Headline Surfer multimedia - Video and display photo illustration endorsing Anne Marie Gennusa for Public Defender.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Billed at a towering 6 feet 7 with 22-inch pythons (biceps), Hulk Hogan back in the day was a larger-than-life super hero to all his little Hulkamaniacs - encouraging them to say their prayers and eat their vitamins - before he'd climb into the squared-circle and pummel the likes of The Iron Sheik or Nikolai Volkoff (RIP), who sang the Russian national anthem (in real life he was Yugoslavian by way of Canada).
This was the 1980s after all, Cold War and all, and the then-WWF (now WWE) had partnered up with MTV for the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" with Hogan as the face of professional wrestling - complete with entrance music in Real American by rocker Rick Derringer.
Anne Marie Gennusa, who stands barely 5-feet tall (even wearing 2-inch heels) would never be confused for the immortal Hulk Hogan, though, she too, is tough as nails in a court of law -- truly one of the best criminal defense attorneys this side of Orlando. After all, she cut her teeth as an assistant public defender in the Bronx before establishing Gennusa Law in St Augustine 21 years ago.
So what does Gennusa have to do with Hulk Hogan and the zany world of pro wrestling? Well, like Hogan, she, too, is a "Real American," as suggested in the chorus of Derringer's song:
I am a real American fight for the rights of every man, I'm a real American, fight for what's right fight, for your life!
This is exactly what Gennusa has done for nearly a quarter-of-a-century in Central - and North-Florida courtrooms on behalf of her clients - fight for the rights of every man (and woman) - who has has retained her service. For the most part, those clients were more than pleased with Gennusa's legal representation.
This is exactly what Gennusa has done for nearly a quarter-of-a-century in Central - and North-Florida courtrooms on behalf of her clients - fight for the rights of every man (and woman) - who has has retained her service. For the most part, those clients were more than pleased with Gennusa's legal representation.
Gennusa is one of three registered Republicans running for the elected office of Public defender 7th Circuit, which encompasses four counties - Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns - collectively larger than the state of Rhode Island. Her opponents are George Burden and Matt Metz. The three are squaring off in the Aug. 18 Primary with early voting already under way in all four counties.
The Public Defender, headquartered in Daytona Beach at the S. James Foxman Justice Center, 251 North Ridgewood Ave., oversees 134 employees (including 85 attorneys or assistant public defenders) located in the four counties, with management of 30,000 client files, and funded by a $13 million budget. There is no incumbent in this race with Public Defender Jim Purdy retiring at year's end after 16 years in office. The public defender serves four-year terms and is paid $169,554 annually.
All registered voters in the circuit can vote in the Public Defender's race in the Aug. 18 primary, regardless of party affiliation. That's because there are no Democrats or Non-Partisan Affiliation candidates in the race. One of the three - Burden, Gennusa or Metz - will be declared the winner after all of the votes cast in the primary are counted, even if the top vote-getter receives less than 50 percent of the votes. In addition to voting in person during early voting or on primary day, mail-in ballot voting is expected to be a big part of the voting process in this primary in all four counties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the candidates and our endorsement of Gennusa
George Burden and Matt Metz both work at the Public Defender’s office while Anne Marie Gennusa owns her own law firm, Gennusa Law in St. Augustine. Of the three, Gennusa is by far the choice of Headline Surfer for Public Dender in the Aug. 18 primary with an honorable mention for Burden. But make no mistake about it: Anne Marie Gennusa is the endorsed candidate of Headline Surfer for the elected office of Public Defender in the 7th Judicial Circuit for Volusia, Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties in the Aug. 18 primary.
Burden, 62, of Daytona Beach, and the father of four sons, has been employed with the Public Defender's Office for three decades, is a former two-term elected Daytona Beach city commissioner, and is endorsed by Glenn Ritchey, former Daytona Beach mayor and owner of several car dealerships.
Burden is a division chief who heads up the capital-appeals division. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University and is a veteran of the US Air Force. He is in the Florida Retirement DROP program, but said if he's elected, he will bot have to resign when the drop is completed two years from now.
Burden's legal experience ranges from misdemeanors to capital offenses, from first appearances to arguing 41 cases before Florida’s Supreme Court.
Gennusa, 53, was an assistant public defender with the Public Dender's Office in the Bronx, N.Y., for a couple of years after earning her JD degree from Temple University School of Law, before relocating to Florida and starting up Gennusa Law in St. Augustine 21 years ago, specializing in divorce and criminal law defense. Gennusa is married with five children.
Gennusa is endorsed by State Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast, and State Rep. Cindi Stevenson, R-St. Augustine. Gennusa is the endorsed candidate of Headline Surfer.
Metz, 34, of Daytona Beach, who received his J.D. degree from Florida State University, is the felony-division chief with the Public Defender's Office. He has been with the PD's office since college. He is married with two children.
Metz is endorsed by Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and District 4 County Councilwoman Heather Post, who is seeking re-election in November. Metz has not acknowledged Post's endorsement on his social media pages and with good reason: Her veracity and her campaign opponent Barbara Bonarrigo's reaction to her veracity.
The Metz name may be familiar to the voters as Matt Metz' mother is Claire Metz, a longtime reporter with WESH-Ch. 2 Orlando, who frequently reports on the goings on in the Sheriff's Office with Chitwood as a staple in front of the camera.
Matt Metz has drawn the ire of GOP insiders such as Toni Wright, widow of Tony Ledbetter, who was chair of the Volusia GOP executive committee and a Trump campaigner. Wright shot a video snippet of Metz five days ago in which he said he wasn't sure yet whether he will vote for Trump in November.
Gennusa copied Wright's potentially damning post to her own Facebook campaign page.
Anne Marie Gennusa a real-life Lady Justice
Gennusa brings not only a wealth of experience as a candidate for the office of Public Defender, she is the only woman in the race.
The Public Defender's Office here in Daytona Beach has never had a woman at the helm.
And the Public defender's Office has few minority assistant public defenders.
There is only one Black woman, one Black man, and one Hispanic man, who are assistant public defenders with the office.
Gennusa wants to increase the number of non-white men and women within the ranks of the assistant public defenders.
"The office needs to recruit more African-American and Hispanic law school grads who have passed the Florida Bar exam to work for the Public Defender," Gennusa said. "That would be one of my biggest priorities."
Justice is supposed to be blind, but far too often in Florida's courtrooms, non-white individuals assigned a public defender and facing criminal charges, see a white judge, white prosecutor, an all-white jury and yes, a white public defender. Gennusa wants to change the look within the PD ranks, but knows it won't be easy. She is tough, but fair in her dealings in the courtroom; ethics and experience foundational in her approach.
Gennusa is experienced in the courtroom and beyond. Consider:
• She has devoted thousands of hours of free legal work to the poor, elderly, veterans and disabled citizens here in the Sunshine State.
• She has served as the president of the Creekside High School Athletic Booster Club, volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters, served as vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce working to expand and help local businesses. Anne Marie has volunteered her time to make our community a better place.
• She has been making the tough calls for years as a small business owner: Created budgets, funded her business, hired and fired employees. She has been responsible for the day to day operation of multiple businesses. While being a successful business owner she has had the ultimate responsibility as a mother to her children.
So please remember this line when you cast your vote: I am a real American - fight for the rights of every man; I'm a real American, fight for what's right, fight for your life... Headline Surfer is proud to endorse Anne Marie Gennusa, a Real American, for Public Defender 7th Judicial circuit in the Aug. 18 primary.
So please remember this line when you cast your vote: I am a real American - fight for the rights of every man; I'm a real American, fight for what's right, fight for your life...
Headline Surfer is proud to endorse Anne Marie Gennusa, a Real American, for Public Defender 7th Judicial circuit in the Aug. 18 primary.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.