Circuit Judge, Division 1: Brouck Jacobs
Party: Republican
Age: 35
Place of residence: Columbia
Occupation: Circuit Court Judge
Political experience: This is my first time on the ballot (appointed in 2017)
Education: Law degree from Florida A&M; undergraduate degree in history from the University of Florida
Opponent: Finley Gibbs
What makes you the best candidate for the position?
I am the better qualified candidate because I am the only candidate with judicial experience, having served as your judge for the past year. I was honored to receive this judicial appointment over many qualified applicants. Prior to taking office, I tried over 50 jury trials in the course of nearly a decade as a prosecutor. My candidacy is supported by many local attorneys, as well as the police and firefighter’s unions.
If elected, how do you plan to approach the job?
My approach would be to continue doing what I have been doing this past year on the bench, which is to competently preside over roughly a quarter of our circuit civil and felony criminal cases, plus about half of our juvenile delinquency cases. I will continue to be fair and courteous in court and prepared to efficiently manage large dockets.
What are the most pressing issues in our criminal justice system?
Having presided over felony criminal cases as a judge, and having prosecuted criminal conduct for nearly a decade before that, I am concerned about the increasing mistrust of our criminal justice system. I try to promote trust in the process by fully explaining my decisions in open court, particularly when sentencing a defendant. I also make sure that every defendant is given a fair hearing and is afforded equal justice under our law.
