Reputation And Ethics
There are two rating organizations which are universally recognized by attorneys, judges and everyone working within the legal system. One is a national rating organization and one is a State rating organization.
Martindale-Hubbell has been the national authority on rating the quality of work, the competence, and the ethics of every member of the legal profession in our country for more than 150 years. If you ask anyone involved with courts including our Seminole County Judges, they will verify this. Here is what Martindale-Hubbell does: a painstaking review of the work product of each attorney; detailed questionnaires directed to attorneys who have gone against the one being reviewed; and independent background investigations of each attorney.
Statewide, there is a separate rating organization. They do much of the same thorough and peer-reviewed background investigation and independently determine the top 5% of attorneys in Florida. I have been selected as one of these top 5% of attorneys for many years.
Finally, Board Certification is the highest achievement for an attorney in his or her specialty. To attain this, it is not enough to have an extensive body of quality legal work and to pass a rigorous exam. The person must also be seen as having the absolute highest moral character in their field of law. I have been Board Certified by The Florida Bar for the past 12 years in workers' compensation, having been re-certified twice.
Here locally, please ask anyone, and I do mean anyone, involved with our courts or our legal system from prosecutors, defense attorneys, paralegals, and bailiffs to clerks or court reporters who they are voting for in this election. Each of these professionals understand that an impeccable reputation in the legal field does not happen overnight. Please join many of the people who work day-in and day-out in our justice system in voting for me either during early voting or on November 2nd. Thank you very much.
Some Responsibilities of a Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5
Serving as a Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5 involves more than simply rendering decisions in contested matters. Many men and women who appear before a Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5 come to court without an attorney. Even with an attorney, court is a strange and often frightening place for a person unfamiliar with the legal process and Rules. A Seminole County Court Judge must not only treat every person and participant in the process fairly; they must make the courtroom as user-friendly as possible.
I have practiced before some of the best County Court Judges in Florida during my career. These judges had the ability to put people at ease while still maintaining tight reins on order in their courtrooms. That is the type of Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5 that you will have when I take the bench. Not much different from being a father to four teenagers - always let them know what is expected of them, what the consequences will be for failure to reach those expectations, educate but do not talk down to them, and always treat them kindly and with respect.
As we approach Election Day, I will share with you more of the responsibilities that I believe are required of every attorney who has the honor of wearing a robe. Being sensitive to the needs of everyone in the courtroom, and especially those for whom the process is truly a foreign environment, is one such requirement. There has never been a time in our lifetimes where more people lacked the financial means to hire an attorney. Yet, far too often I have seen people treated less fairly because they have come to court alone. As your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, I assure you that everyone will be treated fairly and given their opportunity to present their case regardless of financial means or any other individual factor. A judge must never lose sight of the fact that our court system was designed as a way for regular people to resolve their conflicts.
My Promises To You
Here are my promises to you, the citizens of Seminole County, if you entrust me with the position of County Court Judge:
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to be courteous and respectful to all parties and witnesses who come before me.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to be courteous and respectful to all attorneys, court personnel and all other participants in the legal process.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to be patient and to allow all attorneys and self-represented parties to properly present their case and to make a complete and accurate record of proceedings in order to allow every one of my decisions to be thoroughly reviewable by an appellate court.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to decide every case and every legal or equitable matter which comes before me based solely on the facts and the law without bias or prejudice for or against any party or issue.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to resolve all disputes timely and efficiently, always being mindful of the time constraints and pressures imposed upon attorneys, parties and all other participants in the legal process.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, shall never impugn the integrity or professionalism of any attorney on the basis of that attorney's client or cause, nor punish any attorney or party who seeks to have another judge hear his or her case.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to work cooperatively with other judges in Seminole County on matters relating to court resources and scheduling of proceedings.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to continue my many years of working with our citizens and our other elected officials to improve our community, and especially to improve the lives of children who live here.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to be responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens who elect me, both within the courthouse and in my personal life.
I, Fred Schott, as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5, promise to always consider the fact that I serve as a public servant, that I am looked to as a role model for the legal profession, and that I must always comport myself with dignity and ethics to be deserving of the title "Your Honor."
Concerned Citizens
Over the last few months I have met with hundreds of Seminole County citizens and listened to their concerns about our court system and the role that a Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5 serves in our community. They have shared stories with me about their own experiences and those of people they have heard who have found a court system that on occasion is not responsive and sensitive to their needs. They also ask what I will do to improve the justice system as a Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5.
I share many of the same concerns you have. Delay of justice, lack of respect, and failure to serve the needs of our community are simply not acceptable. With all of the technology available, court procedures should be streamlined, not made more burdensome. As your County Court Judge in Group 5, I will continue to meet with both everyday citizens and attorneys to discuss ways we can make the system better. No one person has all of the answers but collectively we can make a difference.
Why am I running for Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5? I have had the privilege of helping more than 1000 people during the past 24 years and now I would like the opportunity to take all of my legal and life experience to serve everyone in our County, and to make a difference both inside and outside of the courthouse. Many men and women seek your vote and promise to improve the community. As a concerned voter, I always ask, what did they do to accomplish this before they decided to run? My work has included volunteering as President of The Sharing Center, President of the Festival of Orchestras, Vice Chair of the 9th Circuit Juvenile Justice Board, member of the Seminole County Children's Cabinet and Seminole Cultural Arts Council, Director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and member of the Governor's Staewide Task Force to eliminate fraud in the workers' comp system. For years I have volunteered as a Teen Court Judge and taught the Constitution in our schools. Not for recognition or payment - just to make a difference in the community and country where my children and grandchildren will blaze their paths.
My focus as your Seminole County Court Judge in Group 5 will always be to seek the truth, to treat everyone with respect, to find ways to streamline the legal process to save you time and money, and to serve you, the citizen, whether as a litigant, a victim or a parent who is concerned about the future for their kids. I believe you deserve nothing less.