The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-08
JUDGE kooNcE THE BEST
EQUIPPED

Motives of the highest considera-
ton for the maintenance of law and
order by the fearless and successful
prosecution of the guilty, and the re-
spect we have for the judgment of the
bar of Lake county impel us to eX-
press the belief that Judge James c..
B. Koonce of Bushnell is the best
equipped CT the candidates offering for
! the position of state attorney Of this
judicial circuit. So saying we utter
no word of disparagement of any 9TH
er aspirant, particularly of the pres
ent incumbent, Mr.. Scofield. For the
latter we entertain only the kindest
feelings, but having such a brief ex-
perience as a lawyer compared to the
long and distinguished career OF
Judge Koonce, it would be but shut
ting our eyes to the golden opportuni-
ty we have to secure an eminent legal
light should we elect his less expert
enced competitor, Mr.. Scofield.
Judge Koonce has had exactly what
is essential to the discharge of the
duties of prosecuting Attorney
large criminal practice extending over
a period of twenty-five years. In that
time, we are reliably informed, there
have not been more than five or six
important criminal cases tried in
Sumter county that Judge Koonce has
not been engaged in the trial, either
for the defense or prosecution, and
his success has been so marked that
his county has shown it's confidence
in him in many ways. Thrice elected
to the legislature, he was offered re-
election, without opposition, but de-
clined. His legislative service was
conspicuous for efficiency and fidelity
to the people. One of the statutes of
which Judge Koonce was the author,
and which he passed over the strenu-
Gus opposition of the railroad lobby
lists, was that requiring railroads to
fence their tracks or double damage
for killing stock where not fenced, in
cases where suit has to be brought to
collect.
Recognition of Judge Koonce's fine
legal mind was manifested by his hay-
ing been a member of the Judiciary
committee at each of the three ses-
sions he served in the legislature
and in the session of 1908 he was
chairman of that committee, the high
est place a member can obtain, lex
cepting speaker).
Were this all, it would be sufficient
to commend Judge Koonce to the par
, tial consideration of the public, but i.
is further to be noted that when the
time came to revise and compile the
laws of Florida, he was chosen one of
the three lawyers to do so, the others
being Judge Liddon, an ex-chief JUS
tice of the supreme court, and Hon. T.
F. West, the present attorney general
of Florida. This important work was
divided between the three commits
sioners, and to Judge Koonce was as
signed the fourth and fifth divisions,
the last embracing all the criminal
statutes. AS these had to be annotat-
ed, it was necessary that he investi-
gate the Florida supreme court re-
ports and briefly note all judicial con-
structions, which very work more
closely familiarized him with the
criminal procedure and the criminal
laws of Florida than PROBABLY any 9TH
er lawyer in the state.
With this storehouse of knowledge
of our laws, with his long experience
against such able criminal lawyers
as he has met in his score of years of
experience, can anyone doubt that the
interests of the state would be in SAT-
er hands than with his younger oppo-
nent?
Certainly the Lake County Bar AS
ISOLATION, composed of lawyers who
know Judge Koonce personally, felt
that he was better qualified than any
of the three other applicants last sum-
mer, as was shown by the unanimous
endorsement Judge Koonce received
AS stated in the outset, only the
highest considerations impel us to
take this stand. An editors first duty
is to that public which trusts his hon
or and his judgment. To prove false
to his trust by Misrepresentation or
by moral cowardice is beyond us even
when our own ambition is in the bal
ance. Hence, we endorse the candi-
dacy of the able, clean and popular
county judge of Sumter county, Hon.
James c. B. Koonce.-Eustis Lake Re-
gion.