Candidate: Chris Johns

For over 31 years, I have practiced as an attorney in both civil & criminal law. My professional experience, coupled with my 57 years of life experience, makes me an excellent candidate for County Court Judge. I have tried approximately 20 civil jury trials, 15 non-jury trials, & 20 criminal jury trials. 

I have both an undergraduate & a law degree from the University of Florida, respectively, received in 1987 & 1990. I have been married for 21 years to my wife Kristina, & together we have 2 daughters. Since my parents have been married for over 60 years, they have profoundly shaped my understanding of family. I grew up in a Christian household & believe in Jesus Christ as my savior. I am a member of Orange Park United Methodist Church.  

If given the privilege to be elected, I vow to treat everyone with respect & impartiality while upholding the high values of the Court specifically, individual rights, liberties & the freedoms ensconced in the Constitution.

I further believe that a Judge's role is to ensure the victim's rights & the accused's rights are preserved, protected, & adhered to as the law requires & demands. The Florida Crime Victims' Bill of Rights, contained in the Florida Constitution, mandates that victims' rights must be protected to achieve justice. If elected, I will ensure every victim is treated with respect & fairness, & I will also work to protect their safety & welfare. Conversely, all accused have the rights afforded to them by the United States Constitution & the procedures promulgated in the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure.  

Background: 

In 1991, I began my legal career with the State of Florida as a criminal defense attorney in the Public Defender's Office. While receiving a nominal salary for 3 years, I represented people who could not afford a private attorney. Being a Public Defender has been the most challenging job in my career. I was required to provide the highest level of legal representation to clients who had not selected me as their attorney nor had I selected them as clients. I had to ensure their rights were protected & defend them to the fullest extent of the law in addition to managing an enormous caseload. In the end, however, being a Public Defender at the young age of 25 instilled in me the experience, toughness, & resiliency of a much older seasoned attorney, & for that, I will forever be thankful.

Next, I entered private practice as an associate attorney at a civil litigation firm. There, I defended personal injury cases & claims on behalf of large insurance companies & corporations such as Home Depot. Working on behalf of insurance companies provided me with insight into their interworking’s & how they handled & defended personal injury accident claims. 

In 1996, I opened my own firm, & 26 years later, I have offices in Orange Park, Middleburg, & Jacksonville. After decades of managing all aspects of my business, I have learned valuable lessons &, in doing so, became much more well-rounded. 

As stated, I have practiced both civil & criminal law. During my legal career, I made the personal decision not to represent defendants charged with murder or any type of sex crimes, including rape, child molestation, & child pornography. Every attorney who practices at any level of criminal defense must decide which types of crimes they are willing to defend based on their own moral compass. I respect the Constitution & realize that even the worst are entitled to be defended, but that does not mean that I have to accept those types of cases, & I choose not to.  

Instead, I have been honored & thus have chosen to represent clients in accident cases whose lives have been shattered by the carelessness & often reckless actions of others. I have represented people who have sustained severe brain damage, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, & families who have lost loved ones, including minor children, by the hands of those who acted with reckless disregard toward the safety of others. Individuals & corporations should be held accountable for their choices & actions in life, especially when their irresponsible behavior leads to life-altering consequences for the faultless victims.  

Approximately 5% of my cases involve criminal law, primarily defending clients' who have been accused of misdemeanor offenses such as traffic offenses, petty theft, simple battery or assault, & possession of fewer than twenty grams of marijuana. Additionally, I have handled hundreds of small claim actions over the years, including some landlord-tenant disputes & business disputes. 

I am personally paying for 100% of my campaign. I am not accepting any financial contributions from individuals, special interest groups, corporations, and, most importantly, attorneys who may practice in front of me if I am elected. I am not accepting campaign contributions to avoid even the appearance of improper influence, impropriety, or favoritism towards anyone &, most importantly, because I feel this is the right & honorable way to run for Judge. I earned the money used to finance my campaign myself by practicing law for 31 years. I am not from a wealthy family, nor has anyone in my family contributed to my campaign.

In addition to paying for my own campaign, I have not solicited nor would I accept any endorsements from leaders in the community, governmental officials, special interest groups, corporations, or other attorneys who again may appear before me if I am elected to be your Judge. I am exceedingly proud that I am paying for my campaign from the money I earned through my hard work & that I have not sought nor accepted any endorsements. A Judge should be wholly independent, & their judicial actions & rulings must not be made with fear or favor.

I am an attorney of & for the people who love God, their country, & family. It would indeed be an enormous honor & a humbling experience to serve the great patriotic people of Clay County as their next County Court Judge.

Respectfully,

Chris Johns