Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 1-21-20

Editorial/Column
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Ideology Aside, The Florida Supreme Court Needs a Black Jurist
BY SENS. PERRY E. THURSTON, JR. AND DARRYL E. ROUSON
he Florida Supreme Court
lacks the diversity needed to satisfy the many legal needs of Florida’s divergent, ethnic and racial communities. Justice Thurgood Marshall once said: “... one-sided justice” does not allow for our adversary system to fully consider the impact that a decision can have on “all the people it will affect.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis can right this wrong and enhance public confidence in our judicial process by appointing an African American to Florida’s high court.
Florida is the nation’s third- largest state with 46 percent of the general population consisting of people of color. Yet, whites comprise 4 out of every 5 judges, and most of them are male. The current makeup of the state Supreme Court is particularly glaring. Five white men now sit on Florida’s high court, and there has not been a black jurist since Justice Peggy Quince’s term ended on January 8, 2018.
To his credit, the governor has appointed eight Black judges to the lower courts, a
record when compared to former Gov. Rick Scott’s. Those appointments will help get more African Americans jurists into the pipeline for higher appellate judgeships. However, the big yardstick remains appointments to the Florida Supreme Court, a measurement where Gov. DeSantis has fallen short.
Florida’s current situation does not even mirror that of the nation where only 15 percent of the State Supreme Court seats are held by people of color. Florida needs an independent judiciary that inspires confidence, trust and reflects the diversity of the state’s population.
Gov. DeSantis failed last year to appoint a black jurist while filling three court vacancies. As a newly elected governor, he replaced three justices appointed by Democratic governors, flipping the once moderate Florida Supreme Court into one of the nation’s most conservative. He now has a chance to remedy the court’s lack of diversity due to the appointment of former Justices Barbara Lagoa and Robert Luck to the 11th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Florida Supreme Court
is no inconsequential institution. It remains the arbitrator of key legal decisions that will impact all Floridians. The court’s decisions will run the gamut, from expelling problem lawyers to implementing controversial state policies and programs.
Florida’s Supreme Court most likely will shape how ballot initiatives -- medical marijuana, preserving environmentally sensitive lands and the re- instatement of felons’ voting rights will be implemented. The high court also will determine if local governments can ban the use of certain foam containers, how the police can use facial recognition in drug arrests, or whether laws governing sexually transmitted diseases only apply to heterosexual couples.
“Sat Cito Si Recte” is the Florida Supreme Court motto. It’s Latin for “Soon enough if done rightly,” a phrase indicating how important it is to take the time to achieve true justice. But, given the governor’s influence in picking judges, what message does the selection process send to Florida’s 3.5 million black residents? Will they and the rest of Florida’s diverse populace have confidence they will get justice?
The upcoming appoint- ments to the Florida Supreme Court remain a true indicator of how seriously any governor regards an independent judiciary that represents all of Florida. Gov. DeSantis can show he’s taking a pragmatic stand and appoint a black jurist to the High Court.
Sens. Perry E. Thurston Jr. and Darryl E. Rouson are attorneys and members of The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators.
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The Real MVPs
t’s enough to make you sick . . . or at least, enough
to wonder, “Did I make the right choice in life?” We’re referring to those times when glued in front of a televised NFL game, we are reminded by an an- nouncer that the fellow we witnessed making a break- neck touchdown is the same guy bringing home a sixty-million dollar pay check . . . or some such out- landish salary as that. “Get to the point!”, our readers are screaming.
And so we shall do just that by saying, no public school teacher on the face of America has ever earned a sum of sixty-million dollars . . . not six million dol- lars, nor five million dollars, and not even two million, or five hundred thousand dollars or close to one hun- dred thousand dollars. “What’s up with that?” We wonder.
Are we to believe a football jock is two hundred times more monetarily worthy than a tenth grade Eng- lish teacher, or math teacher, or coach who are all called upon to be a substitute mother, father, nurse, doctor, psychologist, social worker and referee/police officer.
We sincerely and severely doubt that. But what we see in America is a misguiding of ethics wherein the gladiator is god and the school teacher is beneath the radar screen. Such an attitude is toxic, to say the least, and will surely lead to the dissolution of our democ- racy.
Therefore, we support Florida teachers who boarded buses to Tallahassee to scream for their equality. They are, indeed, our most valued players. And the ball they run is the touchdown to save the fu- ture of our nation.
Have An Attitude Of Gratitude In 2020
”Let no foul or polluting language come out of your mouth.”
Ephesians 4:29
Your words can pollute or purify.
If you constantly complain, you release poison into your life.
Complaining is not based on your circumstances; it’s based on the attitude of your heart.
If you keep the right attitude during your time of adversity, God will honor you.
When you have a heart full of gratitude, it leaves no room for complaining.
There is always something to thank God for, no matter what kind of adversity you have in your
life.Start by thanking Him for giving you life and salvation.
Thank Him for the air you breathe and the sunsets you enjoy.
Thank Him for the Promise in His Word that no matter where you are in life, He is leading, guiding
and prospering you.
Decide TODAY to live a life of thanksgiving.
Don’t allow the poison of complaint to prevent you from receiving all God has for you! Live in joy, love, and with gratitude!
A new decade, a new day. Happy New Year!
T
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PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020