Mark Blumstein
Mark Blumstein was a judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court. He left office on January 2, 2023.
Blumstein ran for re-election for judge of the Florida 11th Circuit Court. He lost in the primary on August 23, 2022.
Blumstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Mark Blumstein earned a high school diploma from Miami Beach Senior High. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1991 and a law degree from Nova Southeastern University in 1996.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Municipal elections in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2022)
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Florida 11th Circuit Court
Ariel Rodriguez won election outright against incumbent Mark Blumstein in the primary for Florida 11th Circuit Court on August 23, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ariel Rodriguez (Nonpartisan) | 51.5 | 135,300 | |
 | Mark Blumstein (Nonpartisan)  | 48.5 | 127,575 | |
| Total votes: 262,875 | |||
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Endorsements
To view Blumstein's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
2016
| Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 34 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mark Blumstein |
51.16% | 393,193 |
| Luis Perez-Medina | 48.84% | 375,376 |
| Total Votes | 768,569 | |
| Source: Florida Election Watch, "Circuit Court Judge," accessed November 9, 2016 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Florida's 20 circuit courts all had seats up for election in 2016. Of the 151 seats up for election, 125 saw only one candidate file for the election. The unopposed races were canceled and the sole candidates were automatically elected. Of the 26 opposed races, only 10 saw more than two candidates file. Candidates who received a majority of votes cast in the primary election on August 30, 2016, won the race and did not advance to the general election. Races where no candidate receives 50 percent plus one of the votes cast required a general election on November 8, 2016, between the top two primary vote recipients. Mark Blumstein and Luis Perez-Medina defeated Renee Gordon and Denise Martinez-Scanziani in the Group 34 primary election for Florida's 11th Circuit Court.[2]
| Florida 11th Circuit Court, Group 34 Primary Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mark Blumstein |
28.68% | 64,106 |
| Luis Perez-Medina |
24.51% | 54,771 |
| Renee Gordon | 23.73% | 53,034 |
| Denise Martinez-Scanziani | 23.08% | 51,573 |
| Total Votes | 223,484 | |
| Source: Florida Department of State Division of Elections, "August 30, 2016 Primary Election," accessed December 19, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan elections
There are 597 judges on the Florida Circuit Court, each elected via nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seat.[3]
The chief judge is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for two years.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:[3]
- a qualified elector;
- a state resident;
- admitted to practice law in the state for five years; and
- under the age of 75 (retirement at 75 is mandatory).
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mark Blumstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blumstein's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- I am fair, impartial and respectful.
- I am the most experienced candidate in my race.
- I am the most qualified candidate in my race.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Noteworthy cases
Judge acquits mother charged with aggravated child abuse
Judge Mark Blumstein acquitted Miami mother April Fox on May 21, 2019, who was facing charges of aggravated child abuse. Fox's 10-month-old daughter had been taken to the hospital due to a skull fracture, and x-rays revealed fractured bones in both her arms and legs. Fox's lawyer argued the baby had brittle bones, a genetic disorder, and that a fall had caused the skull fractures. Police and county prosecutors said Fox had beaten her daughter. The jurors could not decide the case and a mistrial was declared. Afterward, Blumstein acquitted Fox. He said:[4]
| “ | I’m really trying to get some picture of what happened that day. I’m not surprised about what the jury came to, and someone beyond any human in the court will have to answer those questions. But in light of what I heard, and after hearing the presentation from the state, I don’t think it’s going to change with any retrial of this case.[5] | ” |
The State Attorney could not appeal the case, and Fox was not able to get her children back after they had been removed from her home by child welfare authorities.[4]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 23, 2022
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "Candidate Listing for 2016 General Election," accessed July 5, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial selection: Florida," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Miami Herald, "She was accused of breaking her baby’s skull. What the judge did stunned the courtroom," May 21, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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