Candidate: Frances Katherine Werner-Watkins

Frances Werner-Watkins has filed as a candidate for County Court Judge, Group 6 in Pasco County. Frances Werner-Watkins is currently employed with the law firm of Attridge, Lucas, Green, Jefferis, Magee and Magazine. She practices in the areas of Juvenile Law, Criminal Law, Real Estate, Estate Planning and Civil Litigation. She is a former Assistant State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit under Bernie McCabe. As an Assistant State Attorney she had extensive contact with the Pasco County School System and was responsible for the “State Attorney Safe Schools” program in Pasco County. She was the only prosecutor placed in all eleven middle schools and two alternative schools. Frances Werner-Watkins dealt with juveniles that committed crimes on school property and attempted to deter future offenders by speaking to classes and faculty about the juvenile justice system.  Frances Werner-Watkins was also responsible for the “Truancy Intervention Program” created by the State Attorney’s office to address serious truancy problems with children in the elementary schools in Pasco County. In addition, Frances Werner-Watkins sat on the “Truancy Arbitration Panel” on both sides of the county. The board determined whether a juvenile would be sent into the Child in Need/ Families in Need of services system, also known as CINS/FINS. Frances Werner-Watkins also helped retired Circuit Court Judge Joseph Donahey launch a voluntary program of “Judges in Schools” at Gulf Middle School. The program was later expanded into several other middle schools in Pasco County in which she participated in as well. Frances Werner-Watkins, age 35, was born and raised here in Pasco County and is a ninth generation Floridian. Her maternal family is considered to be one of Pasco County’s founding families dating back to the early 1800’s. Her grandmother, Frances Clark Mallett, is the Port Richey historian.  In addition, her father, the late Gene Werner, helped to establish the first state park in Pasco named, “The Werner-Boyce Salt Springs Run State Park” that runs along the coastline in West Pasco. Frances Werner-Watkins has been married to Scott J. Watkins for the past ten years and they have two daughters. www.frances4judge.com