Incumbent Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dava J. Tunis has opposition from Doral civil litigator Rosy Aponte for the primary elections this August. Here's why these Group 75 candidates say they should wear the black robe. 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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Rosy Aponte

Aponte is a solo practitioner in Doral and handles employment, civil rights, insurance, commercial and real estate litigation.

Why are you running for this position?

I want to serve the community I grew up in, in a fair and just courtroom, regardless of race, nationality, social and economic status, gender or sexual orientation.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I have been a litigation attorney for 12 years and have practiced in diverse areas, such as civil rights in employment setting, family law, bankruptcy law, real estate law, personal injury, insurance litigation, commercial litigation and probate law.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

Helping hundreds of people who were facing losing their homes modify their mortgages and save their property, and helping people who have been discriminated against or sexually harassed in the work place, get compensated for retaliatory discharges.

What would a successful term look like for you?

Running an efficient and timely docket in a safe courtroom setting that always seeks the truth; applying the proper law; and treating everyone who enters the courtroom with integrity, respect, compassion and zero tolerance for any kind of bias and discrimination.

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

Working around the pandemic (COVID-19) closure issue and trying to still give everyone the proper access and their proper day in court.

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Judge Dava J. Tunis

Tunis was appointed to the county court bench in 2000, appointed to the circuit bench in 2005, and has been reelected without opposition three times.

Why are you running for this position?

I am seeking re-election for my position as a circuit court judge because, during my nearly 20 years on the bench, I have worked tirelessly to fairly and efficiently handle all matters in court. I take the bench prepared to address the issues, motions and pleadings on the docket, having read all materials and case law attorneys provide and filed. I am a trial-active judge who treats all litigants with dignity and respect. I have served the public in my judicial role by following the law, treating parties fairly and providing all parties the opportunity to be heard. I maintain the highest ethical conduct mandated by the judicial cannons of ethics, and comport myself both in and out of the courtroom in a professional manner commensurate with the office I am honored to hold.

What about your experience qualifies you for the position?

I have been a judge for nearly 20 years, serving in both the county and circuit Courts. I sat in many different court divisions during this time, including: domestic violence (family civil injunctions and uncontested dissolution of marriage), juvenile and criminal. I have handled approximately 12,000 cases and presided over 150 jury trials of varying lengths and complexity, ranging from two days to four months. My jury trial experience encompasses complex criminal litigation, including homicide and death penalty cases. A conservative estimate of my bench trial experience involves over 1,000 trials.

Attorneys and litigants deserve a judge who is prepared, conscientious and dedicated to following the law. A judge must administer justice fairly while controlling high caseloads in an overburdened court system. I have consistently worked diligently and efficiently throughout my judicial career. I treat all parties with dignity and respect, regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. A judge must lead by example. A judge's elevated role is not a license to be inconsiderate, rather it mandates a responsibility to treat others with respect and dignity. That is the manner in which I have conducted myself and will continue to do so. My record is that of a dedicated public servant who strives to exemplify these crucial judicial characteristics.

What's your biggest achievement so far?

The most impactful and meaningful experience of my life has been raising my daughters. They have been raised in a family surrounded by love, and an environment in which they have been taught to treat others with respect and dignity. To have daughters grow into young women who are independent, intelligent and loving is indeed an achievement.

On a professional level, I have been honored to receive the Judicial Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Dade County Bar Association and the President's Award of Merit presented by the President of the Florida Bar.

What would a successful term look like for you?

A successful term would be to continue running an efficient courtroom, trying cases that need to be tried, working hard to handle court matters to closure or conclusion and treating parties with dignity and respect, as I have for my nearly 20 years on the bench.

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

Clearly given the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest challenge we are facing is to tailor the court system to our ever-changing world. Judges, together with our partners in the legal community, are working tirelessly on plans to assure access to the courts by the public and adapt procedures to allow for hearings and, eventually, jury trials. Much of this planning is already in place or underway, as we have incorporated and are using new technology in court hearings.

The most difficult aspect of this is how to resume and conduct jury trials. We face the challenge of assuring the safety of jurors from our community, while balancing the constitutional rights of individuals to a jury trial. These issues are at the forefront for both the civil and criminal divisions. We are especially mindful that, in criminal cases, an individual's freedom is at issue if they are being held in custody while awaiting trial. Thus, the greatest challenge in criminal cases is balancing the rights and health of the individual in custody with the safety and health of the community from which jurors are summoned.

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