Saturday, February 08, 2014

Will Record Cover Carlos Mendoza Judicial Nomination As a News Story, or Not?

Former Assistant St. Augustine City Attorney Carlos Eduardo Mendoza was nominated to a federal judgeship three days ago. So far, the St. Augustine Record has run only a short AP story about the four nominations President Obama made this week -- not even noting Judge Mendoza's local history here, which included four years with the seventh Circiut State's Attorney's Offfice (2005-2009) and two years as an Assistant City Attorney in St. Augustine Ciy Hall (2009-2011) before Governor Richard Scott appointed him a Circuit Court Judge in Putnam County (Palatka, 2011-date).
If the Record had adequate resources, it would have sent a reporter to Palatka on Wednesday afternoon to interview Judge Mendoza.
Today is Saturday.
Three days without a front page story on Judge Mendoza.
Why>
Will there be stories, hopefully starting tomorrow dedicated to exploring Judge Mendoza's suitability for a federal judgeship?
Will there be interviews of crime victims and people whom he prosecuted (or nolle prossed)?
Will local lawyers and lawmen be interveed?
Will his ABA rating be obtained and reported?
Will the Record tell people how they can share their views with FBI agents, Senators and staff vetting the nominatino?
Will the Record have a reporter at his confirmation hearing?
Will the FBI background interivew process be discussed?
Will the ABA rating system be discussed?
(ABA has not yet published his rating; I have requested it).
It's not every day that a former local lawyer from St. Augustine gets nominated to the federal bench.
It's been at least half a century.
That was news on Wednesday and will be news until the Senate acts.
The Record failed to report on the long delays and Senate confirmation of Judge Brian J. Davis, who was filibustered by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).
The Record has no minority reporters.
The Record needs to focus more on diversity.
A local Hispanic-American has ben nominated to a federal judgeship. That was news on Wednesday and will be news until the Senate acts.
Will the Record work harder to report the news?
The whole world is now watching, thanks to The New York Times.

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