The Florida Bar Citizens Advisory Committee November 23, 2020 11 a.m. By Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85691948399?pwd=MUtMdlpma2YwZHpaUGlDd2NNTlFXZz09 AGENDA 1. Call to Order – Paige Greenlee, Chair 2. Approve minutes of October 22, 2020 – Attachment 2 3. Member topics to bring to TFB’s attention 4. Discuss new project: assembling consumer information on how to select a lawyer -- https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/ https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet018/ 5. Review nonlawyer volunteer opportunities info (floridabar.org/volunteer) to be announced and promoted starting in January 6. Informational reports a. 2020 TFB Judicial Elections Voter Education Program and Results Report – Attachment 6a 7. Adjourn NEXT MEETING: January 28-29, 2021, Tallahassee, FL The Florida Bar 651 East Jefferson Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300 Joshua E. Doyle 850/561-5600 Executive Director www.FLORIDABAR.org CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE By Zoom Thursday, October 22, 2020 Summary Minutes 1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chair Paige Greenlee at 10:30 a.m. 2. Attendance a. Committee: Present: Paige Greenlee, Chair; Vincent Cuomo, Vice Chair; members – Patience Burns, Karen Cespedes, Maggie Davis, Jordan Dresnick, Lawrence Gordon, Kimberly Hosley, Hong Potomski, Jim Sewell, Melanie Shore, Wilhelmina Tribble and Holly Tyrell. Absent: Allen Jackson and Tom Kontinos. b. Bar staff: Josh Doyle, Francine Walker, Jennifer Krell Davis c. Others: President Dori Foster-Morales; President-elect Mike Tanner; Linda Goldstein, BOG 3. Self-Introductions; Comments on prior evening’s social event: As this was the first meeting of the current bar year, each member shared some of their background information. Those who were able to attend the social event were very appreciative of the opportunity to interact with each other and President Foster-Morales and enjoyed the activity of building a charcuterie board led by YLD board member Jennifer Smith Thomas. 4. Agenda Item 3 – Judicial Elections Educational Tool Kits: Members reported ways they used the tool kits to education voters on the judicial elections and merit retention election. Those included: distributing voter guides to homes (one member personally dropped off a copy at each of the 152 homes in her subdivision); using the sample email to all contacts; submitting letters to the editor; speaking briefly during Zoom meetings of community organizations about the resources; contacting the local Office of New Americans (Miami-Dade); and educating Bar members so they can educate clients, friends and family. A discussion ensued about how these communications could be more effective in the future. Suggestions included starting earlier, communicate year-round about how important judges are, and reframe the messaging to communicate that voting in judicial and merit retention elections is being a good citizen. 5. Agenda Item 4 – Discussion on member topics (time did not allow for this agenda item to be addressed) 6. Agenda Item 5 – Town Hall with President Foster-Morales: The opening discussion included how the pandemic has affected access to justice, forced changes in the court system and impacted communities across the state as well as the findings from the TFB member town halls held in Page 1 of 2 THE FLORIDA BAR August and September. Polls for the committee members were administered and results were: (1) What has been your greatest challenge during the pandemic? (single choice): Isolation – 53%; Technology – 7%; Financial/job stability – 0%; child care – 3%; Elder care – 0%; Home life/work life balance 27%; and Other – 0%. (2) What are some ways lawyers can serve your community now and after the pandemic ends? (single choice): Email clients and friends about consumer resources available from TFB – 0%; Increase community volunteerism (non-legal) or charitable giving – 46%; Provide free Zoom seminars on legal topics through local organizations – 31%; Increase pro bono legal services – 23%. The advantages and disadvantages of remote court proceedings for clients were discussed. Committee members encouraged the need for TFB to encourage lawyers to connect with families in need in any way possible and for the Bar to recognize lawyers who are giving back to their communities in these difficult times – through donations, volunteerism, public education and pro bono legal service. President Foster-Morales. 7. Adjournment: After reminding the committee members to join the BOG Communications Committee for its meeting at 1 p.m., Chair Greenlee adjourned the meeting at 12 p.m. Page 2 of 2 The Florida Bar 2020 Judicial Elections Public Education and Results Report In 2020, the Constitutional Judiciary Committee of The Florida Bar once again sponsored a multi-faceted program to educate Florida voters about judicial elections. All efforts were promoted on The Bar’s social media platforms. That outreach included: ▪ A poll of instate Bar members about the appellate judges on the merit retention ballot; ▪ A redesigned Voter Guide in English and Spanish answering questions about courts and what judges do; ▪ Judicial Candidate Voluntary Self-Disclosure statements posted to the Bar website by trial court candidates; ▪ The Vote’s in YOUR COURT online resource center on The Florida Bar web site with links to the poll, Voter Guide, bios of judges facing merit retention votes and additional voter resources. In addition, the Citizens Advisory Committee promoted the availability of the educational materials in their communities both before the primary and before the general election. Using tool kits (Atts. 1 and 2, CAC Tool Kits) created by the Communications staff, the nonlawyer members submitted letters to the editor, emailed many personal and professional contacts, posted on their individual social media platforms, spoke up in Zoom calls with organizations they are members of and looked for locations to drop off printed guides. One member placed a voter guide at the door of all 152 homes in her subdivision and another delivered hundreds of guides to the Miami-Dade Office of New Americans. The committee members also reviewed the webpage from the consumer perspective and suggested changes to improve users’ experiences. FLORIDA BAR MERIT RETENTION POLL (*2020 Election Results) A poll of Florida Bar members regarding the merit retention election of one state Supreme Court justice and 24 appellate court judges indicated support for all to be retained. Results showed recommendations for retention ranging from 90 percent to 71 percent approval. The poll is confidential and seeks to find whether attorneys who know the most about these jurists believe they should continue in their jobs. (It should be noted that former 5th DCA Judge Jamie Grosshans, now Justice Grosshans, was listed in the poll and her name appeared on ballots in the 5th DCA counties because ballots were already printed at the time of her appointment on Sept. 14, 2020, by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Florida Supreme Court.) 1 In August, 78,405 ballots were distributed to in-state Bar members through Election Services Co. of New York; with 3,626 lawyers taking part in the poll. Of those, 2,518 returned ballots by mail and 1,108 voted via the internet. The participation rate was 4.62 percent. The 2020 participation rate in the poll was lower than in previous years and likely was affected by the COVID pandemic. Only responses of those attorneys with considerable or limited knowledge of the judges are included in the poll results. This is the 21st election year the Bar has conducted the poll. This year, the retention election was on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election. (Att. 3, Merit Retention Media Coverage) 2020 Florida Bar merit retention poll results ▪ Florida Bar News article, Aug. 31, 2020 DEADLINE TO RESPOND TO THE BAR’S 2020 MERIT RETENTION POLL IS SEPT. 8 ▪ Florida Bar News article, Sept. 18, 2020 FLORIDA LAWYERS RATE JURISTS FACING RETENTION VOTE ▪ Florida Bar News Release, Sept. 18, 2020 FLORIDA BAR POLL SHOWS SUPPORT FOR APPELLATE JUDGES IN UPCOMING MERIT RETENTION ELECTIONS GUIDE FOR FLORIDA VOTERS This six-page Guide for Florida Voters to Florida judicial elections was available to voters in both English and Spanish answering basic questions about judges and what they do and the merit selection/retention process. The Bar printed 50,000 copies in English, and almost all were distributed statewide through county supervisors of elections offices, public libraries, voluntary bars and local civic and political groups. The Bar printed 7,500 copies in Spanish and distributed all of those to Hispanic bar associations as well as libraries, supervisors of elections offices and individuals. This is the fifth election cycle the Bar has printed the Guide for Florida Voters. Download the 2020 Guide for Florida Voters here Download the 2020 Guide for Florida Voter/Spanish here 2 JUDICIAL CANDIDATE VOLUNTARY SELF-DISCLOSURE STATEMENT PROGRAM Begun a decade ago, the goal of this program is to assist the public in making educated decisions when voting for trial court judicial candidates. Judicial candidates for county or circuit seats were invited to submit a 10-page voluntary self- disclosure statement with information about their backgrounds as well as personal statements. Sixty-four candidates submitted statements, which were posted on the Bar’s website in July. In the 2020 election year, 16 County Court elections were held in 12 counties. Those races drew 39 candidates. In many County Court races, incumbents drew no opposition. Twenty County Court candidates posted statements. (Att. 4, County Court Races) Thirty-four Circuit Court races drew 75 candidates. Many races statewide were not contested. Forty-four candidates submitted statements. (Att. 5, Circuit Court Races) After the primary election on Aug. 18, only the statements of candidates involved in runoffs remained posted on the site. (Att. 6, General Election Results) This year, a revamp of the web site presentation gave explanations to voters about the differences between circuit and county courts and also provided maps to show both the circuits, with the counties composing them, and the individual counties.