Q. Judge Smith, what is a default judgment? Does a default judgment end the case? Thank you, Dee. A. Due process of law requires notice and an opportunity to be heard.Plaintiffs begin lawsuits by filing complaints against defendants. The purpose of a complaint is to tell a defendant what he did, how it damaged the […]
Q. Judge Smith, did you always aspire to be a lawyer? Sally A. No, I did not. Allow me to explain how it happened. My late father, Frank D. Smith, was a hard worker and a problem solver. When he graduated from high school, he aspired to go to college. However, his parents couldn’t afford […]
Q. Judge Smith, doing your job takes a lot of patience. What is your key to being polite and having an even keel? On or off the bench, is there anything that annoys you? Tanner A. Being patient is part of a judge’s job description. It helps to like people and to empathize with their […]
Q. Judge Smith, how can local government enact ordinances that expose people to criminal prosecution? Just call me a non-conformist. Dan A. The state or the federal government preempts some areas of law. Otherwise, county and city governments can enact local ordinances. The idea is that our local officials are the closest to local issues. […]
I talk to students about what judges do and the rule of law. Sometimes, we talk about American history and their questions can range from whimsical to probing. Q. Judge Smith, why do the people in England drive on the other side of the road. Clay (a fourth-grade student). A. During the Middle Ages, most […]
After being appointed county judge in 2015, the people of Leon County elected me to the job. Before my term had ended, Governor DeSantis appointed me to the circuit bench. Since then, my chief judge has assigned me to handle family law and civil case dockets in Leon County. Since 2018, I have published 91 […]