The Daily Business Review's coverage of South Florida candidates in the August primary election features Q&As with candidates in judicial races across South Florida. This installment focuses on the race for Broward County Court judge, Group 46.

Candidate H. James Curry, assistant general counsel for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in the Southern region, participated in the Q&A. His opponents — Maria Markhasin-Weekes, a prosecutor in the firearms unit of the State Attorney's Office, and Walter “Dale” Miller, an attorney with the Broward Public Defender's Office — declined to participate. Here's what Curry has to say about what qualifies him for the judgeship. Responses have been edited for style and content.

Curry earned his bachelor's degree in 1981 from Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Shortly after, he began his professional career in New York at the Queens County Criminal Defense Division of the Legal Aid Society. After working there for about five years as a paralegal, he applied to and was accepted into the evening paralegal program at New York's St. John's University. Nearing graduation and the attainment of his second B.A., in paralegal studies, he was admitted to the law school at St. John's.

Upon graduation, Curry left New York and settled in South Florida, where he began as a volunteer with the Florida Department of Health and Human Services, Juvenile Division, later renamed the Department of Juvenile Justice. He served as a juvenile probation officer in Miami-Dade, and an attorney for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. His current responsibilities include covering Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward, Fort Myers and Palm Beach counties. Curry has served on the boards of Florida International University's African New World Studies Program and the Friends of Frederick E. Samuel Foundation Inc. He has been a member of the Broward Bar Association, the TJ Reddick Bar Association, the Caribbean Bar Association and a board member of the South Broward Bar Association.

Why do you want to be a Circuit Court judge?

Curry: I want to contribute more to solving some of the problems in Broward County by sharing my juvenile justice expertise in programs such as mental health and substance abuse. I believe that future courts will have more early intervention judicial programs that deal very differently with these types of issues. I also like the new challenge of being a judge. The ability to grow professionally is the greatest bonus and leaving a legacy is my goal.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

Curry: I have been practicing law for approximately 23 years, and before that, I was a juvenile probation officer for three years and a paralegal 10 years previously. These 30-plus years of experience dealing with the criminal and juvenile system uniquely qualify me to contribute to the wealth of knowledge among the Broward bench. An added benefit is that I am a quick learner with the appropriate judicial temperament, patience and a strong work ethics. I will adapt and bring an innovative perspective to the process.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Curry: Going into my third decade as an employee of the Department of Juvenile Justice and having been employed before the inception of the agency in 1994, I have helped usher in a 42-[year] low in juvenile crime. It is part of a 24 percent decline over five years. Miami-Dade County Juvenile Service Department reports that since 1998, there has been a total of 81 percent decrease in juvenile arrests.

Ironically, the horrific events of the recent tragedy in Parkland, as well as the deaths in custody and abuses in our programs, have overshadowed this reality. Bear in mind that this decline in crime was done while the department underwent massive decreases in our budget and employee salaries. In fact, department employees did not receive raises for a total of seven years, but were required to make greater contributions to pensions and medical benefits.

Florida has 100 percent reporting on juvenile crime and is only among five states that can track such encounters. We have a long way to go but we have come a long way since 1994. Juvenile crime has decreased over the last four years at a rate of about 7 percent. Both good and bad, I have been a part of the legacy, resulting in a reduction of crime among juveniles.

What would a successful term look like for you?

Curry: I need to first learn how to be a judge, earn the respect of the lawyers who appear before me as well as that of my colleagues. Most importantly, I must earn the respect of the general public and obtain a reputation of being competent, timely and respectful at all times. Lastly, my goal will be for all to agree that I am a fair and impartial judge.

What is the most important issue facing the Broward circuit at the moment?

Curry: The two most important issues are mental health and substance abuse.