Boca commercial litigator appointed to circuit bench

James T. Ferrera fills vacancy created by judge’s retirement.

A commercial litigation attorney who successfully represented the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office in a civil rights lawsuit is Palm Beach County’s newest circuit judge, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has announced.

S c o t t o n T u e s d a y appointed Boca Raton attorney James T. Ferrara, 53, to fill the vacancy created by retiring Circuit Judge Moses Baker Jr.

The governor chose Ferrara on hi s first tr y for a judicial appointment from a short li st of c andidates selected last month, including U.S. Assistant Attorney Carolyn Bell, county Magistrate Maxine Williams and Ass i s t a nt S t at e At t or ney Michael Rachel.

Ferrara, a partner with the Boca Raton firm of Shraiberg, Ferrara & Landau, said becoming a judge has been a career goal for much of his nearly three decades as a litigator. But he held off on actively pursuing the opportunity until he finished supporting his two children through college.

“I was p l e a s a n t l y s u rprised to get here on my first attempt. It’s very humbling,” Ferrara said Wednesday.

Ferrara earned an undergraduate degree in 1985 from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and received his law degree three years later from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

He said he spent a large portion of his career defending wrongful death, slip-andfalls and similar disputes before switching to business litigation. Ferrara said he has litigated through at least two dozen jury trials and about as many bench trials in his 28-year career.

Among his cases, according to his firm’s website, was the successful defense of a widow against the shareholders of her husband’s company. Ferrara also represented the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Office in a New circuit judge

civil rights dispute regarding the seizure of items from pawn shops, a case he won.

Ferrara will meet with Chief Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath in the coming weeks to determine where he will be assigned. He hopes to be on the bench as early as next month.

“I just intend to bring to the bench a desire to treat everyone fairly, and with civility,” Ferrara said of his new position. “I hope I don’t let anyone leave the courtro om t hi nki ng t hat t hey didn’t get a fair hearing. One side or another may not like my decision, but I want them to leave feeling that I’ve heard and understood every side.”