There is no question that Judge Jaimie Goodman deserves to lose his Group 30 seat on the Palm Beach County Circuit Court. The question is whether one of his two challengers deserves to replace him.
Goodman won his seat in 2014 after running unsuccessfully in 2010 and 2012. Six years ago, the Sun Sentinel editorial board endorsed him.
In his three races, Goodman spent roughy half a million dollars of his own money. After all that effort and expense, one would think that he would do everything possible to avoid a challenge.
Yet Goodman has drawn two opponents, which is noteworthy since most incumbents go unopposed. But Goodman has invited this challenge after just one term. There’s a reason.
In the 2017 Palm Beach County Bar poll of judges, Goodman scored badly almost across the board. In one category, though, he was especially awful.
The category was judicial demeanor and treatment of lawyers. Twelve respondents — lawyers who had appeared before Goodman — rated him “excellent.” Eighteen scored him “satisfactory.” But 143 said he “needs improvement” — more than any other judge.
Apparently, those numbers didn’t sink in. In the 2019 poll, Goodman did even worse. Twelve respondents said “excellent.” Twenty-seven said “satisfactory.” And 253 said “needs improvement.”
There was more.
Roughly half of the respondents gave Goodman the lowest score on impartiality. More than half ranked him badly on applying common sense when ruling. He got bad marks on professionalism.
This is what lawyers call “black robe syndrome” — the arrogance some judges display when they consider themselves more important than the work of the court. Goodman offers several excuses, none of them persuasive.
He claims that a sudden shift to the family court division in 2017 left him little time to prepare. He claims that courtesy sometimes must be a lower priority than moving cases quickly. He attributes the lawyers’ responses to “my passion.”
Please. Courtesy is the easiest flaw for a judge to correct. It’s vital because all parties must believe that they have been heard, even if they lose.
The 2017 poll put Goodman on notice. Yet he ignored it. So when Goodman now says, as he did during his Sun Sentinel candidate interview, that he is a “humble individual and is “improving” and pledges to do better, what reason is there to believe him?
Goodman’s challengers, Adam Myron and Caryn Siperstein, have similarities. Each has practiced law for nearly 20 years. Each points to Goodman’s poll numbers as the main reason to reject the incumbent.
But during our candidate interview, Siperstein came off as needlessly evasive. An assistant attorney general — on leave while running her campaign — she tried to dodge around the fact that she spends much of her time in Broward County, not Palm Beach County. She refused even to name judges whom she might consider role models, citing the judicial canons that prevent candidates from commenting on cases.
Myron has been in private practice his whole career. As he notes, almost all of that career has been in Palm Beach County. Myron also has an impressive record of civic and professional involvement, which includes training aligned with the responsibilities of a judge.
If no candidate gets a majority in the Aug. 18 primary, the top two finishers will advance to the general election. Goodman has some notable figures in county judicial politics on his side. Siperstein might have an advantage as the only woman in the race, but we believe that Myron is more qualified, even if conventional politics may not be on his side.
Myron said judges should ensure “confidence in the justice system.” With Jaimie Goodman on the bench, that confidence is lacking.
The Sun Sentinel endorses Adam Myron for Group 30 of the Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, Dan Sweeney, Steve Bousquet and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson.
