Joseph B. Sowell

Joseph B. Sowell, of Dade City, is her challenger.
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Sowell, 49, works in Sumter and Hernando counties as a staff attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Citrus, Lake and Marion counties.He said he thinks his experience in private practice and as a former prosecutor in the 5th Judicial Circuit make him a good fit for the job.

"I believe that all judges should have firsthand experience in the practice of law," he said.

When voters hit the polls for the Aug. 31 primary, they will decide whether Pasco County Judge Debra Roberts continues to don the black robe or whether lawyer Joseph B. Sowell, a relative unknown to Pasco courts, will take the bench.
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Though Sowell, 49, of Trilby, has never worked in a Pasco courtroom he's quick to point out that shouldn't be relevant.

"The law applies everywhere," he said.

Since 1999, Sowell has worked for the 5th Judicial Circuit, first as a prosecutor and most recently as a staff attorney.He left his job Aug. 9.

"Basically, the choice was this: Stop running for election or resign," Sowell said.

According to a letter written by State Courts Administrator Elisabeth Goodner to Sowell, trial court employees aren't allowed to run for state public office.
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After failed pleas to again get approval for his candidacy, Sowell decided to go ahead with his bid for county judge.

It's the second personal challenge he has faced in recent months.Sowell also suffers from a herniated cervical disc for which he has been undergoing steroid therapy.Excruciating pain has made campaigning difficult, he said, and he has relied on family and friends for help, especially with transportation.

Still, Sowell said, he doesn't anticipate his neck injury would interfere if he wins the judicial race.

"I'm optimistic that after I've had all three injections I'll be feeling much better," he said.
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But Roberts' legal background is similar to Sowell's in some respects.

Upon graduating from Florida State University College of Law in 1985, she went to work for the Florida Department of Business Regulation as assistant general counsel until March 1992.
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Said Sowell: "They should expect fair, honest, openhanded practical treatment, and they should expect a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the law.

Debra Roberts, who became Pasco's first black judge in 2002, will preside over county court for six more years after an easy victory Tuesday over challenger Joseph B. Sowell.
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Jeb Bush, the 51-year-old Roberts received more than double the votes that went to Sowell.
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Sowell was a double loser Tuesday because in order to run for office, he was forced to leave his job as staff attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit in Bushnell.He said he can be rehired but could face a pay cut.

The 49-year-old Trilby resident touted himself as the more experienced candidate, pointing to his work as a trial lawyer, prosecutor and attorney for various state agencies, including the Department of Children and Families.Political ads said he "dedicated his life to helping victims of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect."

Yet Sowell as a candidate lacked name recognition.He lives in one of the most remote areas of the county and has never worked in a Pasco courtroom.Few people in the local legal community had heard of Sowell before the race began.

Joseph Sowell contends he has more experience.
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Sowell fancies himself as a sort of legal explorer, having worked as a trial lawyer, prosecutor and attorney for various state agencies.He was staff attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit in Bushnell until a few weeks ago when he left to campaign.

"I've been in the trenches," Sowell said.The incumbent judge, he asserts, has not.
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Sowell suggested other candidates were more qualified for the job and that Roberts' appointment was made for reasons other than merit.He did not fully elaborate, but said, "I don't think it's a question of race."He also criticized the judicial nominating process as unfair in his 2003 bid for 5th Judicial Circuit judge.
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Sowell said he can offer the same.Born in Jacksonville, Sowell attended Stetson University College of Law.One of his first jobs was an attorney for the Department of Children and Families.He later became a partner with his wife in Cecelia M. Redman and Associates in Tampa.She now runs a wedding service business at their home in Trilby.Sowell has two sons from two marriages.He is a member of the National Rifle Association and operates a business selling weapons, primarily, he said, to law enforcement officers.

With 98 percent of the vote counted, Roberts secured her seat on the Group 4 bench for six more years, defeating lawyer Joseph B. Sowell.
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Sowell, 49, worked for the 5th Judicial Circuit for five years, first as a prosecutor then as a staff attorney, recently resigning to challenge Roberts.
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"For such an unknown in Pasco County, at least in legal circles, I'm still very gratified I had such a good showing," Sowell said from his Trilby home.

He said he looks forward to spending more time with his family and is glad to put the election behind him.