The Daily Business Review is reporting that William E. Dellow, Jr., a Miami-Dade general magistrate, has resigned from the judicial position that he has held for 22 years. He is accused of making racial slurs to an Assistant State Attorney. Two years ago, Dellow was disciplined due to a sexual harassment claim brought by a colleague and moved from the family division where he heard divorce cases to the child support division. The sudden departure of this general magistrate leaves 400 child support cases up in the air while Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Circuit Judge Sandy Karlan are trying to solve this alarming problem.
Judges appoint members of The Florida Bar as general magistrates. The court is required to enter an order of referral to a general magistrate and obtain the consent of all parties. If your divorce attorney in Ft. Lauderdale objects to a matter being referred to the general magistrate, the matter must be heard by the judge assigned to the case. A general magistrate conducts hearings, hears testimony and reviews evidence. After the hearing, the general magistrate is required to file a report which contains factual findings, conclusions of law and recommendations. Either party may file exceptions to the report of a general magistrate within a specified time period which are ultimately reviewed by the divorce judge assigned to the case. Absent timely exceptions, the report of the general magistrate is generally adopted and ratified by the court.