Accusations fly in Hillsborough County judicial race

Tampa Bay Times ^ | July 31,2022 | William March

[Brandonmark]

A contentious circuit judgeship race in Hillsborough County is violating the norms of usually quiet judicial contests, as the two candidates and their supporters bash each other publicly and file or threaten ethics complaints.

The bitterness stems from an overturned decision by Judge Jared Smith in a case of a minor seeking an abortion.

[Brandonmark]

“Smith ruled against a 17-year-old seeking an abortion without parental consent, citing her C-average grades, courtroom demeanor and lack of proof of maturity. An appeals court overturned the ruling, saying he had misinterpreted evidence.”

[Brandonmark]

http://www.judgejaredsmith.com/

[Rockingham]

Golly, a judicial election in which issues get publicly debated instead of only whispered among lawyers. Soon though the Florida Supreme Court will have to chastize the squabbling candidates lest the public realize overmuch that judges are not black-robed demigods but just a species of politician.

[Waverunner]

Hillsborough is a county that was run by the mob from the 60’s through the 70’s and has been corrupt ever since. Although the good thing about the mob was that Santos Trafficante was a good Catholic of the old school, so they would have only allowed the “working girls” abortions.

[Rockingham]

I knew an FBI agent who had a large role in breaking up the mob's control of Hillsborough. He saw Trafficante as a savvy mob boss, better even than the New York mafia dons.

In New York, if you ran up a debt that you could not pay, they would grab your wife or teen daughter to work for them until the debt was paid. Trafficante's method was to offer a deal: we will not grab your family to pay your debt, but no more loans or gambling and you have to do us a favor when asked. Break either condition, and the full debt is reinstated, with interest.

As a result, Trafficante and his people could often compromise otherwise honest cops, witnesses, judges, and juries based on family or business connections to someone in debt to the local mob.