By Elijah Penn, Editor-in-Chief
On Aug. 18, Pasco and Pinellas County voters will choose between Elizabeth “Liz” Constantine and Stefen Diskey to represent them on the bench.
The Lions’ Pride Media Group has interviewed both candidates in this race.
Sixth Circuit judicial elections are nonpartisan and are on the primary ballot of all registered voters who reside in the Court’s jurisdiction. Groups are up for re-election at the end of a six-year term.
The Sixth Judicial Circuit serves Pasco and Pinellas counties. It is made up of multiple court divisions such as civil, criminal, family, and probate. The Court has 69 judges, including 45 circuit judges and 24 county court judges.
While 17 of those seats are up for election this year, only two groups, 39 and 44, are opposed. The court location and the division a judge serves are determined by the discretion of the chief judge of the Sixth Circuit, currently held by Shawn Crane.
Group 39 is currently held by Daniel D. Diskey, who is retiring at the end of his term. He currently serves in the Family Law division. Diskey is the father of candidate Stefen Diskey.
Both candidates are running on their experience in the courtroom and the trust they have won with notable figures endorsing their campaigns.
Elizabeth Constantine is an assistant state attorney and a specialized prosecutor in the gang unit. She has practiced law for 13 years, including serving as associate general counsel with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Constantine was born to parents addicted to drugs, and at 14, her father was killed, and she was put in the foster system, where she was victimized.
“That pain in my life is kind of what caused me to have purpose and wanting to help others that were impacted by the system like I was,” said Constantine.
She was inspired to become a prosecutor to help others who have gone through similar experiences. Now she wishes to help more as a judge.
“As a judge, you have an opportunity to help not just … that limited section of the public. You have an opportunity to help and impact every single person that comes before you, whether it’s a defendant, a victim, a family member or a witness,” said Constantine.
In her career, Constantine has worked on hundreds of cases and 78 jury trials, obtaining 11homicide convictions and 22 life sentences. She began in misdemeanors and worked her way up to violent crimes.
When it comes to the Constitution, Constantine considers herself a “textualist.”
“I believe that when we’re looking at the text itself or statute, that you look at the original meaning of the text at the time that it was enacted by the legislature,” said Constantine. “I don’tthink that judges should be engaging in judicial activism.”
Constantine has served on several executive boards and received honorary recognition in the community. She also oversaw the creation of a juvenile outreach program to help young people obtain scholarships and reduce recidivism.
“At the end of the day, that I’m following the laws written, not as I wish it to be,” said Constantine. “That way, when someone is coming before me, they’re getting a fair and consistent ruling.”
Stefen Diskey is a state attorney and specialized prosecutor in crimes against children and the elderly. He has practiced law for over 11 years and is now an office supervisor over a division of attorneys who handle over 1,000 cases at a time.
Diskey was born and raised in Pasco County. He attended Saint Petersburg College, where he received his undergraduate degree before receiving his law degree in Jacksonville, where he met his wife.
“I’ve spent my entire career in public service as a prosecutor at the state attorney’s office, and I’ve done just about everything a prosecutor can,” said Diskey.
Diskey has tried over 75 jury trials. Many of these cases were homicide cases, including a 20-year cold case where Diskey and his partner secured a guilty verdict in front of the victim’s family who had traveled from England to watch the trial.
Diskey considers himself a shy person who doesn’t seek the spotlight, and people describe him as an emotionally level personality. It is this personality that Diskey believes will allow him to make fair rulings from the bench.
“I’ve had some very heated cases in the courtroom … After the hearing ends, I’ve always been able to maintain professionalism,” said Diskey. “You can strictly follow the law but still be able to show respect to everyone.”
Diskey disagreed with the Constitution being a “living” document.
“It is not the judge’s role to legislate from the bench. That’s up to the legislature, and ultimately the people that put legislatures in place,” said Diskey.
Diskey believes the perspective he has gained growing up in a family who practiced law allows him to see both sides of a case.
“A judge is kind of like an umpire, right? You’re calling the balls and strikes,” said Diskey. “It’s not the judge’s role to take a position one side or the other … but it’s to make sure the law is being followed, and I already do that every day.”
It will be up to the voters to decide which of these two candidates will serve as their Circuit Six Group 39 judge on Aug. 18 during the Florida primary election.
