Beer for judge

No TFM is not making that up. Jerry is Beer is running for Circuit Court Judge here in Palm Beach County. He is among three candidates trying to defeat controversial Judge Art Wroble.

Campaigns for the bench are supposed to be about qualifications and you would think there would be limited controversy. Not in this race.

The fight to unseat Circuit Judge Art Wroble has turned nasty, with two of the four candidates filing complaints against their opponents.

Attorney Ken Lemoine accuses Wroble of misrepresenting his military service and the number of his cases upheld on appeal. Lawyer David French says opponent Jerry Beer is "puffing his credentials" and has tried to mislead voters into thinking he has judicial experience.

Both Wroble and Beer deny the accusations. Lemoine, French and Beer are vying for Wroble's seat.

The complaints involve alleged violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which states in part that judges or judicial candidates cannot knowingly misrepresent the qualifications of the candidate or an opponent.

Lemoine accuses Wroble of doing just that.

"He has misrepresented the percentage of his cases affirmed on appeal and he misleads people to believe that he was actually over in the Middle East during Desert Storm when in fact he was sitting behind a desk in Fort Stewart, Ga.," Lemoine said.

Lemoine says the appeals court affirmed only 64 percent of Wroble's appealed decisions, not the 87 percent figure Wroble claims. Wroble says he asked the Palm Beach County Bar Association to calculate his percentage.

"I just took what they gave me and I'm sure it's accurate," he said.

Lemoine also criticizes the judge for touting his Gulf War experience, saying that at an Aug. 3 Voters Coalition meeting, Wroble said he was "involved in day-to-day decisions on the battlefield."

"If you were to listen to him describe what he did, you'd believe he was over there fighting in hand-to-hand combat," Lemoine said. "I served in the Army. I don't lead people to believe I was part of the invasion of Grenada because that happened when I was in."

Wroble denies ever using the term "battlefield," and said Lemoine is "misinformed."

"I tell the facts," he said. "I'm a Desert Storm veteran."

Beer is under attack on two fronts. Attorney Bill Abramson has sued Beer, accusing him of violating the resign-to-run law by not stepping down as a traffic hearing officer before filing to run for judge.

On July 25, French filed a two-page complaint against Beer, saying he asked voters to "Make a Traffic Court Judge your next Circuit Court Judge," French wrote.

These are the people of high standards we want making important legal decisions. NOT! Who the heck am I to vote for? Maybe I'll do this, the Palm Beach Post doesn't like Wroble. So I'll vote for him. If the Post so dislikes someone, that may be a good sign.

Don't mind me if I have a beer after casting that vote.

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