Hillsborough Judge | 13th Circuit, Group 7

Winner: Catherine Catlin

Attorney Catherine Catlin is challenging incumbent Kevin Carey for his circuit judge seat in Group 7. She believes voters should have a choice. He believes the voters who put him on the bench six years ago should keep him there.

	Kevin Carey, 49	Catherine Catlin, 47
Current position	He won his seat on the bench in 2002 with 63 percent of the vote. He has presided over felony drug court, juvenile dependency court, family law court and civil trial court.	A sole practitioner since 1995, she focuses exclusively on family law. She serves as a guardian ad litem and mediator in the family court system. Since 1995, her solo law practice has focused exclusively on family law.
Past experience	He became an attorney 22 years ago, and before becoming a judge worked as a partner in the law firm Carlton Fields. As an attorney, he received an AV rating, an accolade from peers that ranked him at the highest level of professional excellence.	She has been an attorney for 21 years, the majority of that time spent in family law. She worked her way to partner at the Langford and Hill law firm. She estimates that she has handled about 100 bench trials. She also received an AV rating, the highest distinction by her peers.
Community involvement	He served as board president for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and for Tampa Crossroads. He is current board president for Epilepsy Services of West Central Florida, a Eucharistic minister at Christ the King Catholic Church and is a volunteer reading tutor at Graham Elementary School.	She does pro bono work through Bay Area Legal Services and serves as an usher at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. She is a past chairwoman of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s family law section.
What makes them qualified to serve as a judge	“I’m an active sitting judge. I have a much broader range of experience. I’ve got broad community support from leaders and the broad support of the community. I don’t think that support has changed, and I think I’ve gotten more qualified the longer I serve as a judge.”	“My qualifications that make me the best candidate in Group 7 are my extensive litigation experience, my focus on the issues at hand, my ability to control an emotionally volatile situation and my decisiveness,” she said. She promises to be impartial and make timely decisions.
Education	Bachelor’s and law degree from University of Florida.	Bachelor’s and law degree from University of Miami.
Assets	Home, bank and retirement accounts.	Home, bank and retirement accounts, office building, land, car, law firm.
Liabilities	Mortgage, credit debt.	Mortgage, office, time share.
Net worth	$829,972	$1,086,845
Income	Judge’s salary.	Law salary, rental property.
Personal	He is divorced with two children.	Single, no children. Two dogs.
Web site	Yes	Yes
E-mail	Yes	Yes

About the job: Circuit judges, elected on a nonpartisan basis to six-year terms, preside over criminal and civil cases. They handle felonies, such as murder and robbery, as well as divorces, juvenile cases, probate and guardianship, and lawsuits alleging damages in excess of $15,000. The job pays $145,080.