SPECIALIZING IN FAMILIES: Charles "Ed" Bergmann defends his seat in the family law division against Beth Gilmore Reineke, who says the system is broken.
By CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD
Published August 24, 2004
This race pits incumbent Charles "Ed" Bergmann, a recent appointee who serves in the family law division, against Beth Gilmore Reineke, a lawyer whose practice focuses on family law and who says the legal system is broken.
Before his judicial appointment, Bergmann spent 30 years as a lawyer focusing on civil litigation. In family law, he handles about 125 new cases a month, including divorce, paternity and child support cases.
"Do we have a disintegration of the family? Certainly by the number of paternity cases we have, it would seem so," said Bergmann, 59. "There seems to be a pretty casual attitude about jumping into bed."
Bergmann's current assignment in family law, with its rancorous litigants, is a notoriously tough one for judges. It is a place where "a lot of people are hurt and they want to strike back," Bergmann said.
But after three decades visiting courtrooms as a lawyer, Bergmann said, it is invigorating to sit in one as a judge. People describe his demeanor as "stern," he said, but he describes it as "no-nonsense, but friendly and patient."
Attorney Reineke, 41, said she would bring professionalism and fairness to the bench, handling cases without regard for the socioeconomic status of those who appear before her.
"There's not anyone with my experience in family law sitting on the bench," she said, pointing to her 14 years of civil litigation work, much of it in family law. "It's not an area (where) you want there to be a learning curve. I pretty much would hit the pavement running."
Reineke said taking the judge's post would entail a pay cut. She said people have lost faith in the family law system, preferring to hire arbitrators rather than appear before Hillsborough judges.
"The system's broken, and they've lost the faith," she said. "I don't have good answers for my clients anymore for the results they're getting."
THE JOB
Circuit judges, elected on a nonpartisan basis to six-year terms, preside over civil and criminal cases in Hillsborough circuit courts. Those cases include felonies and civil lawsuits in which damages exceed $15,000. The position pays $134,649 a year.
THE CANDIDATES
CHARLES "ED" BERGMANN, 59, is a native of Honduras who moved to Tampa as a child. He received both bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Florida. He served as a lieutenant in the Army and worked as an attorney for 29 years until the governor appointed him to the circuit bench in February 2002. He is married and has three children. ASSETS: home, cash, securities. LIABILITIES: credit cards, car. SOURCE OF INCOME: judicial salary, investments. E-MAIL:votebergmann@aol.com WEB SITE:www.votebergmann.com
BETH GILMORE REINEKE, 41, is a Tampa native with a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida and a law degree from the University of Florida. She has worked in civil litigation since 1990, opened her own firm in 1994, and since 1996 has focused on family law. She is married and has two children. ASSETS: property, cars, business. LIABILITIES: mortgage, credit cards, loans. SOURCE OF INCOME: law practice. E-MAIL:beth@reineke4judge.com WEB SITE:www.reineke4judge.com
