The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Richard Wennet. He gets the award for the following-

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Richard Wennet isn't ready to hang up his judicial robe without a fight.

A month after a Tallahassee judge upheld the results of a problem-fraught recount of the August primary and declared attorney William Abramson the winner, Wennet on Monday appealed the ruling.
Election 2008

If he's successful, a special election could cost an estimated $1.3 million.

When problems surfaced with the ballot-counting in the primary, Wennet said he didn't want to soak taxpayers for the expense of a special election.

His attorney, Gerald Richman, said Monday that Wennet is asking that his appeal be decided quickly. If the appeals court agrees, Richman said the race could be decided as part of the March municipal elections. That would help reduce the cost.

But, he said, Wennet is convinced that Leon County Judge Charles Francis erred when he ruled that the county elections canvassing board complied with state law when it repeatedly recounted ballots to decide the primary. When the first recount came up about 3,500 ballots short, several recounts were held. State law allows for only one.

Does an improperly done recount count? When all ballots were accounted for, Wennet was the loser. Why did it take the judge a month to file another appeal? Also note he's in a hurry now because somebody is about to sworn in to take his job.

Sitting judges rarely get voted out of office down here. Wennet earned the honor both for his less than stellar work on the bench and his conduct in his personal life.

I got a deal for the judge. Let him foot the 1.3 million dollar tab for a special election. In the meantime I name Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Richard Wennet today's Knucklehead of the Day.