Many candidates are now in the running to become Palm Beach County’s top prosecutor, filling the seat being vacated by longtime state attorney Dave Aronberg.
After serving three terms, Aronberg isn’t seeking reelection. Facing off in the Aug. 20 primary election will be three Democrats, Alexcia Cox, Gregg S. Lerman and Craig Williams, and two Republicans, Forrest Freedman and Sam Stern.
The primary winners will advance to the Nov. 5 general election, where Adam Farkas, a candidate with no party affiliation, also will be on the ballot. At a recent forum, the five primary candidates each answered questions describing their qualifications, strengths and weaknesses, and why voters should pick them. They each touted their legal experience, professional accomplishments and what their priorities would be if elected.
Here’s a look at the primary candidates, each vying for the post that presides over more than 100 prosecutors in the county. (Questions and answers have been edited for brevity.)
Q: What qualifications do you have?
— Alexcia Cox, Democrat: “I started my career as a prosecutor 18 years ago, and I have tried cases ranging from first-degree murders all the way down to DUIs and simple batteries.”
“This is a job about executive-level leadership of which I do have. I am so proud to have been a leader in our Florida bar, a leader in our local bar. I am currently the chair of our local professionalism panel. I’m a graduate of leadership Florida Court.”
“I’m excited not just about being a prosecutor who will push the office forward but having the leadership skills and abilities and the relationship needed to make a great office.”
— Forrest Freedman, Republican: “I come from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for Boston. I was a prosecutor for approximately five years, was the head of most of that office and have worked with Democrats, Republicans, no party affiliates, independents. This is a constitutional office. The only people the State Attorney’s office or me will not represent are the criminals. I will heavily prosecute crimes and back the blue.”
— Gregg Lerman, Democrat:“As a criminal defense attorney, I have handled probably over 300 trials, including jury trials, at least 20 homicide cases. About 18 months of that time, I was an adjunct professor for Nova Southeastern Law School, where I taught at the request of the State Attorney’s Office.”
“I made a decision when Dave Aronberg said he was retiring to run for State Attorney because sometimes there’s a need for change. There’s a need for an outsider to come in.”
— Sam Stern, Republican: “I’ve been a state prosecutor in the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office. I’ve been a federal prosecutor. I teach at the University of Miami Law School. I teach at the University of Virginia Law School. I have a published book on trial accuracy. I do the work, I teach the work. This job is about recruiting, training and running the finest office.”
— Craig Williams, Democrat: “I’ve been a prosecutor in (the State Attorney’s) office for almost 30 years, and I have a phenomenal track record to back it up. That’s why the Palm Beach County PBA (Police Benevolent Association), your 5,000 members of local law enforcement here in Palm Beach County, have endorsed me.”
“My primary responsibility as your state attorney is to be the voice of victims and to promote public safety to make sure that you all live in a safe community. Personally, I tried more than 500 jury trials, and I’ve gotten great results for almost every single victim. Right now, I’m a chief assistant with the State Attorney’s office, so I supervise 45 felony prosecutors and six different felony units.”
Q: What is your biggest strength, and what is your biggest weakness?
— Cox: “My biggest strength is that I’m a trusted leader, and we know that because leaders that you trust like our Rep. Kelly Skidmore, Senator Lori Berman, Senator Tina Polsky, they trust me. They’ve endorsed me.”
“As far as my biggest weakness, it would be that I’m not a politician, and I’m OK with that because I know that this is a political job. However, I consider myself a community leader and servant.”
“The reason why I’ve gained so much support from dozens of our elected leaders is because they know me from my work in the community. And I implore each of you to look at the backgrounds of the candidates to see who’s actually in the community serving.”
— Freedman: “My biggest strength is that I work with Republicans, Democrats and Independents and have been able to put together one of the strongest state attorney’s offices in the north, and I intend to do that here. Dave Aronberg has done a great job. We’re going to do a better job.”
“We’re going to prosecute fair and square. We’re going to organize. I’ve been an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern as well. I’ve been a special public defender defending sex cases in Broward County, and I intend to keep the residents of Palm Beach County safe from repeat and violent offenders, whoever they are, whatever they are, Republican, Democrat, it doesn’t matter, our job as prosecutors is to prosecute crimes.”
— Lerman: “My greatest strength is my trial experience. I’ve tried over 300 cases. My greatest strength is my experience in dealing with people.”
“Because I’ve been a criminal defense attorney, I have a better understanding of the causes of crime. I have a better understanding of what needs to be done to both prosecute people but also to get people out of the system. Recidivism needs to be fought, and you do that by creating policies that get people out of the system and by being a criminal defense attorney for 39 years, that helps me create those policies within the state attorney’s office to fight crime.”
— Stern: “My biggest strength is that this job is about hard work and priorities. It’s about putting the effort in and understanding what needs to be done and following through and setting the example from the top.”
“My biggest weakness is this is a political process, and I am running as a Republican. Historically, Palm Beach County has been a Democrat county. That said, this job is a law enforcement job. And my great advice to you and to every voter is to simply find the best person to hire.”
— Williams: “I’m a really good trial attorney. I set a great example. I tried more than 500 jury trials because I have a passion for victims. I have a brother that was killed in a horrible car accident when I was 13 years old. He was 16. It devastated my family, and I’ve personally been the victim of an armed robbery. I’m never going to lose that passion. That’s why I’ve personally tried so many cases. That’s my greatest achievement, and probably my biggest weakness is I’m probably too nice of a guy. I believe in bringing out the best in people. That’s how I lead.”
Q: What is one thing voters need to know about you?
— Cox: “This job for me is not just a job, it’s not a check, it’s not just a passion that I have, it’s personal. When you think about who would be the person that would want to make sure that everyone in Palm Beach County is safe, and that people are held accountable for the things that they do when they victimize other people in our community, there is no one that wants to make sure Palm Beach County is safer than I do.”
“I am so proud to have been serving on the executive leadership team under State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the past four years in addition to being the chief of our Domestic Violence Unit for over 12 years. When we talk about fighting for victims, there’s no more of a bigger responsibility to fight for victims and those who are our most vulnerable victims of domestic and dating violence.”
— Freedman: “You have to have somebody that can work with Republicans, Democrats and find the people that are best able to serve as prosecutors in Belle Glade, north, throughout this large county. We have to do a better job. We’re already doing a great job. But we’re going to do a better job. Each of us is going to try to do a better job. And if you let me, we’ll prosecute the cases. We’ll be fair and square, compassion for first-time offenders, but punishment for repeat and violent offenders.”
— Lerman: “This office needs to be a better office, it needs to be a stronger office, and it’s going to take somebody that can bring change and a new perspective, that can bring all that I have learned of being a criminal defense attorney for 39 years to the office to better train these young lawyers that are there, make sure they understand the law, understand what it means to be a trial lawyer and understand what it means to be a prosecutor.”
“It’s about representing the entire community and making sure that the entire community is served and protected, both young and old.”
— Stern: “There is no more important job than the prosecutor of a community. If the person who is charged with doing their duty does not, he will not have a community. And if you don’t believe me, you can simply look around the country at other examples of when one person chooses not to enforce the law.”
“This is significant. It is important. It is the straw that stirs the drink upon which economic prosperity, livelihoods flow, the ability for us, our right to walk down the street feeling unafraid. I’m sure we all know people around the country who do not have that feeling. I promise you as your state attorney, you will not have that fear.”
— Williams: “Victims are probably the most underserved people in our criminal justice system. And you need somebody that’s going to stand up there and fight for those victims because if you’re not in trial fighting for them, it means you’re selling the case out, that’s why I’m so passionate about doing it for everybody.”
“When you guys go out and vote, you should think about, do you want someone that’s going to stand up there and fight for victims and make sure that you don’t have to look over your shoulder and you live in a much safer community. That’s what I offer everybody.”
After the primary election
The five primary candidates provided their answers at a recent forum to the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations, or COBWRA.
Not in attendance at the forum was Farkas, the candidate who has no party affiliation. Farkas will appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot along with the Democratic and Republican winners of the August primary.
