Former candidate accuses judge of retaliation
Roseanna Bronhard
Roseanna Bronhard, a candidate for Wakulla County judge who was eliminated in the August primary, complained that current Judge Jill Walker was “obviously retaliating” against her by refusing to excuse her from jury duty last week.
Bronhard sent an email to The Sun complaining that Judge Walker did not excuse her though Bronhard had cited a state statute that allows practing attorneys, doctors and first responders to be excused from jury duty.
Bronhard sent an email to Judge Walker’s judicial assistant around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, requesting excusal from jury duty on Sept. 14, and about an hour later sent an email to the newspaper with her complaint.
Contacted about Bronhard’s complaint, Judge Walker said she had been in court all morning and hadn’t seen yet it. She noted as she did read it that the statute that Bronhard cited gives judges discretion to excuse some jurors, but did not require judges to excuse them.
In her 32 years on the bench, Judge Walker said she has never granted that excusal and has required lawyers and doctors and others to show up for jury service.
But, in an email from Brenda Villiard, the judge’s assistant, later that afternoon, it was conveyed on behalf of Judge Walker that the planned trial the next day was being handled by Brian Miller, the chief prosecutor for Wakulla, who is a candidate for county judge. (Miller and Eddie Evans, who works in the State Attorney’s office in Leon County handling appeals, face off on the November ballot.)
“It is certainly probable, if not highly likely,” the email states, “that your appearance on a jury venire would invoke a challenge for cause alleging that you could not be fair and impartial as a juror.” The judge copied the email to the state and defense to see if there was any objection to releasing Bronhard – but all of the parties did not respond and so Bronhard had to show up to court.
The email concludes: “The judge finds your allegations of retaliation on her part wholly without foundation and most unfortunate. She was not a candidate for judge and is retiring.”
Bronhard did show up for jury service on Sept. 14 along with 40 other citizens, but was not among the initial venire of 18 citizens who were interviewed, and not one of the seven who were ultimately selected for a quick pick-and-go trial for a misdemeanor battery that day.
Bronhard’s email included an earlier request in August to be excused from jury service on Sept. 14 because of both a heavy caseload and a need for oral surgery.
The judge’s office provided an earlier email chain which dated back to April in which Bronhard asked to be excused from jury service because of her workload. Villiard replied with an email stating that it’s normal practice to continue persons dealing with such issues and offering jury selection dates of June 15, July 8, Aug. 10 or Sept. 14.
“Thanks,” Bronhard replied. “September 14 is best.”