Rooney touts Army experience
Retiring legislator one of 32 applicants for county judge.
WEST PALM BEACH — Retiring U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee, gets to weigh in on matters of war and peace in his current job, but on Monday he said he’d rather be ruling on misdemeanor cases, evictions and minor civil lawsuits.
Saying he’s frustrated with Washington but wants to continue in public service, Rooney spent half an hour interviewing for an open Palm Beach County Court judgeship. He was one of 32 applicants under consideration by the county’s Judicial Nominating Commission, which planned to send a short list of recommended candidates to Gov. Rick Scott by the end of the day.
Scott will appoint a replacement for Judge Dana Santino, who was removed by the Florida Supreme Court in July over inappropriate comments she made about her opponent in the 2016 election.
Rooney, 47, announced in February that he wouldn’t seek a sixth term in Congress.
“As far as I can tell, the last time we had a sitting congressman apply for a judgeship was never,” commission member Robert Harvey told Rooney at the beginning of his interview.
Asked why he wants to be a judge, Rooney pointed to his days as an Army judge advocate, providing legal representation to soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and later prosecuting civilian crimes on the large military base.
“I remember fondly the days when there was a beginning and a middle and an end to every day as opposed to the proverbial kicking the can down the road constantly, which is what a lot of people see that we do in Congress, and it’s the truth,” Rooney told the commission. “Quite frankly, I’m not trying to build my resume any more. I want to come home, watch my kids play football and have a job that I think I could excel at.”
Rooney said in February that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
“I know that it’s sort of the cliché line,” Rooney acknowledged during his JNC interview. “But my son caught his first high school pass last week against Jensen Beach and caught a touchdown (pass). If there was any validation I needed that this is where I should be, that was it.”
JNC Chairman Greg Schwinghammer noted that Rooney’s last courtroom experience was more than a decade ago.
“You’re a guy who hasn’t been in court for a long time ... We’ve had a bunch of people here who have been trying murder cases in Palm Beach County for 10 years, or trying high-stakes civil cases,” Schwinghammer said.
“If you come in here and get this, it would almost look like, ‘Hey, here’s this guy jumping ahead of the line.’ So how is it that you should get the county court position here, and if so, how long are you going to be there? We’re looking for people to be long-term,” Schwinghammer said.
“That question is extremely fair. I get that,” Rooney said. He said he decided against pursuing a circuit judgeship or a seat on the federal bench because he didn’t think he was ready for those posts.
“I think the county court level is a place where I can start, I can learn quickly and I can do a good job. But ultimately that decision is up to you. I understand that people might have a better immediate resume. But I have every confidence in the world in myself that I can pick it up very quickly,” Rooney said.
While acknowledging his lack of recent courtroom experience, Rooney said his years in Washington had provided some preparation.
“My experience in Congress isn’t completely irrelevant, with regard to dealing with people, making extremely hard decisions, trying to find compromise, trying to get along with people I don’t agree with and doing the best job that I can for the bigger picture and the people that I serve,” Rooney said.
“That’s why I want to be a county court judge as opposed to maybe being at a law firm where there might be more money, or teaching or something along those lines, because I really do enjoy public service.”