JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Almost two dozen protesters circled the Duval County courthouse.
Long lines of cars honking their horns with signs like "no justice no peace."
Here’s a look at the motorcade demonstration. Activists groups are calling for Jacksonville attorney Michael Kalil to step down from his new position as a circuit judge. The Florida Bar is investigating this case @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/hpFRBHJoj6
— Alicia Tarancon (@AliciaANJax) May 12, 2020
The Northside Coalition and the NAACP are calling for Michael Kalil to step down.
Demonstrators don’t believe it was fair how he was able to secure his position without an election and without any opposition.
"We think that judges should be elected and not appointed especially not when it’s obviously arranged. We think they’re cheating, and we don’t like cheating," Steve Reedberry, a demonstrator, said.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, April 24 was the deadline to file qualifying documents to run for circuit judge — the same day Kalil filed documents with the state to run in group 8.
Civil rights groups are calling for Micheal Kalil to step down from his new position as a circuit judge. Ahead at 4 p.m. what demonstrators say needs to be done in order for this to be fair @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/h9DXerhBUn
— Alicia Tarancon (@AliciaANJax) May 12, 2020
It also received a letter from Judge Tyrie Boyer dated April 23 announcing his withdrawal in seeking group 8 reelection.
Ben Frazier, with the Northside Coalition, organized the demonstration.
He told Action News Jax the last-minute filing by Kalil and Boyer left less than two hours for anyone else to join the race.
"It was a last-minute filing. We want to make it perfectly clear how we feel about it. We think it doesn’t pass the smell test. What happened in that last-minute filing is perfectly clear to anyone that has sense of truth, justice and fair play," Frazier said.
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Two weeks ago, attorney Rhonda Peoples-Waters told Action News Jax she would have filed to run if she had known sooner that Boyer had planned to retire.
"She went through what she had to do. She went through the classes. She went through the training. She put her work in to be a judge and that should be what she should be," Patricia Ward, a demonstrator, said.
The Florida Bar is investigating.
Action News Jax contacted Kalil’s office Boyer.
We’re still waiting to hear back from them.
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