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Kent Compton

Judge enjoys challenges in civil court cases

December 4, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

Judge Kent Compton recently paid a visit to the East Pasco Networking Group —where he discussed his duties in the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

The former Zephyrhills city councilman, and longtime lawyer and prosecutor took up the post in January, after being elected in August 2018.

While still settling in, Compton clearly enjoys his new gig at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse building in Dade City.

“I feel like I’ve got the best job in the state of Florida,” Compton said, during the Nov. 26 breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City. He said he finds the position to be “very refreshing.”

Pasco County judge Kent Compton was a guest speaker at a Nov. 26 East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting at IHOP in Dade City. (Kevin Weiss)

He went on: “I love criminal law, but I love the civil law and I love everything new about it, and the challenges and the opportunity to do something different, to research something different, to hear the stories, —I enjoy that.”

Compton presides over county civil cases handling principal issues $15,000 or less, small claims and traffic court, as well as first appearance advisories. He also is on-call for emergency petitions for arrest warrants, search warrants, Marchman Acts, Baker Acts and so on.

On an emotional level, Compton said eviction hearings are “the hardest part of my job.”

He explained: “I’ve had some very unhappy people, particular in evictions. I’m human, but I have to follow the law, and Chapter 83 (of the Florida state landlord-tenant statutes) gives me fantastic direction on what to do. If the money’s not paid, if the right motion isn’t made, then people are disappointed.”

Compton added, “it can be kind of hairy — very specific notices, requirements of what the landlord has to do, what the tenant has to do.”

He also mentioned that conducting traffic court can become “quite a scene,” noting his courtroom will be filled with 20 or 25 law enforcement officers and another 50 people waiting for their case to be heard. There also can be “a little gamesmanship” between law enforcement officers and violators who’ve been issued a ticket or citation.

Violators “will come to court taking the gamble the law enforcement officer doesn’t show up,” he said. If that happens, Compton said he will dismiss the case “99% of the time.”

If the law enforcement officer is present, however, Compton said the violator usually will enter a plea to close the case.

In more substantial traffic matters, such as car accidents, Compton said there’ll be “a full-blown hearing” between a defendant and plaintiff.

That typically includes witness testimony, as well as video and photographic evidence.

Those cases, he said, can be challenging because it becomes “a credibility contest.”

Testimony between defendants and plaintiffs can be “just unbelievably 180 degrees separate,” Compton said.

In judging those matters, he said: “You rely upon your common sense and your life experience to try and decide who’s telling the truth, but sometimes I can’t tell, and if that’s the case, it’s not guilty.”

On the other hand, though, “Sometimes it’s pretty obvious the person is caught in their own lying,” he said.

When he’s unsure how to decide a case, the judge said, he’ll take it under advisement to research an issue further, study case law and lean on the experience of his fellow peers in the courthouse and judges throughout the state.

“I have the great resource of all the other judges who are very helpful to me if I have any indecision,” Compton said.

The speaker drew parallels between the courtroom and his dozen-plus years on the city council:

“It’s a people business. You must listen, and you must be fair and courteous. It’s the same job, there’s just a lot more legal mumbo jumbo to go along with it.”

Those qualities are something Compton reminds lawyers and others that enter his courtroom, he said.

Said Compton, “The lawyers, it’s basically a confrontation of business, but while we have to do zealous representation, we also need to have professional courtesy amongst each other and the court.”

When asked how the job differs from what he expected, Compton said, “I didn’t realize that I would see a stack of paper every day. I spend an hour and a half, two hours every day just going through paperwork and processing evictions or motions for summary judgement or credit cards, stuff like that.”

He also was surprised by the quantity of nonjury trials that he handles in the civil division.

Published December 04, 2019

Results are in for Florida’s primary

September 5, 2018 By B.C. Manion

Florida’s voters went to the polls last week in a primary that captured national attention when Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum stunned political prognosticators by defeating the predicted winner Gwen Graham.

If he wins in November, Gillum would become Florida’s first black governor.

On the Republican side of the ledger, Congressman Ron DeSantis — endorsed by President Donald J. Trump — carried the day, defeating Adam Putnam, a longtime Florida politician, who had served as Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and five terms in Congress, representing Central Florida.

Locally, 85,907 voters cast their ballots in Pasco County, representing a 24.84 percent turnout of the county’s 345,879 registered voters.

“The turnout was considerably higher than I expected and, in this case, I’m never more happy to be wrong,” Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said, via email.

The 2018 Primary turnout represented a 66 percent increase from the last midterm primary in 2014, Corley said.

“It’s apparent the voters are more engaged than in previous cycles,” the supervisor of elections added.

Hillsborough County experienced a slightly higher turnout, with 219,118 ballots cast, representing a 26.16 percent turnout of the county’s 837,681 registered voters.

DeSantis and Graham garnered the most votes in the governor’s race among Pasco voters, while DeSantis and Gillum were the top vote-getters in that race in Hillsborough County.

While many races on the ballot were true primary choices, with voters deciding which candidate should represent the Democrats and Republicans in the general elections, the races for judges and school board members were nonpartisan, meaning winners could be named if a candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote.

That happened in two of the three Pasco County School Board races on the ballot.

Allen Altman and Cynthia Armstrong were both re-elected to another term, which the winner of the seat vacated by retiring Steve Luikart will be decided in the general election, with a run-off between Megan Harding and Tara M. O’ Connor.

The Pasco race for the Circuit Judge 6th Judicial Circuit, Group 4, also will require a run-off in November between Davis Ellis and Roxanne Fixsen. In that race, none of the three candidates secured more than 50 percent of the vote.

TOP VOTE-GETTERS IN KEY RACES

Pasco County Republicans
Federal
U.S. Senate: Rick Scott

State
Governor: Ron DeSantis
Attorney General: Ashley Moody
Commissioner of Agriculture: Baxter Troutman
State Representative District 37: Ardian Zika

Pasco County Democrats
Federal
U.S. Rep. District 12: Chris Hunter

State
Governor: Gwen Graham
Attorney General: Sean Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture: Nicole ‘Nikki’ Fried
State Senator District 20: Kathy Lewis

Local races, No Party Affiliation
Pasco County
Circuit Judge 6th Judicial Circuit

Group 9: Christine Helinger
Group 36: Doneene D. Loar
Group 40: Thomas H. “Tommy” Minkoff
Group 45: Rebecca Hamilton

County Judge
Group 7: Kent Compton

Pasco School Board
District 1: Allen Altman
District 3: Cynthia Armstrong
District 5:  A run-off will be held between Megan Harding and Tara M. O’Connor in the November general election.

Hillsborough County Republicans
State races
Governor: Rick DeSantis
Attorney General: Ashley Moody
Commissioner of Agriculture: Baxter Troutman
State Representative, District 64: James Grant

Local races, Republican
Hillsborough County Commission, District 2: Ken Hagan
Hillsborough County Commission, District 5: Victor Crist
Hillsborough County Commission, District 7: Todd Marks

Hillsborough County Democrats
Federal
U.S. Congress, District 12: Chris Hunter

State races
Governor: Andrew Gillum
Attorney General: Sean Shaw
Commissioner of Agriculture: Nicole ‘Nikki’ Fried
State Senator, District 20: Kathy Lewis

Local races, Democratic
Hillsborough County Commission, District 5: Mariella Smith
Hillsborough County Commission, District 7: Kimberly Overman

Hillsborough County School Board (No political affiliation)
District 1: William Henry Person and Steve Cona will have a run-off in the November general election
District 2: Stacy Hahn
District 4: Melissa Snively
District 6: Karen Perez and Henry “Shake” Washington will have a runoff in the November general election.

Complete results can be found at PascoVotes.com and VoteHillsborough.org.

Published September 5, 2018

Compton, Proctor seek re-election in Zephyrhills

December 19, 2014 By Michael Hinman

One election season has ended, but it seems another already is getting underway.

Kent Compton and Charles Proctor were the first candidates to file for the April elections, both looking to retain their seats on the Zephyrhills City Council.

Both won re-election the last time their seats were up in 2013. Compton defeated Rose Hale while Proctor was unopposed.

The two pre-filed their paperwork to run, and will need to officially qualify for the election between Feb. 10 and Feb. 17.

Compton is the wife of former city councilwoman Cathi Campton, and was first elected in 2006, according to his bio on the city’s website. He has lived in Zephyrhills since 1993, and is a local attorney.

Proctor, the current council president, owns an auto detailing shop on Eighth Street, and has lived in Florida since 1989.

Voters will elect new council members and other municipal leaders during the next election, set for April 14.

Zephyrhills council takes aim at fire chief

June 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Update: Published reports state that Verne Riggall resigned as the Zephyrhills fire chief on Friday, leaving the city council with the job of appointing an interim chief Monday night.

Zephyrhills Fire Chief Verne Riggall followed his former city manager, Jim Drumm, from High Springs. But he might soon be following him out as well.

Steve Spina, who replaced Drumm on an interim basis as Zephyrhills city manager, wants the city council to remove Riggall from his job as the city’s top firefighter. And that decision could come as early as the council’s meeting Monday night.

“There is a clear lack of coordination and communication in Zephyrhills Fire Rescue, and a lack of support and respect for the chief from the personnel I interviewed,” Spina said in a memo to the council. “This chief is not bringing people together in a way that is critical in ensuring the proper response of emergency personnel, and the provision of timely and adequately equipped rescue vehicles. There is a clear sense of dysfunction and morale issues that impacts the day-to-day operations, and I believe hampers the ability to provide top notch fire rescue services.”

Riggall was named the city’s fire chief in 2012, a year after resigning from a similar job in High Springs after finding his position was being eliminated from the city budget. Drumm had already left his job there as city manager, and moved to Zephyrhills. Riggall followed soon after, first stepping in as an interim, and six months later, offered the job permanently.

That vote in April 2013 had everyone patting each other on the back, according to published reports. A group of firefighters had even attended the council meeting, cheering Riggall on. Then council president Kent Compton said Riggall’s credentials were “decades in the making.”

But a lot has changed in a year. Drumm resigned this past April after learning he would not have enough votes on the council to renew his contract. And before he left, Drumm was starting an investigation of Riggall, who some said had lost the confidence of his firefighters.

Many of those issues were spelled out in Spina’s memo. One of the biggest concerns was how Riggall was staffing fire engines and emergency response vehicles. Some of the staffing records showed that there were not enough personnel on hand to safely respond to necessary calls, and even they didn’t have all the appropriate equipment they would need.

If a problem had arose, Riggall said a backup unit or one from Pasco County could help, but relying on such help was problematic, Spina said.

Another issue involved the hours Riggall worked. His shift would sometimes include late nights and weekends — something he reportedly said was to better accommodate his wife’s schedule.

“Department heads should be available during the day to respond to city council, the public, staff and the city manager and other department heads,” Spina wrote. “Most people will not try to contact the chief at 9 p.m., or on weekends.”

Spina said when he asked Riggall how he would correct these issues, he was told that Riggall would “try to improve communications.”

In a second memo to the council ahead of Monday’s meeting, Spina outlined his investigation, which also included interviews with fire union representative Michael Richards, Lt. Kerry Barnett and City Clerk Linda Boan, along with “several other” fire department employees.

Riggall was placed on paid leave June 2.

Spina is asking the city council to fire Riggall, which only requires three of the five council members to agree. If that does happen, Spina has also recommended an interim fire chief: Daniel Spillman.

Spillman, according to Spina, joined the city’s fire department last September after spending more than a year as fire chief with Escambia County. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a master’s degree from City University in Bellevue, Washington, according to his resume.

Monday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.

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08/20/2022 – Food Drive

St. Mark’s Chapter of The Order of the Daughters of the King in partnership with The Community Food Pantry will host a Food Drive on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 13312 Cain Road, off Gunn Highway in Tampa. Items needed include canned vegetables, fruit, chicken, tuna, beans and soup; breakfast cereal and grits; granola bars; macaroni and cheese; and peanut butter and jelly in plastic containers. Visit the pantry online at TheCommunityFoodPantry.com. For information, call 813-962-3089, or visit StMarksTampa.org. … [Read More...] about 08/20/2022 – Food Drive

08/20/2022 – Talking Tots storytime

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12119 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host a “Talking Tots” storytime on Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. Speech therapist Bridget Cibulskis will share tips and tricks for increasing a child’s language development at home, and will read a book to the kids while modeling skills for parents. There also will be a Q&A session. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/20/2022 – Talking Tots storytime

08/21/2022 – Book club for adults

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Novels on Tap” on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., at the Wicked Pour taproom in Odessa, for ages 21 and older. This month’s selection is “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng. Masks are recommended, but not mandatory. Registration is required online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/21/2022 – Book club for adults

08/23/2022 – Active shooter seminar

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer will host an Active Shooter Vigilance & Sign Recognition seminar on Aug. 23 at 1 p.m., at The Genesis Community Center, 38112 15th Ave., in Zephyrhills. To register, call 813-616-2601. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Active shooter seminar

08/23/2022 – Learn about shapes

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host story times about shapes on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. Toddlers can attend at 10:15 a.m., and preschoolers at 11:15 a.m. Each session includes songs, stories and movement. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Learn about shapes

08/23/2022 – Ride free to polls

GoPasco County Public Transportation will offer free bus rides to the polls on Primary Election Day, Aug. 23 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riders must present a valid Voter Information Card to use the free service. For more information on poll locations, contact the Supervisor of Elections office at 800-851-8754, or go to bit.ly/PrecinctsPasco. To learn more about GoPasco, visit GoPasco.com. … [Read More...] about 08/23/2022 – Ride free to polls

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