11 in '11: Judges

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Flagler County’s wrongdoers’ lives are in the hands of Raul Zambrano, Sharon Atack and Dennis Craig.

With Judge Kim C. Hammond officially retired, the new senior judge at the Justice Center is Sharon B. Atack, who has been the Flagler County judge for 16 years. That means she’ll be able to bully around 7th Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano, who has been in his position for five years.

But according to Zambrano, she already does that.

“She steals my cookies,” he said.

Once the robes are put on, Zambrano and Atack are all business, but that doesn’t mean they lose their personalities.

Sharon B. Atack
“She’s very charming,” Zambrano said of Atack, who handles misdemeanors and small claims. “You can use charm, especially in her court. You’ve got to have a compassionate personality, one that makes people feel at ease, because everyone who walks into a courtroom is nervous … She lets them know this isn’t the end of the world, and she takes care of their case in a gentle fashion.”

Attorney Michael Chiumento III said Atack is efficient.

“She does a good job of helping the parties get to an answer quickly, without getting caught up in long-lasting embroiled litigation,” he said.

Raul Zambrano
Atack said Zambrano, who handles felonies and child dependency court, is a hard worker.

“He never shirks a duty … I’m sure the people who appear in front of him … think, This person isn’t just going through the motions.”

Another Flagler attorney, Marc Dwyer, said Zambrano is fair.

“He’s the type of judge that every lawyer wants, which is someone who reliably makes decisions based on the law,” Dwyer said. “That’s all you can ever ask from a judge.”

Impact of the economy
And, along with new 7th Circuit Judge Dennis Craig, Zambrano and Atack will have a major impact on the residents of the county in 2011.

Atack said: “What we notice in all aspects of our courts is the bad economic time is putting stressors on folks in a way that it hasn’t before. It’s manifested in something as small as a person who can’t pay their traffic ticket, and now they’re driving on a suspended license, to perhaps being frustrated they can’t buy Christmas presents and taking it out on their children.”

Zambrano added: “If you have a strong marriage, and you add money problems to it, it generally weakens it. It destroys it. And that’s what I see. I see a lot people arguing when there’s no money left.

In such difficult circumstances, Dwyer said the county is in capable hands.

“The public wants to know they’re going to get a fair shake when they come into court,” Dwyer said. “Somebody’s going to win, and somebody’s going to lose. But if you can say, ‘I lost because of the law,’ you have confidence in your justice system.”

SHARON B. ATACK

Age: 64
Title: Flagler County Judge
Number: 14 — years her husband, William Atack, served in the same position

RAUL ZAMBRANO

Age: 47
Title: 7th Circuit Court Judge
Number: 35 — minutes of commuting each day from his Port
Orange home

DENNIS CRAIG
Age: 50
Title: 7th Circuit Court Judge
Number: 9:59 — record time for the 2,000 meter run in the Police Olympics

After he won the election to replace Judge Kim C. Hammond as the Flagler-resident 7th Circuit Court Judge, Dennis Craig was looking forward to some time to relax with his family. He had a few weeks with nothing scheduled. Then, everything changed.

Craig’s daughter, Natasha, was 16 years old and had a long medical history. During a hospital stay following Craig’s win, Natasha died. And it wasn’t the first time Craig’s family has been struck with tragedy: In 1997, Natasha’s twin sister died at 2 years old.

“The best thing for me in processing my grief is to be able to work,” Craig said. “That’s how I feel. I don’t know how it’s going to work for me this time, but that’s how it worked for me last time.”

Craig, who had been practicing law with the State Attorney’s Office, has relocated to Palm Coast. Here, despite the large workload, he plans to be active in the community.

Craig has three surviving children: Ashton, 13; Ayden, 11; and Summer, 1. He said he hopes to be able to help coach his children’s sports teams.

“I’m looking forward to the new job, my new circumstance, and to working very hard, not just professionally, but personally,” Craig said.