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Osceola attorney appointed to bench: Gov. Jeb Bush names Scott Polodna to circuit court to fill a vacancy(Orlando Sentinel, The (FL) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 16--KISSIMMEE -- For Scott Polodna, the second time was the charm. Polodna, 40, was a finalist for a county judge slot earlier this year. But Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Stefania Jancewicz in March to fill the post left open when Judge Jon Morgan was elevated to the circuit bench. More recently, Polodna, an assistant Osceola County attorney, found himself the only Osceola resident on the list of finalists for a circuit judge spot. But he thought appointment to the higher court was a long shot going up against several Orange County attorneys. In interviews for the post on the Orange-Osceola bench, he said he took the approach that the circuit needed geographic diversity, with more judges calling Osceola, not Orange, home. The strategy worked when Polodna was appointed by Bush last week to fill the vacancy of Circuit Judge James E. Henson, who was removed from the bench in October. Polodna said Chief Circuit Judge Belvin Perry will assign him to the Osceola criminal division that Senior Judge Frank Kaney handles. "He's going to be a great judge. That's what I told the governor," said Jo Thacker, county attorney for Osceola who is Polodna's current boss. "He's intelligent, level-headed, with all the integrity in the world. He will be able to be a great judge immediately. He is totally suited for the job. He doesn't lose his cool under any circumstances. He's very stable." Polodna is a 12-year cancer survivor and the father of four -- including triplets. He was engaged to be married when he found out that he had lymphoma in 1994. He and his then-fiancee, Debra, moved up their wedding plans, and he started chemotherapy a week after the ceremony. The couple learned they would be parents in 2000 after many attempts. Because of medication his wife was taking, there was a chance of twins. But triplets came as a surprise. They found out during an ultrasound at a doctor's visit. "That was the most amazing point in my life, seeing those three heartbeats on the monitor," Polodna said. Alexander, Morgan and Garrett are 6. Children don't come without drama in the Polodna household. Connor, 18 months, was born during the 2004 hurricane season and the family had no power the night mother and son came home from the hospital. After graduating from the University of Florida's law school, Polodna started his career in Ocala. But there wasn't much business with a small firm. Eager to get trial experience, he started looking for a job with public defenders and state attorneys in Florida. Former Orange-Osceola Public Defender Joe DuRocher hired Polodna in 1991. He worked there for 10 years and was the felony division chief from 1995 through 2001 before joining the county attorney's office. He began thinking about the bench last summer during an eminent-domain case and a conversation with Perry, with whom he dealt because his county job involved court administration. "I was jazzed after doing the trial," Polodna said. "It was the one thing I missed about not being a public defender. I definitely miss the courtroom; that is one of the key reasons I wanted to become a judge. I just love litigation." Polodna is one of 149 lawyers in Florida certified as a city, county and local government specialist. As an assistant county attorney, he earned $88,000. Circuit judges make about $138,000. He said that he hopes having another judge who lives here will give some stability to the circuit bench. "I pushed that angle, that we need more resident circuit judges. I have no desire to rotate up to Orange County," he said. "It's an honor to be selected. There were some outstanding names on the list." Administrative Judge Jeffords Miller's retirement later this year will mark a year of changes at the courthouse that include Morgan's elevation and the appointments of Jancewicz and Polodna. So far, no attorneys who live in Osceola have filed for the position, which is elected by voters in Osceola and Orange counties. Depending on the Legislature, Osceola soon could get a fourth county judge. Mark Pino can be reached at [email protected] or 407-931-5935. |