Complaint Filed in Tallahassee Judge’s Race: Judge Josefina Tamayo Sends Out Incomplete, Misleading And Negative Campaign Flyers On Barbara Hobbs

Complaint Filed in Tallahassee Judge’s Race

A campaign flyer in the race for circuit judge has prompted a complaint to the judicial qualifications commisison.  We first told you about it yesterday.  The flyer in question is being mailed out by Judge Tamayo’s campaign.  It says “The choice is clear” and lists two endorsements as well as the results of a poll.

The ad highlights a poll in which 80% of attorneys in town said Tamayo is qualified to be judge while 55% said opponent Barbara Hobbs is not.

The Hobbs campaign calls that incomplete and misleading.

“Well, Canon seven clearly states that if you’re going to give the results that you should also give the entire results and so you also state that only 13.4 percent of the attorneys in this circuit responded to this particular poll,” said Hobbs campaign manager Chauncy Haynes. “It’s disturbing that someone would send out such a negative piece and a very misleading piece, especially someone who’s a member of the judiciary. We expect a higher standard.” Haynes said.

The Tamayo campaign stands by the ad and says it was thoroughly reviewed by attorneys first.

“We made sure it complies with the election code, with the canons of judicial ethics that judges are supposed to follow, we’re confident it’s legally proper,” said Tamayo campaign attorney Ron Meyer. “She’s grasping at straws to suggest that this is somehow misleading or a misrepresentation because she doesn’t like the message and that’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing negative. There’s nothing misleading about either the mailing or the television ads that are running.”

Tamayo is the incumbent up for re-election in the second circuit.

Hobbs was the top vote getter in the primary, narrowly missing winning the seat outright with 49% of the vote.

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October 2, 2012 by Julie Montanaro

A candidate for circuit judge claims the incumbent is mailing out misleading campaign ads.

Josefina Tamayo is a second circuit judge up for re-election.

The campaign manager for her opponent, Barbara Hobbs, filed a complaint with the judicial qualifications commission this afternoon.

He contends Tamayo is trying to paint Hobbs as a lay person, instead of a member of the Florida Bar and claims poll results cited in the mailers are misleading.

The complaint was filed late this afternoon. We are trying to reach the candidates for comment.