DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2014) – Sandy Upchurch, a mediator based in the Daytona Beach office of Upchurch Watson White & Max , formally kicks off her campaign today to become Circuit Court Judge in the 7th Judicial Circuit – Group 24. The 7th Circuit comprises 27 Circuit Court and 15 County Court judges and more than 580,000 registered voters.
Sandy Upchurch, candidate for 7th Judicial Circuit Court Judge
A nonpartisan election this fall will fill a number of seats being vacated by retiring judges. Ms. Upchurch, currently unopposed, sees the opportunity to serve as a judge and to resolve important disputes in the courtroom as an extension of the work she has been doing as a mediator in resolving conflicts and settling cases for the past five years.
Before moving to Ormond Beach in 2001, Ms. Upchurch worked in Tallahassee for six years, gaining legal experience in a variety of matters and fields – first as Assistant Attorney General for Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth, and then as Assistant City Attorney for Tallahassee.
Thirteen years ago, Ms. Upchurch and her family began living in the 7th Circuit, where her husband was born and raised. “The lure of family was just too hard to pass up, and the beach was calling us” she states. Upon arriving in Ormond Beach, Ms. Upchurch became Deputy City Attorney, serving for seven years and, once again, acquiring expertise in matters and cases across the legal spectrum.
As her campaign
website indicates in more detail, Ms. Upchurch’s work with state and local government agencies has given her practical legal experience in land use disputes, civil rights claims, neighborhood controversies, personal injury and negligence matters, employment discrimination cases, regulatory matters, law enforcement issues, and other areas of law regularly before a Circuit Court Judge. She has been “up close and personal” with many of the cases a Circuit Court Judge handles.
Her subsequent five years as a mediator with Upchurch Watson White & Max have rounded out that broad experience with another skill set required of a judge: the need to manage a variety of cases and contend with tough personalities and high emotions. In the stressful environment of conflict resolution through mediation, street-level legal knowledge has served her well. “Sandy’s approach to mediation is refreshing. With the knowledge gained by her experiences, she calmly, effectively and efficiently controls and manages the process while also being strong, respectful and compassionate. She will be a great judge,” says colleague Kelly Chanfrau of Chanfrau & Chanfrau.
The partners at Upchurch Watson White & Max are “on board” with her judicial aspirations. “We are proud of her desire to diversify the bench and bring her special touch to courtroom proceedings. We have no doubt she will be a well-respected, fair and thoughtful judge,” says Terrence M. White, a principal with the firm.
Ms. Upchurch formally launches her campaign today, Thursday, Feb. 27, with a candidate meet-and-greet hosted by Jill Simpkins, Gale Lemerand and the campaign host committee.
For more information, please visit the Sandy Upchurch for Circuit Judge campaign website at
http://www.sandyupchurchforcircuitjudge.com and follow the campaign on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/sandyupchurchforcircuitjudge
About Upchurch Watson White & Max
A nationally leading mediation specialty firm, Upchurch Watson White & Max is known for facilitating reasonable agreements to resolve complex issues. From five offices in Florida and Alabama, Supreme Court certified attorney mediators with wide-ranging specialties serve as court-appointed and privately employed mediators, arbitrators and third-party neutral case managers, implementing innovative methods of alternative dispute resolution across the country. On the Web: uww-adr.com
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Upchurch Watson White & Max
125 S. Palmetto Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
800-264-2622
Catherine Klasne (
cklasne@uww-adr.com
)
