Judge Perez to Join Tew Cardenas

The likable and able Judge Jorge Perez has announced that he is leaving the bench and joining Tom Tew's firm:

A financial decision, says Perez, appointed in '03 by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. Perez, 44, has a son in college and a 6-year-old boy in private school, and cares for his 72-year-old mother, a retired physician. Wife Maria, 45, an attorney, is now a stay-at-home mom.

''As much as I love this job, I'm the sole support for my family,'' says Perez, who earns $145,080 as a jurist.

He'll receive a ''substantial increase'' in salary at his new job, says Thomas Tew, senior partner.

Other big firms pursued Perez, Tew says. ``He was given a fraternity rush by a lot of players.''

This is a loss for the bench, and his financial reasons are justifiable.

Still, didn't he have all of those same financial pressures in 2003 when he sought and obtained Governor Bush's appointment?

Tew's firm, still reeling from the loss of Mark Raymond to Broad & Cassel, could use Perez to fill in some of the gaps. Let's hope Tom stays healthy -- has he been grooming any successors?