By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Circuit judge candidate AuBroncee Martin said his 24 years as a public defender has led to a life of service.

            “I have been a felony division chief. I have served my community as a scoutmaster, and as president of the State Judicial Bar Association. I am a Florida Supreme Court certified county and family court mediator,” he said.

            Martin’s comments were made during a Republican candidates’ forum in Cedar Key on July 22.

            Questioner Stoney Smith asked him why he was running for circuit judge.

            “When I look at all the things I could do with my life, this fits my values of public service, my skills of being an attorney. I think the best use of that would be for me to be a judge. When you have a calling, you have a responsibility to step up and fill the gap.”

            Smith asked if the crime rates for non-violent crimes were increasing or decreasing in this district.

            “I’m going to tell you this. I’ll be blunt as I can. From my experience, crime rates are cyclical. They go up and they go down. They are caused by drugs, they are caused by alcohol, they are caused by poverty. There are a number of reasons that cause that. The main reason I’m here as a judicial candidate is for you to get a look at me, to see if your values align with mine, to see if you can trust that I can do the job of being fair and impartial,” Martin said.

            Martin said he would focus on the facts of a court case and determine how to apply the law.

            “Litigant A, Litigant B – what’s the evidence, what does the law say? I put those together and I decide what is the appropriate ruling. There may be all those other reasons that cause this, but I have to focus on the law and the facts of the case,” he said.

            Regarding gun control, Smith told Martin the governor wants to make guns a little more accessible.

            “What are your feelings on that if it comes down to a judgment?” Smith said.

            “Here’s the thing, forgive me if I go into a little bit of a civics lesson here. There are three branches of government, the executive, the judiciary, and the legislative. The legislature makes the rules. The executive, and the governor, they enforce the laws. That’s their job. As a judge, my job is not to wonder why, not to opine when it’s just that. What are the rules and what are the facts and let’s go with that – that’s my feeling,” Martin said.

            Questioner Parks Wilson asked Martin what would happen when he applies guidelines in assessing what sentence to impose.

            Martin said Florida has a criminal code that has a very specific set of factors that must be assessed to make a determination about sentencing. He said the Florida Legislature has made certain exceptions that a judge, based on the facts of the case, may depart from the guidelines.

            “That particular judge may say no, you don’t play well with others, you need a time out. It depends. There are no absolute bright line rules all the time except for what the state legislature says,” Martin said.

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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt July 22, 2022; Posted July 30, 2022