Judicial Campaign Halted Because Of Family Trouble
BY BUDDY NEVINS
County Court candidate Mark Rickard’s campaign has been sidelined by a deluge of devastating family illnesses.
Mark Rickard and friend
Rickard failed to file his campaign finance report for the last quarter of 2009.
I asked him why.
Rickard said his Dad died in December. His mother was then diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His brother was found to have a tumor in his brain.
“I’ve been preoccupied, Rickard said understandably.
Rickard said he would like to continue his campaign, but he doesn’t know if he will be able to because of his family responsibilities.
“My parents would want me to be a judge, Rickard said. “The question is whether I can be ready by April (the filing period). If not, I’ll wait two years.
If Rickard drops out of the County Court Group 20 race, it would be a blow to candidate Ken Gottlieb.
Gottlieb, a former state representative and Hollywood city commissioner, is the overwhelming favorite in the race. His standing was helped by the fact that the vote against him was split between two opponents — Rickard and Olga Levine of the Public Defender’s Office.
Without Rickard in the race, it is just Gottlieb and Levine. She will inherit the votes of everybody who doesn’t like Gottlieb or politicians running for judge, giving her a better chance. In addition, she is a female with a name that makes her sound older– Olga– which can’t hurt.
Rickard will not be fined for failing to file his financial report, according to the election law explained by a spokeswoman for the Supervisor of Elections Office.
The law caps fines at 25 percent of the activity in the report and Rickard said he had no contributions or expenditures in the final quarter because of his family trouble. So 25 percent of nothing is nothing.
Rickard, 50, is a civil litigator with Jacobson Sobo & Moselle in Plantation.
The firm’s name partner, Robin Moselle, ran two campaigns for judge, losing in the 2004 to Eric Beller and in 2006 to Alan Marks. It’s too bad that there wasn’t a place for her on the bench because I always felt she would make a really good judge.
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Re: Picture on blog.
Which one is the candidate for judge, the four-footed blonde or the guy who has the most messy desk in existence?
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
This guy wouldn’t get 10 percent of the vote.
Olga Levine will win because this county needs a change from the old politicians like Gottlieb that created the mess we are in.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Milton & Rambler:
Take a dose of compassion and humility.
I’ll keep Mr. Rickard and his family in my prayers.
I wish him the best.
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I agree. POLITICIANS MAKE TERRIBLE JUDGES. Just look at what a joke Steve Feren has turned out to be. Olga Levine will make an excellent judge. Good name, but more importantly she has the trial experience. Gootlieb, the politician with no real lawyer experience,is running for judge because he got term limited in the House and lost in his Senate bid.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 am
Thanks for the shout out to Robin Moselle, who I know.
You are right. She was a qualified candidate and would have made a great judge.
April 13th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Olga is real. She will for sure be the best one to win the job.