As a judge, Coolidge-Shotwell would relate

This race features two female candidates who have worked hard, been successful and performed admirable charity work. Either one would be a competent circuit court judge.

We endorse Camille Coolidge-Shotwell, 47, for the Group 39 judgeship.

Like her opponent, Coolidge-Shotwell is a solo practitioner who primarily does family law. She is running against Susan Lynn Alspector, 50, who has practiced law in Florida for 26 years.

Coolidge-Shotwell said a series of heartbreaking events in her personal life strengthens her case that voters should select her in the Aug. 28 primary.

She said she took custody of her sister’s two children 25 years ago and raised them to be successful young adults. Also, her husband, Fort Lauderdale police detective Mark Shotwell, was wounded in a shootout in the parking lot of an Irish pub in 2014. Shotwell shot and killed the man who had shot him in the chest.

The subsequent grand jury investigation, while difficult, gave her some insights into the operations of the criminal court. The grand jury cleared her husband of any wrongdoing. “It was a perfect example of how the system should work,” CoolidgeShotwell said.

In addition, her former sister-in-law was shot to death in her Plantation home in 2016. Her boyfriend killed her with an AK-47.

“She was still like a family member,” Coolidge-Shotwell said. “After that, I felt compelled to get involved” by seeking a position as a judge.

Such experiences, she said, coupled with her legal and real estate experience, will make her a judge who has the “humanity, understanding and work ethic to serve on the bench.”

Alspector is a solid candidate, too. She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Miami and was an honors graduate of the UM School of Law in 1991.

She has lived in the county for 47 years, she said on her endorsement questionnaire. “I have deep roots here, and I care about the residents of this county.”

She said that practicing law “is exciting. I feel like I can make a difference.”

Alspector is particularly proud of her volunteer work with military veterans through Mission United Veterans, a United Way of Broward County agency. She serves on the organization’s legal committee and represents some veterans in family law cases for free. “They keep us safe and free,” she said.

Alspector is married and lives in Fort Lauderdale.

As the wife of a police officer, CoolidgeShotwell is aware that her critics will say she would bring a pro-police bias to the bench. She said that police who behave badly “make the good ones look bad.” But during the endorsement interview, she said, “I have no bias. I have faith in the system.”

Coolidge-Shotwell got a degree in business law and finance in 1992 from Western Carolina University. She earned her law degree in 2001 from the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University. She is married and lives in Oakland Park.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O’Hara, Elana Simms, Andy Reid and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson.