By Dixie Black
At age 21 Kaysia Earley was about to walk across the stage and graduate from college. She was born to a Jamaican father and an American mother and was set to become the first member of her family to graduate from college. Instead, she found herself facing a jail sentence for a felony. She had been working at a popular shoe store and was charged with giving unauthorized discounts to her friends. She was found guilty of embezzlement and faced a possible three-year sentence. To make matters worse, Kaysia was pregnant with her first child. The judge allowed her to attend her graduation from Howard University in Washington, DC. Once the jail found she was pregnant they offered her solitary confinement to accommodate the pregnancy. In all that shame, embarrassment, and stress one thing stood out for Earley: her Public Defender did not utter a word in her defense.
“My lawyer didn’t have anything to say. He just stood there waiting for the judge to sentence me. The Public Defender did nothing! And that’s what inspired me to become a lawyer.”
Earley added, “The many hours in solitary confinement were a time for me to reflect, take responsibility and show the world that I’m going to do better.”
At the end of her sentence, she married the father of her child, and they both gave their lives to Christ. Earley made good on her promise to herself and earned her law degree from St. Thomas University in 2013, but she still had more hurdles to cross. She had to prove to the Florida Bar that she had been rehabilitated, (a requirement of those who had committed crimes involving money).
“I had to go before a five-member panel of lawyers to show that I possess the requisite character and fitness to be sworn in as a member of the Bar.” She explained that her young son volunteered to write a letter on his mother’s behalf. She had not asked him to, but her son wrote a letter that made her cry. Earley credits that letter from a ten-year-old describing his mother as being a pivotal piece of evidence in her defense. She presented it, along with many other letters from other character witnesses and her many hours of community service, to convince the panel that she deserved a shot at being a lawyer. She watched the lawyers’ body language change as they read her son’s letter. In that moment she was exonerated. She set to work.
Her son is now almost eighteen years old. Earley and her husband now have four children along with her thriving law practice.
“I am a double minority [Black and female] in a White dominated profession. You have to be ten times better, never have a day off. We are presumed incompetent no matter how competent we are.”
In the eight years since she began practicing law, Earley has earned the title of “Community Advocate.” She has tried over 100 jury and non-jury trials and secured over 250 dismissals. She reports having the most trials in fourteen months and calls herself the hardest working lawyer in the courtroom. She is Broward County’s Women of Tomorrow 2022 Mentor of the Year. She is listed in The National Black Lawyers, “Top 40 under 40” in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. She notes that she was so successful that it got around in the jail and “Kaysia Earley became the go-to female that got everyone out of jail.”
Why then is a successful lawyer challenging a twelve-year incumbent for the seat of judge (judicial candidate group 26)?
“It is definitely not for the money. I make more money at my law firm.” Earley explains.
She cites the lack of advocacy, and racial disparity in the criminal justice system as a reason. She wants to positively affect the disproportionate effect the criminal justice system has on people of color.
“I am a community advocate. There are 90 judges in Broward County, twelve are Black and I believe only six are women.” She adds,
“I was tired of complaining. That’s why I’m running.”
Just as importantly, she has discovered the power of her own story.
“Once incarcerated, society has a way of not letting you forget.
“People were inspired not by how many cases I tried, but by the fact I was arrested and still managed to succeed. It is a story of redemption. I am not running from my past. I am running because of it.”
But will her success in getting folks off make her soft on crime?
Earley explains that her experience has given her a better perspective. She credits her time in jail as the reason for her own success.
“Sometimes incarceration is the best answer for deterrence. Incarceration is only bad when it’s unequally applied.”
“If you do the crime, you do the time. It’s deterrence coupled with accountability through various forms of punishment.”
At the end of the day, Earley sees the responsibility of a judge as much more than sentencing. She sees it as a platform to advocate for fairness toward minorities and all people. She also sees it as a position from which one can and should inspire those caught in the system to fight, work hard and to find the greatness within themselves.
Her parting words are a reminder:
“My name is Kaysia Earley and I’m asking everyone to vote early for Earley”
Early voting runs August 13 through 20th. Primary Election is August 23, 2022.
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