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Three appeals court judges up for retention

 
Daniel Sleet
Daniel Sleet
Published Oct. 15, 2014

Voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to retain three judges on the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal. The court sits in Lakeland and hears appeals in criminal and civil cases from Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, Polk and Sarasota counties.

The appellate judges — Chris Altenbernd, Morris Silberman and Daniel Sleet — all have worked in the Tampa Bay area since law school.

Altenbernd, 65, had been a partner in the Tampa law firm of Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal and Banker. He was appointed to the 2nd District Court of Appeal by Gov. Bob Martinez in 1989, and served as chief judge of the court from 2003 to 2005. He is married and has two daughters.

Silberman, 57, started his own firm in Clearwater in 1988 specializing in civil litigation and contract disputes. He was appointed to the appeals court in 2001, and served as chief judge from 2011 to 2013. He is married to Judge Nelly Khouzam, who also sits on the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

Silberman and Khouzam met at least 25 years ago when both were clerking for judges at the appeals court, said Jo Haynes, the marshal of the court. They have one daughter.

Sleet, 53, is a former assistant state attorney in the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office. In 1991 he joined the Tampa firm of Barr, Murman and Tonelli, becoming a partner seven years later. Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Sleet to the 13th Judicial Circuit in 2005. He served there until 2012, when Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the appeals court. Sleet is married and has two daughters.

Merit retention elections are held every six years. No appellate judge in Florida's history has ever been voted off the bench in a merit retention vote.