What if you could change the direction of a state for a generation? Help spread the word about the records of Florida Supreme Court Justices Pariente, Quince and Lewis.

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Justices build $1/2 million war chest and then denounce efforts to politicize court

Fundraising totals from Q1:

Justices Pariente, Quince and Lewis: $ 476,329
Restore Justice 2012: $  41,650

Today, the community which has injected an unprecedented near half-million dollars into the retention races ironically held a press conference to warn about politicizing the court. We agree that the vote is in our court, and look forward to November when responsible citizens will decide whether or not to retain the Justices based on their record of decisions.

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Restore Justice 2012 is a voter education campaign committed to informing voters of the records of Florida’s Supreme Court Justices in preparation for the merit retention vote this November.

Lawmaker Asks Governor Scott to Investigate Supreme Court Justices

We have learned that Rep. Scott Plakon has requested that Gov. Rick Scott launch an investigation into the series of events that transpired at the Supreme Court on Friday, April 20th. In a letter sent to the Governor, concern was expressed that “Florida law may have been violated by the Justices” when “an official court proceeding” was interrupted so that “at least three different court system employees” could “prepare and file campaign documents”. Florida law prohibits state employees from working on campaigns during normal working hours.

In response to this development, we issue the following statement:

“We respect Rep. Plakon’s desire that the law be followed by all regardless of status or position. If the letter of the law was not followed in the events that transpired on April 20th, it would not be the first time a Florida Justice flirted with the strict boundaries of the Constitution or state law. This whole ordeal illustrates the problems that inherently arise when activist judges selectively uphold the law when it is convenient to their agenda, and ignore or rewrite it when it’s not. We encourage every Floridian to investigate the actions, judicial philosophy and rulings of Justices Pariente, Quince and Lewis, and to cast an informed vote this November.”

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Restore Justice 2012 is a voter education campaign committed to informing voters of the records of Florida’s Supreme Court Justices in preparation for the merit retention vote this November.

Have you ever been frustrated at how hard it is to find information about the records of Supreme Court Justices? Were you one of the 1 million voters who left the Justices names blank last election? Looking for a way to serve your county and help return accountability and independence to our judicial system? Come and learn more about of the most energetic and pivotal statewide grassroots campaigns in Florida this election cycle. If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more, please come to one of our meetings in the following cities and send an email to the RSVP contact below.

Tallahassee, April 22, 1-3pm
Florida State University, Student Union, Room 311E
75 North Woodward Avenue
Tallahassee, FL 32306
RSVP: spencer@restorejustice2012.com

Jacksonville, April 22, 7-9pm
Village Inn Diner
10140 San Jose Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32257
RSVP: spencer@restorejustice2012.com

Orlando, April 28th, 10am-12pm
Orlando Public Library
101 E. Central BLVD
Orlando, FL 32801
RSVP: jesse@restorejustice2012.com

Tampa, April 28, 2:30-4:30pm
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
2900 Bayport Drive
Tampa, Florida 33607
RSVP: debbie@restorejustice2012.com

We will be scheduling a meeting in South Florida sometime in May.

“I wouldn’t want a judge thrown off the bench for one bad ruling,” said Jesse Phillips, a Winter Park computer programmer who heads Restore Justice 2012. “But what we’ve seen on the Florida Supreme Court is a pattern of judicial activism.”

The article also aludes the uphill battle we face in seeking to help educate voters, citing a focus group found that “out of 115 voters, not one could name a single Supreme Court justice.”

Read the entire article here.

“We agree with the experts. Florida’s court system has been the national poster child for judicial activism in recent decades,” said the organization’s President Jesse Phillips, who led the last-minute grassroots campaign against Justices Labarga and Perry in 2010.

The “experts” Phillips refers to include the American Justice Partnership, whose report says, “Nowhere is the pattern of judicial activism more prevalent than in the State of Florida.”

The campaign’s website features a number of endorsements from various state leaders, including former State Senator Carey Baker:

“The Restore Justice campaign is on the front lines of one of the most important votes Floridians will cast in 2012. Judicial activism is a huge problem in our state and threatens so many of our cherished freedoms. As a 2^nd Amendment proponent and small business owner, I can confidently say that there is no greater threat to my livelihood than judges that don’t respect the Constitution. This is why I support the efforts of Restore Justice to shed light on our judicial system” – Senator Carey Baker.

Three Supreme Court Justices will face a merit retention vote in November 2012: Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis.

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Political advertisement paid for by Restore Justice, Inc., a non-profit political organization (IRS sec. 527).