ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Scott!
WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A JUDGE
I wish to return to the bench to continue to serve this community. It starts with my belief in helping others and bringing the community together. I was born and raised in Miami. My wife and I met 25 years ago and not only are we raising 3 biological children, but we are also the foster parents to 3 other abused and neglected children. We have installed and opened an autism garden at our local school; committed ourselves to public service in the community; served at our temple; and have sat on communal boards (I specifically am on the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board and the City of West Miami Charter Review Board).
I believe I demonstrated that I have the personality, dedication, character, and experience to be a good and well-respected judge. This is not a “next step,” “next job,” or “how to make more money.” This journey is one I have undertaken since 2012. I am proud of the analysis of my character and ability by the various JNCs over the years as well as judicial surveys taken during the 2022 election which demonstrated I was a qualified judge who treated people fairly.
During my 18-year legal career, I have practiced on both sides of the aisle in numerous divisions and have a substantial amount of trial experience. I have worked in different types of law firms, so I understand the needs and concerns of the various practitioners. I truly love the law and humbly respect the importance of judicial rulings and how they can greatly impact the outcome of the case. I am honored to taught CLE courses to various associations over the years.
I value the service and dedication it takes to be a judge to ensure that justice is administered for everyone in the entire community. I value availability, accessibility, preparedness, competency, and having an appropriate temperament.
Leadership is also an important quality, which is why I was honored to serve as an associate administrative judge for county civil and spearheading the Court’s eviction ADR platform (courtHELP). I remain dedicated to advancing our legal profession, which is why I am active on the Miami-Dade Bar Association County Court Committee and why I presently serve on both the Small Claims Committee and the Code and Rules of Evidence Committee (including the Artificial Intelligence subcommittee) for the Florida Bar.
I would be honored to take my experiences and serve the people of Miami-Dade County as judge.
WHAT EXPERIENCES QUALIFY YOU?
Having been born and raised here in Miami, I have been blessed that through my experiences, I have been able to serve this community in various ways. It starts with my personal, non-legal work. My wife and I are parents to 3 children (including a set of twins) and foster parents to 3 children (including 2 from Guatemala which has really helped my Spanish). Frankly, one of the best things I do is make sure that I am a supportive and devoted husband and father. My wife is very active in the community including serving on the local PTA, board of directors at our temple, Miami-Dade County Neat Streets Board, etc., and I make sure to be there taking care of the family for when she needs to attend her events. I, myself, currently serve on the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Board, as well as the City of West Miami Charter Review Commission. Professionally, I previously served as a county court judge between 2020 and 2023, where I was chosen to be one of the associate admins for all of county civil for Miami-Dade County. I helped lead the circuit transition to Zoom and then pivot back to a hybrid setting. My out-of-the-box thinking (stemming from my technology and business studies at Carnegie Mellon) led to 1) courtHELP (see below), and 2) changes to administrative orders that directly led to a 50% decrease in the resolution time for small claims cases.
During my tenure, while county civil cases increased 35% county wide, my division case load decreased 25%. I was an active judge in holding jury and non-jury trials. I am proud that I faithfully served this community as a prosecutor (with over 70 jury trials from battery to murder), defense attorney (serving a conflict counsel for indigent people), and in the civil arena representing both plaintiffs and defendants. I am AV-rated for both insurance and criminal law, and my total trial experience of >90 jury trials and >70 bench trials is not matched by anyone else running for this seat. I am also trying to constantly improve the legal community with my Florida Bar service. I currently serve on the Small Rules Committee and the Code and Rules of Evidence Committee (as well as the Artificial Intelligence subcommittee at the request of the Board of Governors). Previously, I served on the Legal Needs of Children committee (co-chairing the Direct Filing Subcommittee).
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT
My biggest achievement was when I was a judge and helped in the creation of courtHELP (Court Housing Eviction Landlord/Tenant Portal), a free, online eviction dispute resolution portal. I was one of the business owners and team leads conceptualizing, designing, and implementing the program. This included requesting funds with a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners for funding on behalf of the 11th Judicial Circuit. CourtHelp (https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/About-the-Court/Court-Divisions/Civil/courtHELP) is meant to facilitate resolution of evictions between landlords and tenants, including mediation as requested. Parties are free to negotiate all or partial settlements, including determinations of rent, or new lease / move out agreements. Tenants avoid eviction judgments on their record and stress from police officers giving 24-hour eviction decrees. Hopefully, this has reduced the need for emergency calls to social services as families scramble to find a place to live. For landlords, coutHELP brings certainty to the proceedings, reduces court time and cost, and in cases of agreed move-outs, brings a more orderly transfer of possession without destruction. Personally, while my children are my world, helping my wife install an Autism Sensory Garden this past April at Sylvania Heights Elementary School was a huge accomplishment. I was proud to help coordinate with government and school officials, local vendors, and supportive members of the community. The expressions of the teachers and children were worth all of the time and investment.