For 11 months, veteran Assistant Public Defender Sandra Perlman was the lone candidate for Broward Circuit Court judge in group 51, a seat now occupied by Judge Cheryl Aleman.
Aleman, the controversial judge who was scolded last year for “arrogant, discourteous and impatient” conduct toward attorneys, never filed to retain her seat on the bench.
For all intents and purposes, the judgeship looked to be Perlman’s.
But in the final minutes before the filing deadline at noon on April 30, County Court Judge Lee Jay Seidman jumped into the race, abandoning the four-way fight for his own seat and pitching for a spot on the higher court.
In a moment, the race turned into a tight competition between a gregarious, well-liked veteran defender and a judge nicknamed “The Adjudicator” for his strict, unbending demeanor.
Seidman’s last-minute entry came as both a surprise and a disappointment, said Perlman, 49.
“Sure, I was disappointed; I was four minutes from becoming a Circuit Court judge. Who wouldn’t be?” she said. “You always have to be cognizant that anybody can jump in at any time. I was just surprised that it happened four minutes before the deadline.”
The decision to enter the race was a no-brainer, said Seidman, 53.
It took him out of a four-way race and put him in the running for the Circuit Court without having to challenge an incumbent judge. Attorneys Mardi Anne Levey Cohen, Nathaniel Klitsberg and Jahra McLawrence are running for the seat he has held since his 2001 appointment.
“At the last moment, it became apparent Judge Aleman was not going to run,” Seidman said. “When the seat became open, the decision was easy. It made the most sense.”
Aleman, 52, did not return calls asking why she chose not to run or what she plans to do after leaving the bench at the end of the year.
Perlman was a key witness in Aleman’s misconduct hearing, which resulted in the Florida Supreme Court publicly scolding her for failing to uphold a judge’s highest calling of maintaining fairness, courteousness and impartiality.
The discipline stemmed from a 2006 death-penalty trial Perlman and a colleague were defending. Aleman reacted harshly to requests that she recuse herself from the case, set unreasonable deadlines for the attorneys and taunted them with her contempt powers.
Many courthouse insiders felt Perlman had, in some respects, earned the judgeship.
“I think [Perlman] not only earned it from her hard, diligent work, but also from her performance and integrity before a very difficult judge,” defense attorney Deborah Carpenter-Toye said. “It speaks to what kind of lawyer she is, and what kind of person she is, and what kind of integrity she would bring to this position.”
Seidman said the judgeship is for voters – not Perlman supporters
–
to decide.
“I’ve heard it on the campaign trail that it was her seat and she’s been campaigning for it for a year,” Seidman said. “But it’s the people’s seat. It didn’t belong to Judge Aleman and it’s not Sandy Perlman’s seat. It will be up to the voters and that’s what democracy is all about.”
A lawyer since 1984, Seidman worked as a Broward prosecutor from 1984 to 1999. He also worked for nearly a year as a federal prosecutor trying hate crimes and civil rights cases. Appointed as a general master in 1999, he worked in probate, family and dependency courts until his county court appointment.
“It’s the American way, you want to work your way up,” Seidman said. “I think the public needs and deserves experienced judges, and I have serious judicial experience.”
Perlman became a lawyer in 1985. She has worked 20 years as an attorney in the
Public Defender’s Office, where she handles high-profile murder cases, including death-penalty cases. She also spent four years as a prosecutor in California.
“I chose this particular race because it was the one Circuit Court seat in
that needed the most positive change,” Perlman said. “In order to really make sure that the system is fair and that justice is served it has to come from the top, it has to be done by the judge, and that’s what I want to do.”
Michael Gottlieb, another defense attorney, had also tangled with Aleman, testifying at her misconduct hearing that she was vindictive and prone to gamesmanship.
He supports Perlman and Seidman equally, he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, either one is a vast improvement.”
Tonya Alanez can be reached at or 954-356-4542.
