Voters make their choices in seven Miami-Dade judicial races

Voters in Miami-Dade on Tuesday night selected five new judges, while retaining two incumbents.

In perhaps the most high-profile race, MiamiDade Circuit Judge Dava Tunis, a respected longtime judge who has presided over numerous death-penalty cases, lost to perennial candidate Rosy Aponte.

During the campaign, Aponte drew criticism for referring to minorities as “colored people” during a candidates forum. She also claimed she was being “cyberbullied” by political opponents. Aponte won on her third run for office, beating Tunis by more than 10 percentage points.

““It has been an honor and privilege to serve as a judge in Miami-Dade County, and I thank all those who made my nearly two decades as a judge possible,” Tunis said Tuesday night in a statement. “It is with great pride for all the work already accomplished that I move forward into another chapter in life.”

Tunis was not the only incumbent to lose. In another circuit seat, family law attorney Denise Martinez-Scanziani beat longtime judge Thomas Rebull. Miami-Dade County Judge Joseph Mansfield was edged out by challenger Miguel Mirabal.

Circuit judges handle felony cases and major civil litigation, among other legal arenas such as family law and probate. County judges handle misdemeanors, and minor civil cases.

Two incumbents kept their seats. MiamiDade Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz held off Marcia Giordano Hansen, and Christine Bandín, a county judge, trounced Coral Gables commercial lawyer Shaun Spector.

In the two open circuit seats, Joe Perkins defeated Olanike “Nike” Adebayo, and Carmen Cabarga easily beat out defense lawyer Rod Vereen, who ran unsuccessfully for Miami-Dade State Attorney eight years ago.