Two Win Open Court Seats Without A Fight
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Two veteran lawyers won seats on the bench without opposition on Friday.
It is unusual to win open seats on the Broward Circuit Court without a fight, but that’s what Tim Bailey and Ari Porth did.
Porth has worked as an assistant state attorney for years. He handles truancy, which is basically kids who don’t show up in school.
But he is better known as a Democratic state representative from Coral Springs.
He was elected in 2004, was the Democratic whip for two years, was Broward Legislative Delegation chair in 2009 and is currently the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. He is due to be term limited out in November.
He is married to Tatyana Porth, who was born in Russia. They have one son, Gabriel.
Ari Porth and Broward House member Joe Gibbons on the floor of the House, 2009
IN DAD’S FOOTSTEPS
Tim Bailey has been a well-known figure in North Broward legal circles for years. He comes from a plugged-in political family. Here is what I wrote about him in 2005:
Tim Bailey , 51, has been practicing law with his father Patrick Bailey , 80, in Pompano Beach for 26 years. That’s not all they share.
The younger Bailey became the president of the Broward Bar this week exactly 20 years after his father held that same post. Tim Bailey is already chairman of Broward’s Judicial Nominating Commission, 23 years after his father headed the same group.
The Judicial Nominating Commission is a politically powerful job that recommends candidates for judicial appointments to Gov. Jeb Bush.
Patrick Bailey , a charter member of the Pompano Beach Republican Club, was appointed by Gov. Bob Martinez to the North Broward Hospital District board from 1988 to 1994. Tim Bailey applied for a board position in 2002, but didn’t get it.
Tim Bailey and family: Picture for the now-aborted campaign
Porth and Bailey will make great additions to the courts. More about the judicial elections later…..stay tuned.
April 21st, 2012 at 10:35 pm
Tim Bailey is an experienced, respected lawyer. He will be a credit to the bench.
April 22nd, 2012 at 2:14 am
Congratulations to both men. Buddy, I’m gald to hear you believe they “will make great additions to the courts.” I personally know Ari has the intelligence, temperament, compassion, and experience to be an excellent Circuit Court Judge. Way to go Ari!!! You will be an excellent jurist. You deserve it and Broward County is lucky to have you.
April 22nd, 2012 at 10:07 am
Both fine people and will make fine judges.
April 22nd, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Looks like the Irish Mafia strikes again. I hear Seiler’s guy Mike Ahern got pretty heavy handed with Alan Bernstien and others to clear the field for Bailey. Ahern used Parker as a strawman to fool people into thinking there was going to be a race when Parker was never going to stay there.
April 22nd, 2012 at 6:36 pm
This is to all you connected lawyers out there, especially the ones who say we should get rid of elections for judges and appoint them instead: What chance did either of these guys have of being appointed?