Candidate: Scott Mitchell

My name is Scott Mitchell, and I have been serving as your County Court Judge for the past eight years.  I was honored to be appointed as a county court judge by our state's Governor in January of 2012, after being nominated for the position by our circuit's Judicial Nominating Commission. I graduated from Florida State University School of Law in 1982, and thereafter served 4 years in the State Attorney's Office here in Jacksonville, where I handled cases ranging from DUI's to homicides.  From 1986 until 2012, I practiced law in the private sector, the majority of which was as a partner with Coxe & Mitchell (Hank Coxe), and later with Lester & Mitchell, P.A. (Honorable Don H. Lester). 

As a County Court Judge, I have presided over 63 jury trials to a verdict, plus well over a hundred trials before the Court. I have volunteered extensively to assist the circuit felony divisions, where I have acted as a specially-appointed circuit court judge. In that capacity, I have presided over eleven felony jury trials to verdict, including first degree murder, robbery, burglary, drug offenses, and others. 

Your county court is truly the People's Court. Almost 200,000 criminal and civil cases are handled by Jacksonville's county court judges each year. The majority of these involve good people who either made mistakes or needed disputes resolved.  The experience I have gained over the past eight years has been invaluable, and I take great pride in what I have achieved.  There is no greater feeling than assisting parties in resolving their disputes, or in getting a criminal defenant back on the right track.

I have been appointed twice by the Florida Supreme Court to act as a mentor for new judges, and in that capacity, I have provided mentoring services for 4 new county court judges over the past 5 years. Further, I created a new judge's "Benchbook" which assists these and other new judges as they begin their careers on the bench.

I have also been active in the Jacksonville community.  I am a past board member (and co-founder) of the Jacksonville Basketball League for youth; a past member of the Mandarin Rotary Club; a founding board member of the Mandarin Senior Citizen's Center; and a past member of the Board of Governors for San Jose Country Club.

I have been honored to serve in this position as your judge for the past eight years, and I am proud of what I have accomplished so far.  I want very much to continue on this journey. I truly appreciate your support.