Lourdes Casanova, Douglas Leifert and Jean Marie Middleton are running for the seat on the district judge bench created by the resignation of Ted J. Booras.
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A district attorney for the Palm Beach County School District and two former prosecutors who now have their own practices are running to succeed District Judge Ted Booras, who is retiring.
The nonpartisan vote for the Palm Beach County Group 2 judgeship will take place during the August 20 primary election.
Competing for Booras’s judgeship are Jean Marie Middleton, the school district’s deputy general counsel, and attorneys Lourdes Casanova and Douglas Leifert. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to the general election in November.
District judges in Florida hear misdemeanors, traffic offenses and civil cases involving $50,000 or less. They are elected to six-year terms. Booras, a judge since 2006, announced in March that he would retire at the end of his term.
Early voting for the primary election begins August 10 and runs through August 18 at 22 locations in Palm Beach County. For more information, visit the Supervisor of Elections website at votepalmbeach.gov.
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Candidate for District Judge: Lourdes Casanova
Casanova is the founder of the Casanova Law Firm, which practices criminal, immigration, drunk driving and juvenile cases, among others. She noted her extensive experience in the district court system, having tried 27 jury trials and 24 non-jury trials, many of them in district court.
“I am the best prepared candidate to lead a courtroom and bring a broad range of experiences essential to a district judge,” she said in written comments to the Palm Beach Post editorial board. “As a former prosecutor, small business owner and dedicated community volunteer, I have demonstrated my commitment to our community.”
Personal: 37. Grew up in Royal Palm Beach.
Education: Bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.
Specialist: Palm Beach County District Attorney’s Office, 2012-2015; in private practice since 2015.
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Candidate for District Judge: Douglas Leifert
Leifert began practicing criminal defense in Palm Beach County in 1995 after serving five years as a prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office. He founded the law firm Leifert & Leifert with his brother Brian and has been practicing law for more than 29 years, during which time he has handled more than 50,000 cases.
“I have the most judicial experience of this group,” Leifert said in written comments to the Post’s editorial board. “My qualifications, experience, temperament and motivation make me the best choice to serve the people of PBC.”
personal: 59, Boca Raton; married to Deborah Leifert, two children
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami; Law degree from Nova Southeastern University
Specialist: Palm Beach County District Attorney’s Office, 1990-1995; in private practice since 1995.
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Candidate for District Judge: Jean Marie Middleton
During a meeting with the Palm Beach Post editorial board, Middleton touted 38 years of litigation experience and longstanding community involvement.
She serves as a volunteer judge in the Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties’ juvenile courts, hearing cases involving juveniles charged with minor offenses. Middleton has also been active in nonprofit organizations in her community.
“Service is my superpower,” she told the editors. “It’s my goal, not just a slogan or a mantra. And when I meet someone, my goal is to make their day. That’s how I approach everything.”
Personal: 63, Greenacres, married to Ellis Middelton, one child, four grandchildren.
Education: Bachelor’s and law degrees, Howard University.
Specialist: Palm Beach County School District since 2013.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for the Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhighamSupport our work: Subscribe today.
