May 24, 2013

Dubious Achievers - Florida Newsmakers of the Year

Mike Vogel | 1/1/2011

• PAUL HAWKES
1st District Court of Appeal judge
North Florida

1st District Courthouse

Judge Paul Hawkes lobbied lawmakers for the $48.8-million courthouse, which includes kitchens for each judge and big-screen TVs. [Photo: Ray Stanyard]

Paul Hawkes

Lobbying for the ‘Taj'

Voters in November decided to retain Judge Paul Hawkes, a Jeb Bush appointee and at the time chief judge of the appellate district that includes much of north Florida. Voters kept alive the judiciary's unbroken string of retention victories despite revelations that the former GOP legislator was the driving lobbying force for his district's new, $48.8-million "Taj Mahal" courthouse, including big-screen TVs and individual kitchens for each judge. "I don't think it's extravagant," Hawkes told the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. Hawkes has since stepped down as chief judge.

Business
• Mark Wilson
• Wilbur Ross Jr.
• Lola Gonzalez
• John Textor
• Robert Clements
• Thomas Gaffney
• Hugh Green
• R.J. Scaringe
• Foreclosure Fighters
• Julian MacQueen

Politics
• Mel Martinez & The Dominoes

Military
• Florida's Fallen Soldiers

Education
• Frank Brogan
• Maryellen Elia

Science/Innovation
• Win Phillips & David Day
• Ian MacDonald & William Hogarth

Environment
• Extreme Temperatures

CRITTERS
• Mystery Monkey

Sports
• Tampa Bay Rays' Top Brass
• Pat Riley

Volunteer/Non-Profit
• Barth Green

Arts/Entertainment
• New World Symphony
• Pitbull
• Pamela Tuscany

Dubious Achievers
• Scott Rothstein
• David Brooks
• Jim Greer
• Wayne McLeod
• Lewis Freeman
• Pawl Hawks
• Lee Farkas

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