Sumter County Judge Paul Militello was busy going from table to table in a room at Evans Prairie Country Club recently as part of his second meet-and-greet event in The Villages.
Militello, 53, is running to keep his seat on the bench against Ed Lynum, an attorney whose father once served as police chief in Wildwood. Militello currently holds the seat, having been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2016 to replace the retiring Judge Thomas Skidmore. But this marks the first time he’s had to conduct a campaign to keep his job.
“I’ve enjoyed getting out and meeting people, because I get to meet folks that I don’t normally see in the courthouse or in my courtroom,” Militello said. “And I’m not the most extroverted person, so this has been really good.”
Militello said he thinks it’s extremely important to talk with area residents.
“They should meet the person who works for them,” he said. “I kind of think this is a job interview, so I want to get out and let people be able to ask me questions and talk to me.”
That’s exactly what was happening Wednesday night at the Evans Prairie meet-and-greet, which followed a similar event at Belle Glade Country Club earlier this month.
“I’m humbled,” said Militello, who also took part in a recent forum sponsored by The Villages/Tri-County Chapter of the League of Women Voters. “There’s a lot of folks here today and I’ve talked to them and answered their questions. They’ve liked what they’ve heard and they’ve told me they’re going to vote for me.”
As for why people should support him in the non-partisan race, Militello said it’s really quite simple.
“I follow the law. I swore an oath to defend the Constitution,” he said. “I’m not in the courtroom to make law. I’m there to basically follow the law that’s in the books.”
Militello added that it also comes down to being willing to work hard.
“It’s a high-volume caseload,” he said. “We’ll have 60 cases in the morning and 60 in the afternoon. It’s about being there and getting it done.”
As for how he runs his courtroom, Militello said it’s about being fair and showing respect for everyone involved.
“The judge is like an umpire in a baseball game. You’ve got to call balls and strikes,” he said. “Part of it is listening to both sides – giving both sides an opportunity to be heard.”
When asked about the day he found out that he was going to be a judge from Gov. Rick Scott, he smiled and called it a humbling experience.
“The rumor was that if you were going to get the appointment, you would get a phone call from a cell phone in South Florida,” he said. “That was his cell phone that he’s had for years.”
Militello said he clearly remembers his phone ringing and when he looked at the screen, the rumor proved to be true.
“It was a wonderful feeling,” he said. “I said, ‘I’ll work very hard.’ And he said, ‘Based on everything I’ve heard about you, I have no doubt about that.’”
