THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

ELECTION UPDATE .....

With election season in full gear, we can accurately report that we have been flooded with emails and snail mail items all inviting us to campaign fundraisers all over town. As reported on May 2, 2008 on this blog, there are nine contested races here in Miami-Dade County; eight in the Circuit Court and one in the County Court.

Beginning today and continuing each and every Wednesday, we will attempt to provide you with a weekly contest overview and then let you have at it and give us your opinions on why we should or should not vote for a certain candidate.

Let's begin with the lone County Court contest, in Group 42. The candidates vying for the seat are Incumbent Norma Lindsey and Challenger Lisa Lesperance.

NORMA LINDSEY .....

Judge Lindsey presently resides at the Gerstein Justice Building. In 2005, she was nominated by the JNC and Governor Bush appointed her to the bench in November of that year. She did not have to run in 2006, so this is her first time with her name on the ballot.

Lindsey graduated from Marshall in 1987 and went to law school at the University of Miami. She received her JD in 1993. For the first six years of her legal career, she was in private practice handling commercial litigation. In 2002, she became Associate General Counsel to the Boys & Girls Club of Miami Dade County. She was also a member of the 3rd DCA JNC.

An interesting note about Judge Lindsey; she earned a track and field scholarship, (she excelled in the high jump) to Marshall.

You can read all about Judge Lindsey on her web site at retainjudgenormalindsey.com.

LISA LESPERANCE.....

Ms. Lesperance graduated from the University of Florida in 1987 and went on to obtain her JD from St. Thomas in 1993. She has maintained a private practice for more than 14 years. She handles all types of cases, but concentrates on family law and criminal defense. If you are a frequent visitor to the Gerstein Justice Building, you probably have run into her brother Robert or her father Lou. With the passing of Sy, Lou probably holds the banner right now as the "oldtimer" in the building.

This is the first run for office for Lesperance. You can read all about Lisa on her web site at voteforlisa.net.

Please do your homework on the two candidates. Help out our readers by giving us your comments, pro and con, on your experiences appearing before Judge Lindsey and with anything you know about Ms. Lesperance.

The election takes place on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

CAPTAIN OUT .........