The Judge Candidate Breaking Down How Our Courts Really Work
Podcast

The Judge Candidate Breaking Down How Our Courts Really Work

Attorney Marty McNeil has spent 19 years in the courtroom — first as a public defender, then in private practice, and now back at the public defender’s office i...

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A Day in Miami
Nov 1, 2026 42m

About This Episode

Attorney Marty McNeil has spent 19 years in the courtroom — first as a public defender, then in private practice, and now back at the public defender’s office in a specialized unit. In this episode, the Circuit Court Judge candidate for Group 5 breaks down how the court system actually works in a way most people have never heard explained before.

He walks through how cases get assigned to judges, the difference between county and circuit court, how public defenders get appointed, what “retain” actually means on your ballot, and why appellate judges fly under the radar. He also shares the case that impacted him the most — saving a mother of a disabled child from losing her job, her custody, and her freedom over a second-degree misdemeanor. Plus his military family background, Howard University, and his top 3 restaurants.

If you’re voting this November and there are judges on your ballot — this episode helps you understand what you’re voting for.

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Manny Alfonso:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mannyalfonso8/

Kiko Suarez:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/querikoconkiko/

Eduardo Moya:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_moya/

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Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/20WEys6jxiliBCLoo9iSID
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Produced by: Ben Schwede
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benthecreatorrr/

0:00 Intro
1:38 Family Background
4:15 Church
7:45 Law School and Becoming a Public Defender
8:48 Can They Refuse Cases?
10:13 His Approach for Evaluating Cases
11:18 Salaries
12:00 Manny on Preparing for Cases
13:32 How Being a Public Defender Prepared Him for Becoming a Judge
15:02 Most Impactful Case
18:50 Negotiation During Trials
19:52 How Fast Are Public Defenders Assigned
20:42 How Public Defenders Are Assigned Based on Financials
21:30 How Judges Are Assigned Between Types of Cases
23:09 Which Types of Cases He’s Most Interested In
23:38 How Many Judges Per Division
24:10 Court Delays
25:09 Who Has the Authority to Make Changes to the Process
26:16 How to Become a Chief Judge
26:36 Judge Elections Are Not as Popular
28:13 Appellate Court Judges Retention and Terms
31:52 TV vs Real Courts
32:55 George Pino Case
34:02 Lindsay Clancy Trial
35:58 Why Vote for Arthur Marty McNeil for Circuit Court Group 5
37:39 Top 3 Restaurants
41:47 Outro

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