County court is often called the people's court because it deals with the garden variety of people problems: citizen disputes, traffic offenses, disagreements over relatively small amounts of money. County court judges also rule over misdemeanor crimes.
To sit as judge there, an individual must possess a thorough knowledge of the law, an understanding of court procedure, the ability to think clearly and dispassionately, and personal standards beyond reproach. They must be approachable and be even tempered. Demeanor is just as important as sound judgment.
A pair of candidates for Pasco County Court Group 4 both fit the bill nicely and share remarkably similar resumes. But where sitting County Court Judge Debra Roberts outshines her opponent, Joseph B. Sowell of Dade City, is in judicial experience. Under different circumstances, he might be the preferred candidate, but Roberts has spent the past 21/2 years as a county court judge and it would be counterproductive to disregard that valuable tenure.
Both candidates have a background in social services. Sowell worked for the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and was a managing attorney for his wife's firm in Tampa that specialized in child support enforcement. Roberts was a child support enforcement hearing officer and was a mental health therapist and medical social worker for the U.S. Public Health Service Corps before going to law school.
Roberts' legal experience includes court counsel to the Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Court, small claim pretrial hearing officer and senior staff attorney for the Florida Supreme Court/Office of State Court Administrator.
Sowell should be commended, if for no other reason, than for giving voters a choice. Roberts was appointed to the position in 2002 by Gov. Jeb Bush and has never faced the electorate. Too frequently judges can be elected more for political popularity than for legal qualifications and can remain in office unchallenged because most lawyers fear opposing them. Sowell, a former prosecutor and now judicial staff attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit in Sumter County, decided to challenge Roberts, saying judges should be elected. Unfortunately, we have seen little evidence to back up his contention that he knows the law better than Roberts.
Now assigned to the court's criminal division and civil infraction section, Roberts handled more than 4,000 cases during her first 14 months on the bench. She said the key to her campaign is communicating to voters the "value of retaining an established, experienced, knowledgeable, honest and hard-working judge with a proven record of performance."
There is no disagreement here. Voters should elect Judge Debra Roberts in the Group 4, nonpartisan Pasco County judicial race on Aug. 31.
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Opportunity to reply
The Times offers candidates not recommended by its editorial board an opportunity to reply. Candidates should send replies no later than 5 p.m. Thursday to: C.T. Bowen, Pasco editor of editorials, St. Petersburg Times, 11321 U.S. 19, Port Richey, FL 34668. Fax: 727 869-6233. They can be e-mailed to Bowen@sptimes.com or sent through our Web site at www.sptimes.com
