Incumbent Judge Dennis Bailey will have two contenders in the August primary elections as prosecutor Abbe Rifkin Logan and civil litigator George Odom Jr. have stepped up to run for Broward Circuit judge group 16. Here's what the three candidates say qualifies them for the position. Responses have been edited for style and content.

Related: 2020 South Florida Elections: Use this Voter Guide to Learn More About Candidates Running for Judge

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Judge Dennis Bailey

Bailey has served more than five years on the bench.

Why do you want to remain a circuit court judge?

I was elected by the voters in 2014 to my first term. The past six years have been both humbling and rewarding. Humbling because the job is very different than citizens, and even very experienced lawyers, realize. Parties and their lawyers come before the judge on matters they could not resolve despite working on it for years, and the judge has to find truth and dispense justice in his/her decisions daily. In every case, in every courtroom, at some point, all eyes are on the judge demanding the swift application of the wisdom of Solomon.

This first term has been rewarding in finding oneself central in the formula through which truth and justice are attained. In family court, I have helped families in crisis bring their wars to an end. In civil court, I have helped those wronged find relief and those committing wrongs find responsibility. In criminal court, I have helped victims find closure and those wrongfully accused find freedom. I have learned a great deal and am a better judge for it. I look forward to serving the community I grew up in, and in which I raised my own family, for a second term. I will continue to reward the trust of the voters with hard labor in the administration of wise and honorable justice.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I never understood those who came out of law school and "knew" they wanted to be judges; or the young lawyers who ran for judge as soon as the law allows despite an obvious lack of necessary experience. Before I decided to run for judge in 2014, I was a trial lawyer for 28 years; 14 years in criminal courts prosecuting and defending every crime from misdemeanors to murder, including death penalty cases, and 14 years in civil courts, plaintiff and defense, both state and federal, from Key West to the Panhandle.

My clients ranged from Fortune 500 companies to the homeless. The nature of my practice ranged from solo practitioner to in-house counsel in a multi-state corporation to a large office with over 200 lawyers to being a partner with my father and brother in a small general neighborhood practice. I've handled both criminal and civil appeals, real estate closings, federal civil rights litigation, corporate law, complex commercial litigation, family law, and fighting for the rights of special needs children in school systems around the state. And more. When I have a party or a lawyer in front of me, I have walked a mile in their shoes and therefore better understand their issues, their arguments and their needs. Breadth and length of legal experience deeply matters. Early decisions to run for judge by young lawyers demonstrate a troubling lack of understanding.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

At the risk of sounding overly analytical, I must parcel my response out to a variety of interests. In the courtroom as a judge, it has been the balanced application of the law in an efficient manner; having a weeping family member thank me for finally bringing a murderer to trial. In the courtroom as a lawyer, it had been helping David beat Goliath, such as the homeless man whom I helped fight for his civil rights against the great city of Miami and won. In professional service, it has been teaching circuit judges across the state at judicial conferences on how to anticipate and rule on the complex legal issues inherent in the incoming tide of digital courtroom evidence. In community service, it has been teaching young teenagers the catechism of their faith and helping them understand the source and content of a virtuous character.

But my greatest achievement in this life is seen in the lives of my three sons. My oldest is newly married and works in the highly complex field of online data security (since he works near me, we enjoy getting together for lunch weekly), my young artist is preparing for college, and my middle son is a bright ray of sunshine despite significant disabilities. They are my crown.

What would a successful term look like for you?

When I left the criminal division to preside over a civil division, my clerk (a minority member with decades of experience in the position) told me she was saddened to see me leave because I was one judge who simply did not notice color. When I left the civil division to fill a more urgent vacancy in family court, I was approached by a group of lawyers in that division who asked me to reconsider. And when I arrived back in family court, having started there five years earlier, I was warmly greeted with "Welcome back!" That is success. In the criminal courts, I presided over 99 jury trials in less than four years, including four very long death penalty trials, and brought an overloaded division under control, ultimately taking over two major trial divisions, merging them into one. That is success.

I have reached out to the community, teaching judges, teaching lawyers, teaching law students, teaching undergraduate college students and teaching police cadets, serving on local bar associations boards of directors and agreeing to serve as judicial liaison with the Broward County Bar Association. That is success. I was driving to Orlando for a judicial conference and a young man at a turnpike rest stop, having recognized me as the judge who gave him a second chance, approached and thanked me. He was doing great. That is success. I loved my first term and look forward to my second.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

This new post-COVID world. Even when the courthouse reopens to the public, there will be a new justice system in place. People will be reticent to ride to high floors in crowded elevators, sit in crowded courtrooms, deliberate in crowded jury rooms and so on. Necessity being the mother of invention, systems are now in place whereby lawyers, parties, witnesses, observers (and maybe even jurors) can appear without having to miss time at work, provide alternative supervision of children, dress appropriately, drive to the courthouse, pay for parking, go through security, sit on hard benches waiting for cases to be called and go through the strange stress of the public courtroom.

How much of the temporary online technology should remain and become a permanent and integral part of our procedures? How do we administer justice remotely without tainting the integrity of the process — e.g. who is off-camera and creating an immediate risk of improper influence? Should requests to appear remotely be liberally granted to anyone and everyone? Will courtrooms and/or law offices take on the appearance of the set of the televised evening news? How quickly can we intelligently amend our current Rules of Procedure and Rules of Evidence to adjust to our new reality? Tomorrow is here today.

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Abbe Rifkin Logan

Logan is senior trial counsel at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.

Why are you running for this position?

This is not something I decided on a whim. I have wanted to be a judge since the day I took the oath of the Florida Bar. This was my goal, this was what awaited if I worked hard and proved myself worthy. I knew that to be the best judge I would need to hone my craft and my skill so that I could effectively serve the people. So, I waited, perhaps too long, as I was in my early 50s when I started the journey in earnest to the bench. In 2011, I began an unsuccessful quest to appointment by the governor. Although nominated many times, appointment by the governor never happened for me. My road to the bench would have to follow a different path and I decided to take it to the people.

My reason for wanting to be a judge, and for never giving up is simple: I am a public servant. That is how I identify, who I am. I was raised to serve the public and give back as thanks for what this community, this state and this country gave to me and to family members who came before me. Money has never guided me in anything I've done; it's nice to have, but I've never chased the dream of being wealthy. The feeling one gets when they've served the public cannot be defined or bought; it can only be felt. Some people get satisfaction from possessions, others do not. I want to continue to serve my community as a judge, taking my public service to the next level.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

As a lawyer for almost 40 years, I have real experience and common sense that has developed during my life's journeys. There is no substitute for experience, both inside and outside of the courtroom. The prosecutor has a unique duty — it is to pursue justice, having to consider all sides to a lawsuit, analyzing from a defense and jury perspective in order to ensure that justice is served. I represent all of the people, including the accused. Years in the public arena has taught me how to keep my personal views separate from my work. I respect the written law, and I must follow and apply it evenly and objectively, even if it involves a subject matter about which I personally disagree. My job would be to mete out justice, no longer an advocate, but that of one "calling the balls and the strikes," whether in the civil or criminal arena, as guided by the law in a fair, impartial and respectful manner to all.

I've learned effective listening and how to suss out fantasy from fact to come up with a solution. I've determined over the years that the one thing every litigant wants from their judge is that they have been listened to and heard. The rulings might not go their way, but at least they have had their moment in time. As a teacher, I pass on what I've learned to our next generation of lawyers which will assist me in educating the citizens who come before me.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Personally, my biggest achievements are making a marriage work for over 36 years and raising two daughters who are lovely, kind, honest, productive, and hardworking members of society. Professionally, my biggest achievement is knowing that I have represented all of the people each and every day for nearly 40 years, knowing when to make a criminal accusation and when not to. I have passed on my skills to hundreds of law students and lawyers, doing my part to improve our court and justice system. I have perfected motion practice and have shared that with others. I have successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases including two "no body" homicides, and have brought justice to the families of those victims and to other victims and their families.

What would a successful term look like for you?

If I were chosen I would make sure that my courtroom was run efficiently, carefully, professionally, objectively and fairly. Litigants would get their say and be assured their day in court. I would make my rulings based upon the law and precedent, insuring that my rulings and decisions would be decided right from the start and not subject to reversal later on down the line. A successful term is one where all the litigants would be happy to appear before me knowing that everyone gets a fair shot and fair rulings in an expeditious manner, letting the lawyers "lawyer" and the litigants be heard by a judge who truly listens.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

Our community is fractured, now more than ever. A big part of that chasm is the tarnish on the Broward court system, created in part by a few judges who were ill prepared for the very difficult job of a judge, either because of biases, and/or lack of experience or work ethic. This has resulted in disciplinary sanctions, removal, forced resignations and shame upon the bench. This creates mistrust in the community. The people need to know that they have judges who are not biased, will treat them with respect regardless of their race, gender, age, socioeconomic status or sexual orientation, judges who will listen and make their decisions not based upon their personal opinions or biases but based upon the law and sense of fairness. Many factors go into healing our community, but if faith can be restored in our court system that will go a long way to restoring trust in one another.

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George Odom Jr.

Civil and criminal litigator Odom is managing partner at Dixon & Odom in Pompano Beach.

Why are you running for this position?

The Broward County bench needs more experienced and qualified attorneys with diversified backgrounds. Judges need to be able to handle the high demands of public service without sacrificing the professionalism, honor and integrity of the bench. I have the diversified experience and integrity this group needs.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I served in the United States Marine Corps, specifically during 9/11. Serving as a Marine meant honoring the guiding principles to always remain faithful, serving with selflessness and fighting for the ideals that frame this nation. I handled multiple stressful situations everyday with professionalism and integrity.

I have never been disciplined or sanctioned by the Florida Bar or Florida Supreme Court. I am the co-founding partner at Dixon & Odom. I am organized, a hard worker and humble. I have experience in family, civil and federal and Florida state criminal cases. Including pro bono legal work with major civil rights organizations.

I have over 15 years of experience in the justice system and eight years as a practicing trial attorney. I worked as an assistant public defender and handled cases from minor traffic infractions to second chairing homicide cases. I was selected, out of more than 10,000 lawyers by the chief judge to Chair the Seventeenth Circuit Professionalism Panel. I served on the Florida Bar Military Affairs Committee, Broward County board of directors' and as past president of the TJ Reddick Bar Association. I have quasi-judicial experience serving as an alternate on the city of Tamarac Planning & Zoning Board Committee. I am the judge advocate for the American Legion Post 220.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Working with community groups such as the Broward County League of Women Voters, NAACP, youth mentoring groups, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and Kiwanis International. Understanding how to increase access to the courts and improve the administration of justice requires community engagement.

What would a successful term look like for you?

1. Improving the public understanding of the courts. We should work to establish a website that contains a "one-stop" shop of information. This information would contain the credentials of the jurists, their ruling records, judgments, peer reviews, potential conflict of interests and qualifications.

2. Helping to educate and increase access to courts. The rising costs of litigation is making it more difficult for citizens to bring issues before the court. This includes lengthy discovery obligations and stagnant movement throughout our court system.

3. Increasing judicial efficiency with a 21st-century mindset. I would advocate that we use Zoom hearings and conference calls more frequently to expedite hearing access and reduce high-volume court dockets. This will be a benefit not only to the justice system but also reduce cost across the board for the judicial circuit.

4. Helping to establish a healthy balance between efficiency and safety when conducting jury trials in the future, without sacrificing due process and the faith and integrity of the justice system.

What is the most important issue facing your county at the moment?

The integrity and faith in the justice system. In light of current events, there are many who feel justice is not blind and not distributed fairly. We must work to protect the community without disenfranchising others because of race, sexual orientation, economic status or gender. The law must be followed and applied fairly to all. In addition, many seniors and indigent clients lack access to courts because of the increasing cost of litigation and lengthy, drawn out legal proceedings.

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