As early voting begins throughout Palm Beach County, we feature one of three judicial races on your ballot in our Election Spotlight.
Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen is running for re-election in Group 16.
"I was appointed the latter part of 2012 and I've been a circuit judge ever since."
Before that, he has experience working as a lawyer for a private firm and spent 15 years with the Department of Children and Families, litigating child abuse cases, and serving as the Statewide Appeals Director for four of those years. Asked why he should get another term, Judge Gillen replied, in part...
"All of the judicial evaluations that have been conducted by the Palm Beach County Bar Association since I have been a judge have indicated that the vast majority of the lawyers who appear in front of me rate me either excellent or satisfactory in each and every one of the nine categories of that evaluation."
Gillen faces a challenge from Henry Quinn Johnson.
"I have over 22 years of jury trial or litigation attorney experience. I have served as a Florida assistant statewide prosecutor, an assistant attorney general, an assistant state attorney and also a trial attorney."
He's a veteran, who served as a U.S. Army JAG, or Judge Advocate General. Johnson says his time in the military would give him the upper hand on the bench.
"Military people, one of the things that we always do is kind of take responsibility for our actions and we hold ourselves to a higher standard."
Hear more from both candidates, including who is endorsing them, in the audio players above.
Photo: Getty Images