Pair of public defenders campaign for Alachua County Judge Seat 5

Ahead of the Aug. 18 election, Eric Atria and AuBroncee Martin are canvassing to convince voters to install them as the next Alachua County judge.  

Both candidates have worked as public defenders for over 20 years, building careers by putting together the best case for clients accused of crimes and lacking other representation. They say that experience will benefit the public from behind the bench as both candidates point to their character, community service records and experience as positives.  

Florida law prohibits judicial candidates from stumping based on issues, from Second Amendment rights to juvenile crime or protecting homeowners against shoddy contractors.  

Instead, the candidate must market themself and their record, must try to convince the public that their demeanor and experience will make them effective judges.  

“We’re all putting out the best image of ourselves,” Atria said about humans and candidates at large. “You can just point to what you’ve done, the groups you’re involved in, the work you’ve done to let you know who I am as a person.” 

He said that’s why community relations in a small town like Gainesville are vital. Elections often involve hundreds of “tastemakers” around the area who get asked, “Does anyone know this guy?” 

Martin said the judicial election requires the electorate to do more homework, searching for examples of the candidate demonstrating the values important to the judiciary. It’s the same with partisan candidates, he said, because a voter will rarely personally know the person running for office.  

Even so, the judicial candidates can’t give voters additional information like this is the party I belong to, and this is what I will or won’t do.  

“I think you have to examine closely and watch more closely to what they have done as opposed to what they say. It’s better to show than just tell,” Martin said.  

The unique parameters about voting for judges might be why only 47% of Florida voters feel confident about judicial elections and merit retention, according to a 2024 Sachs Media voter survey used by The Florida Bar.  

That same survey reports that 37% of Florida voters ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ research the judicial candidates.  

Florida’s court system is divided between the trial courts (county judges from each of the 67 counties and circuit judges in each of the 20 judicial circuits) and appeal courts at the district and then state supreme court levels. In total, that’s 1,067 judges within Florida’s court system.  

Either Martin or Atria will fill a county seat. These judges handle criminal misdemeanors and civil cases with $50,000 or less in dispute. It’s the most community-oriented of the people’s courts. 

“This is the type of court that’s going to have the most microcosmic impact on your community on individual levels: traffic tickets, landlord-tenant misdemeanors, small claims,” Atria said. “Like how local is that? So, it needs to be somebody from the community who understands the community.” 

Martin said the best way to demystify the legal and judicial realm is for residents to go to court and watch different proceedings. He said people always like to talk about the good ol’ days, whether they existed or not, but one truth about today’s world, he noted, is that information moves much quicker. 

“I think what is demonstrably different now is information comes so much quicker and from so many different sources, and that is hard to parse out the information that’s most relevant to you,” Martin said. “So the best way is to come and see for yourself.” 

The candidates both said county cases lack the national importance that many think of the courts as deciding—and the type of issues many constituents might want to debate. 

Atria and Martin said the notion of “activist judges” is a bit of a red herring thrown up by partisan national discourse. But even so, the court judge approaches the community members and not the nation’s issues.  

“Activist judges I don’t think exist on this level,” Atria said. “This is county court; if you had an agenda, this is not the position to seek.” 

Martin said it’s vital that the judiciary retains impartiality. Everyone getting a “fair shake” is a cornerstone for the courts, and the reason judges keep campaigning in line with regulations. 

He said a judicial candidate who opines on a subject and must then rule a case along the same topic has tainted the perspective of the people. 

“That perception is key towards an effective judicial system, and this is why we’re always concerned about what we say,” Martin said. 

Atria does point to room for improvement, just not about impartiality. He said the current judiciary could be more visible and accessible. It’s a point that is encouraged by an ethics advisory committee. But, to be fair, it’s hard to go to a gala when you know someone you’ve ruled against will probably be there, Atria said.  

He said the judiciary can move slowly, and that’s partly a feature of the court system. But Atria said it’s partly up to judges to keep the docket moving and ensure efficiency.  

“It’s the judge who sets the pace. Lawyers, we want to delay. It’s a tactic both sides like to use,” Atria said.  

But the judge must hold both sides accountable, helping justice move for the person sitting in jail for months or a dragged-out civil lawsuit.  

Martin said prosecutors often earn judicial seats more often than public defenders. He said the judiciary needs a mix and that his profession develops skills needed to manage a court—thick skin, level-headedness and a passion for people. 

“If anyone is in the room and has a level head when all things are going wrong, it’s got to be the judge,” Martin said. “And in the 28 years I’ve served in situations that a lot of people would say this is just an unmitigated disaster, and I think it’s prepared me to keep that level head when all things around me are falling apart.” 

Atria said excellent case management is a must for a public defender. He’s juggled from 19 to 350 cases at one time. It takes soft skills to get people to trust you as, sometimes, the only person in their corner.  

Atria said he decided to run for judge after an attack altered his life. He was representing a client, Obadiah Dillard, during a trial when the man punched him repeatedly. Dillard thought he could alter the trial’s course favorably, according to reports. But he earned a 30-year sentence instead.  

Atria said he decided that he didn’t want to live in fear or trauma. He said he wanted to live with positivity and involvement.  

“The answer was becoming a person who’s engaged in our community in a measurable way, who’s built relationships and networks of trust where if United Way needs a lawyer to help a lady, they now know to call me,” Atria said.  

Martin said the judiciary seems like the next way to continue his service as a public defender. He’s sought the position for several years and hopes people see something from that.  

“This is an aspiration I’ve been chasing for some time, and as I reflect on that, it is something to put yourself out there for election. I think that that is reflective of how seriously I take the role and not on the front end. I think this is reflective of what I would do each and every day.”    

Candidates 

AuBroncee Martin 

Website: AuBroncee Martin for Alachua County Judge 

Final appeal: “All candidates work really hard; I’ve worked hard. I’ve invested many, many years in this, and as I say, this is a matter of persuasion. It’s always better to show than to tell, and I feel very strongly that my years of service at the public defender’s office, in the community at large and what I’ve done throughout this campaign demonstrate my commitment to justice in this community and in the form of how a judge can lawfully achieve that.” 

Eric Atria 

Website: Elect Eric Atria for Alachua County Judge 

Final appeal: “I feel like it’s my turn to be that for somebody else. One of the reasons why I teach and why I mentor interns is that I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t the people who came before me, and if you don’t pass that on, that’s a failure of society, in my opinion. It’s kind of the meaning of life is handing down information, generational information, so that you can take it and run with it, and then you’re going to give it to the next generation. And to me, I think that’s the most important part about this role, also, is that you get to be a mentor unofficially. But it’s very influential.”