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Features
Young Man Hopes Sharing His
Several Nominated For 13th Circuit Judicial Courts
Experience Will Help Others
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
At the age of 14, Markeis Levatte had already experi- enced a life that many adults have to deal with. Because of bad decisions and peer associ- ates, he found himself looking at a life sentence for commit- ting robberies. It was the first time he’d been in trouble in his life.
“I ended up going to prison and sacrificing my chance to graduate from high school and play football. If I hadn’t made those bad decisions, I knew I would have accomplished a lot.
“I pulled myself together, refocused, stopped feeling sorry for myself, and went back to school.”
Levatte, now 22-years- old, will be graduating in 2016 from Concordia University in Selma, Alabama, with hopes of becoming a behavior ana- lyst. He also has plans of play- ing professional football.
“I attended junior college and was honored three times for having high grades.
“Once I saw what life was like behind bars, I knew that
MARKEIS LEVATTE
life wasn’t for me. I made a promise to myself while I was incarcerated that I would never come back. It was hard getting into junior college, but my uncle, K.D. Williams, helped me through connec- tions he had in Arkansas.”
Levatte’s message to all the young people out there today is if you have and faith and believe in God, you can accomplish anything.
“You have to be mentally tough. It’s important to have your family supporting you. Without that, it’s hard, but I knew I had to change and be better. Sometimes, your par- ents say the wrong things, and leave you hurt and feeling no one cares.
“You can’t allow that or anything else stop you from doing what you know is the
right thing. In the end, you can help repair the damage at home and make everyone bet- ter.”
Levatte said he’s open to talking to young people in any forum to get their attention, and that also goes for single moms.
“I want to not just tell them to make better decisions, but to show them by example what can happen when you make the wrong decisions.
“I’ll be working at the North Tampa Boys and Girls Club training until I return to school at the end of July. I welcome the opportunity to share my story with the young people out there. I know the summer is going to be danger- ous,andIwanttodowhatI can to calm things down be- fore they get heated up.”
Levatte said he under- stands the overwhelming de- sire to fit in a lot of young people face today, and it does- n’t have to be that way.
“Instead of being a fol- lower, be a leader. Instead of following a trend, set a trend. In other words, you don’t have to do or say what everyone else is to fit in.
CONSTANCE DANIELS
More than 20 individuals have applied with the Thir- teenth Circuit Judicial Nomi- nating Commission for nomination to the Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Judi- cial Circuit and with the Thir- teenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission for nomination to the County Court of the Thirteenth Judi- cial Circuit. The applicants are as follows:
Christopher E. Brown; Norman Cannella, Jr.; Constance Daniels; Thomas Dickerhoof; An- drew Eckhoff; Jerry Gewirtz; Jack Nathan Gut- man; Alec Fitzgerald Hall; Carl Hinson; John P. Hol- sonback; Caroline John- son-Levine; Jon Johnson; and Rebecca F. Kapusta.
Other applicants are:
Christopher LaBruzzo; Troy Matthew Lovell; Yvette A. MacMillan; Daryl Maurice Manning; Nancy Jean Neaves; Melissa M. Polo; Ray- mond Sotomayor; John N. Terry; Kimberly D. Thresher; Isabel “Cissy” Boza Sevelin; Miriam
ALEC F. HALL
Velez Valkenburg; and Michael S. Williams.
Judge Kim H. Vance
applied with the Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission for nomination to the Circuit Court of the Thir- teenth Judicial Circuit.
The Commission encour- ages and seeks comments re- garding the qualifications of these applicants from the pub- lic and from members of the Bench and Bar. Comments may be addressed to Terri Gaffney, Chair, Thirteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, 1311 N. West- shore Blvd., Suite 101, Tampa, FL 33607. Comments must be received before June 20, to be considered by the Commis- sion.
The Commission will meet on Saturday, June 20th, at 10 a.m., at the offices of Terri Gaffney to determine which candidates will be interviewed by the Commission. The Com- mission will conduct inter- views on July 8, and will submit the names of nominees for this vacant judgeship to Governor Rick Scott by July 10.
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