Judge Jason Jones and Stephanie Cager offered voters a look at how they would approach the bench during a live candidate forum for the 2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Group 7 seat.
The forum was hosted by the Capital Region News Collaborative and the League of Women Voters of Tallahassee. It gave the candidates space to discuss topics including the candidates' qualifications, judicial philosophies, public trust in the court system and Governor Ron DeSantis' impact on Florida's judiciary.
When asked about their professional backgrounds and what qualifies them for office, both candidates highlighted their legal experience and public service careers.
Cager, the senior vice president of legal affairs for Children's Home Society of Florida, discussed her educational background, which includes attending Florida A&M University College of Law and her previous work experience as chief legal counsel for the Florida Department of Health.
"I think I'm qualified for this position because I have a background in trauma-informed care, and I think that can help reduce the rates of the people we see in front of us in the court," Cager said.
Jones pointed to his experience as a prosecutor, legal counsel and judge. As an assistant state attorney in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, he handled thousands of cases ranging from driving with a suspended license to first-degree murder. He has been on the county bench since 2020, when he was appointed there and reelected in 2022.
"As a circuit court judge, I am a general jurisdiction judge handling all cases in Jefferson County and Leon County. I do probate and guardianship. I have done thousands of trials and hearings, and I am the most qualified for this job," Jones said.
The candidates were also asked to explain their judicial philosophies in simple terms.
Jones said judges should apply laws as written while treating people with dignity. He believes their job is to follow the law passed by Florida’s legislature.
“Judges should not legislate from the bench. They should not change laws from the bench. So, a judge should read the law, apply the law as it is written, but do that with compassion and with respect,” Jones said.
Cager emphasized ensuring people feel heard when they enter the courtroom because they are coming with real problems.
“They are coming, they may be scared, they may be timid, and we want them to show up anyway and to have that moment and to have that voice,” she said.
Candidates also addressed whether they agreed with surveys showing declining trust in the nation's judicial system and how they would maintain public confidence in the courts.
Jones pointed to his record on the bench.
"Every day when I step on the bench, I instill confidence in the people who appear before me that I will follow the law and I will treat them respectfully,” he said.
Cager said restoring trust starts with ensuring people feel they are treated fairly.
"I think when we see declining public trust, we are experiencing a trust deficit, and in that trust deficit, we are experiencing a population that feels like people are not being treated fairly, that they're not being treated equally and that their voices are not being heard. My job is to step onto the bench and make sure that we soften that blow and try to ultimately eliminate it,” Cager said.
On Governor Ron DeSantis' influence on Florida's courts, Cager said judges should remain focused on applying the law regardless of political or ideological considerations.
"We want to make sure that even if there's something that's put forward that we may agree with, that we may not agree with, whether it's ideological or not, that we are still following the letter of the law to the letter of the law," Cager said.
Jones said his experience with the judicial appointment process has shown him that legal interpretation should remain rooted in existing law.
"I do think that his selections have been geared toward making sure that the judges that have been selected follow the law and don't make decisions based on what they think the law should be, but make decisions on what the law is," Jones said.
You can watch the full candidate forum here:
