Monthly Archives: January 2004

The Florida Taliban saga continues: Rev. Dozier further displays his total unsuitability to hold any position of public trust, much less one that involves selecting judges. Unfortunately, the Miami Herald buries the story inside the metro section at the end of a “roundup” article with an irrelevant headline.

And Gov. Jeb Bush says he has no intention of removing Rev. Dozier from the judicial selection committee:

“I need someone who is a Christian to tell my story,” began the Pompano Beach pastor and member of a powerful judicial screening committee.

The Rev. O'Neal Dozier was responding to questions about his role on Broward's Judicial Nominating Commission, which interviews applicants and makes recommendations to the governor. As detailed in a recent Daily Business Review article, some attorneys have been unnerved by Dozier's inquiries into their religious beliefs and parenting duties.

Dozier, who was appointed to the nine-member committee by Gov. Jeb Bush, acknowledged that he has asked applicants if they are “God-fearing.” He said he stopped asking the question after an attorney complained, but added: “The citizens deserve someone on the bench who loves God.”

He also said he did ask a single mother with twins about juggling domestic and judicial responsibilities. But he said the question was misinterpreted as showing bias.

State Rep. Dan Gelber, an attorney, has asked Bush to examine Dozier's qualification process. He said the governor should remove Dozier if he is asking inappropriate questions.

“That chills qualified people from applying, and if it is true, the governor needs to act quickly,” said Gelber, a Miami Beach Democrat.

Dozier said he had been contacted by the governor's office and that Bush will not remove him.

Dozier went on to blame the “homosexual community” for the dust-up and called homosexuality an “abomination.”

But he said an applicant's sexual orientation would not influence his vote on the judicial nominating commission.

“Let the world know,” he said, “the Rev. O'Neal Dozier loves the homosexuals the same way he loves the fornicators, the adulterers, the thieves and the liars.”

Actually, the term “Florida Taliban” may be unfair. Rev. Dozier really reminds me more of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah al-Uzma Hajj Seyed Ali Khamenei.