quickly the Senate gets around to the confirmation process.

Perez, 47, a Cuban-American who settled in Florida when he was 5 years old, has worked as a federal criminal defense attorney with the law firm of Booth, Arnold & Perez in Jacksonville since 1994. From 1988 to 1992 he worked as as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Jacksonville office.

Perez earned a bachelor's degree from Jacksonville University, a master's from the University of Florida and a law degree from George Washington University.

In March, Perez said he thought his experience on both sides of the courtroom aisle would put him in a good position to assess what is being done well and what needs to change.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Graham Brink at (813) 226-3365 or brink@sptimes.com.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright