“CARL’S CORNER – LAKAY MAGAZINE.”AN INTERVIEW BY CARL FOMBRUN WITH NEWLY RE-ELECTED HAITIAN-AMERICAN JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN, MIAMI-DADE, FLORIDA, IN “LAKAY MAGAZINE,” FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS RE-ELECTION.
Judge Fred Séraphin was appointed County Court Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County by Governor Jeb Bush. Judge Séraphin will be running in the election of August 2004 in Miami-Dade, this time as a candidate, for the same position.
CARL.- Judge Séraphin, can you please tell us about your life and career?JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Carl, to tell you about me is simple. I am not complicated I am married to a wonderful woman. We are the parents of two children. Our daughter is 19 years old, and our son is 15 years old. I am very proud of them both. That is who I am. A husband and a father, everything I do revolves around being the best I can at these God given assignments. It is not hard to understand why I feel this way. I grew up without a father and I watched my mother live without a husband to love her and care for her.
CARL.- Fred, I knew your father well, the honorable Haitian congressman Frank Séraphin of the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who lost his life in the political jungle of the times in 1959.
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Thank you for remembering my dad. So, Carl, when you ask me about my life. I have to talk about my family and friends. Who I am today, the work I do, in all my imperfections, is a tribute to them. I admire and respect their courage so tremendously.My father, Frank Séraphin, was killed by Papa Doc Duvalier. The last time we saw him was in 1959. He was murdered in the dungeons of the Fort Dimanche jail in Port-au-Prince because he dreamed and planned for Haiti’s freedom and justice. He made the ultimate sacrifice for Haiti, for what he believed in. I suppose he could have done like so many others and do nothing in opposition of Duvalier.
He could have stayed out of politics, out of the militancy, and out the affairs of the people of Haiti. Perhaps, like the children of those who chose to do nothing, I, along with my brothers and sisters, would be enjoying the great accumulated wealth of my father today. So instead of material wealth, I enjoy the immeasurable wealth of his legacy; one of courage and honor.
My mother is also a hero. She was left alone with seven children to care for. I can’t explain how she did it except to say that she had faith. She was a woman of deep faith in God . To me, she exemplified all the characteristics of a Christian, Love and forgiveness. Unfortunately, there is not enough time and space to go into my brothers and sisters.Today, I thank God for adversities. They have made me who I am.
I have a real sense of what is Justice.In 1971 my sister and I, the two youngest, migrated to New York. My brother André, the eldest, continued to reside in Haiti. Baby Doc, Jean Claude Duvalier and his macoutes abducted André and two of his friends. For close to 6 years he was in Fort Dimanche, never having been charged of having committed a crime. He was close to death when, under international political pressure, Duvalier was forced to release André, his friend Patrick Lemoine, and several other political prisoners.
CARL.- Judge, I almost had your father’s fate in the Fort Dimanche dungeon in June 1959. Unfortunately I never met your brother André. But the book of my friend Patrick Lemoine, "Fort Dimanche, Dungeon of Death," is a " vivid testimony of the most horrendous kind of mental and physical cruelties that we can inflict upon our fellow man," as so eloquently stated by Jonathan Demme, filmmaker and producer of "The Agronomist," about the life and murder of Haiti's most famous journalist Jean Dominique.
Patrick Lemoine dedicated me his book "Fort Dimanche, Dungeon of Death," as follows: " To Carl, a page of our history that we both know too well. Fraternally, Patrick, December 5, 2001."
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Carl, I grew up in New York. Went to public schools. I have no complaints. I was surrounded by people who nurtured and loved me constantly and unconditionally. Even though we were not well to do, I lacked nothing. What I lacked, I did not know I was lacking it so it did not matter. I graduated from High School and went to a Community College. My major was Marketing. It is there I decided to pursue a legal career.
In my senior year of college, I was arrested for a crime I did not commit. That experience, coupled with all the injustices my family had suffered, convinced me that I had to be a Public Defender. A defender of the less fortunate of society. I went to Hofstra University School of Law with that as my mission. Upon graduation in 1986, I joined the Office of the Public Defender in Miami, Florida, where I spent approximately 10 years of my professional life. There, I gained invaluable experience and insight into the justice system.
In October of 2001, Governor Jeb Bush appointed me County Court Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County. I took the Bench in November of that same year.
CARL.- Fred Séraphin, how the last 10 years of your carreer, as a "Public Defender," have helped you in filling your duties as a judge?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Carl, as an Assistant Public Defender I was able to learn first hand the intricacies of the justice system. I was in court almost every single day. So the courtroom, the courthouse is like home. I also had the benefit of interacting, to some degree, with the different parties involved in the criminal justice area. At different times, I had to deal with the Defendant, his or her family, the Judge, the Prosecutor, Police Officers, Crime Victims, the Victims, family, etc. I developed a deep understanding of how an action, an act can affect people.
CARL.- Judge, what were the major different obstacles that you have encountered during the previous three years of your career?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- The learning curve is very high. I am still learning. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning. I don’t really think of obstacles, just challenges that have to be met. I do the best I can every day.
CARL.- Judge Fred Séraphin, let's be open about it. Coming from a visible minority how do you feel about being a judge?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Carl, I think it is a wonderful opportunity to serve not just as a Judge, but as role model for the youth of this community. I never dreamed of becoming a Judge simply because I never saw or heard of an African American nor of a Judge of Haitian heritage. For this reason, I want to be the example I did not have when I was growing up.
My race and where I come from are relevant only to show those who have negative stereotypical views of Haitians and of others of African descent are wrong. When given a chance, we can do the job as well as anyone else. My decisions are based on laws and facts.
CARL.- You have a heavy responsibility that you are filing with competency and dignity. The Haitian community is proud of you. You are actually in the middle of your electoral campaign, are you counting on the Haitian vote?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Yes, I am counting on, not only the Haitian vote, but on every vote.
CARL.- Do you aspire to become a Judge at the court of Appeal in the future?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- No, not now anyway.
CARL.- Do you have other political ambitions for the future?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Carl, frankly, I do not think I would make a good politician.
CARL.- Judge, from your experience with the law, what message would you like to pass along to the Haitian community primarily and actually to all of us in this multi-ethnic city which is Miami?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- Take the time to learn as much as you can about the law. The more you know, the less likely you’ll be taken advantage of. How can you exercise your rights if you don’t know them? If you are in business, take a business law class. If you are a landlord or a tenant, read The Landlord Tenant Act. Understand your rights and obligations. Be prepared to argue your position. It is not like you are trying to find life on Mars; but, the Law, the justice system, while not impossible, is not easy.
CARL.- Good advice and to the point. Fred, what are your chances of winning this judicial seat in the elections of August 2004?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- I have every reason to believe it will be a successful campaign. I have been blessed with a great deal of support. This goes across gender, race, religion, and nationality. None of this is my doing.
CARL.- Judge Séraphin, I can attest to that. With all the excitement as usual in most elections, you are, with all due respect, "the coolest cat on the block." Do you have a last word for your fans, friends, and the voters in general?
JUDGE FRED SÉRAPHIN.- My life in short is similar to that of so many from Haiti and other parts of the world. My family came to the U.S.A. seeking refuge from political violence and for economic opportunities. I have defined to us, Séraphins , as Political Refugees and economic Refugees.
Everything happens for a reason. I look back at times and realize that all the bad and all the good things together have served to prepare me for the position I occupy today.
I hope that my story will serve to inspire others.
CARL.- Thank you judge Fred Séraphin for your time. It has been an honor, a privilege, and a delight to interview such a pleasant, capable, and popular personality as yourself in the Miami-Dade community. All the best.