Pinellas-Pasco Judge | 6th Circuit, Group 6

Winner: Mary Handsel

A private attorney, a prosecutor and a senior assistant public defender are vying for the judicial seat now occupied by Judge Marion Fleming, who is retiring.

	Violet M. Assaid, 51	Mary Handsel, 44	Bruce G. Howie, 55
Experience	Assaid has been lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials in 19 years in the public defender’s office. She was board-certified in criminal law in 1996. In 1999, she was appointed director of the office’s mental health division. She has defended hundreds of clients with mental illnesses or competency issues. She trains other lawyers in her office on mental health aspects of the law, and has taught mental health law to lawyers statewide. She successfully sued the Florida Department of Children and Families in 2006 for not moving mentally incompetent inmates out of jail quickly enough. In 2007 the National Alliance on Mental Illness gave her the Iris Award for improving the mental health system.	Handsel has tried more than 100 trials during her 18 years as an assistant state attorney. She supervises about 20 lawyers in the State Attorney’s Office Pasco division, and she previously worked in the Pinellas office. She was the office’s Prosecutor of the Year in 2001 for her work on the DUI homicide squad. She has tried 10 first-degree murder trials, including five death penalty cases, and won guilty verdicts in all of them. She also has tried more than 20 sexual abuse cases and five civil trials under the violent sexual predator act. For the past 18 months, she has helped develop and run the Pasco Drug Court program. She lost a 2006 bid for judge. She was a finalist for an appointed judgeship in 2007.	Howie has been sole or lead attorney in 122 jury trials in his 30-year career. He opened a solo practice in 2006 after 21 years of working for three law firms. His career began with seven years as an assistant public defender. He was board-certified in criminal law in 1988 and has the highest rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He was certified as a mediator in 1990 and has conducted more than 100 mediations. His career has focused on criminal law, but he has experience in commercial, real estate, personal injury, workers’ compensation, Social Security and administrative law. He has practiced in federal court and served on committees with local Bar associations. He was chairman of the legal panel of the American Civil Liberties Union Pinellas chapter.
Opinions on experience	“Over the last nine years I have acquired unique expertise in the mental health aspects of the law. I believe I have as much, if not more, knowledge about this area than any other lawyers or judges in the state ... After almost 20 years as an assistant public defender, I fear nothing and am accustomed to hard work.”	”Working with judges, attorneys, witnesses and victims of crime for 18 years has taught me the qualities necessary to serve the people of Pinellas and Pasco counties ... I have handled a wide variety of cases over my career from the significant to the routine.”	”I have represented all types of clients, including children, small businesses, corporations, incompetent persons, associations, the elderly and a religious organization ... My years in the courtroom and my experience in a wide range of cases qualify me to serve.”
Education	Graduated from Stetson University College of Law, 1988. Undergraduate degree from Eckerd College, 1979.	Graduated from Stetson University College of Law, 1990. Undergraduate degrees from Florida State University, 1986, and St. Petersburg College, 1984.	Graduated from Boston University Law School in 1978. Undergraduate degree from Harvard College, 1975.
Why they are the best candidate	”I am pretty dedicated to this job. I have my mother and my house and that’s about it. I have no children. I don’t even have many hobbies. I have pretty much lived my career and dedicated myself to it ... It’s been a passion of mine. I think you have to pick the person who loves the system the most, has given the most and has the most time to give it in the future. And that would be me.”	“I think I’m the clear choice ... because of my extensive courtroom experience ... I’ve spent every day in the courtroom gaining real knowledge and expertise to be the most effective jurist. I was the only candidate that was selected by the judicial nominating committee to be sent to the governor for appointment to the judiciary, and I have spent my entire career representing the people of Pinellas and Pasco counties in the courtroom.”	”The other two candidates in this election are well-qualified and dedicated practitioners, but as career criminal trial attorneys working in the public sector they both lack significant experience in other areas of litigation. I have the years, the background and the professional credentials ... to be a more effective circuit court judge. For these reasons, I believe I am the best candidate for this position.”
Assets	Home, mother’s condo, car, 401(k), IRA.	Home, two cars, retirement portfolio, stocks, savings.	Home, two rental homes, retirement accounts.
Liabilities	Prime equity line of credit for home renovations.	Home mortgage, credit union liability.	Home mortgage, two car loans.
Net worth	$407,226.	$350,000.	$816,865.
Source of income	Salary.	Salary.	Salary, rental home income.
Personal	Divorced, no children. Hobbies include gardening, reading and playing with her puppy.	Married to Greg Handsel, a Pinellas sheriff’s deputy, two children, ages 7 and 5. Hobbies include cycling and marathons.	Married to Robbyn, no children. Hobbies include traveling, running, reading, playing musical instruments and cooking.
Web site	Yes	Yes	Yes
E-mail	Yes	Yes	Yes

About the job: Judges in the Sixth Circuit are elected on a nonpartisan basis for a six-year term. They preside over criminal and civil cases in Pinellas and Pasco counties. They might handle felonies, family law, juvenile cases and lawsuits alleging damage in excess of $15,000. The job pays $145,080 annually.