Remember this guy?

Flashback to the aftermath of the presidential election in Florida. This was Judge Charles Burton, the chairman of the Palm Beach County Canvassing Board and a life-long Democrat, who was seen on millions of television screens day after day as he and his cohorts tried to divine a voter’s intent from examining hanging chads, dimpled chads and random dents and scratches on punch cards.

At the time I figured Burton for a partisan Democrat, attempting to discover Gore votes where none really existed. I wasn’t alone.

Then I watched the Gore lawyers challenge the Bush win in Judge N. Sanders Sauls court. (I was lucky in that I was at home and was able to watch the entire trial.) Judge Sauls was impressive. David Boies (lead attorney for Gore) was slimy. Barry Richard (lead attorney for Bush, I think) was forgettable.

But when Judge Burton testified, he left a memory that will never fade. He was honest and sincere. I could see the doubts that assailed the man, doubts about the process and the results. I empathized with him, understanding what a difficult ordeal the recount process, how exhausting to have had so much responsibility — a responsibility to truth and justice that he undertook willingly and with great seriousness. He took pains to try and make everyone understand the truth of the matter.

At that moment I came to believe that he was a man with high ethical values and a dogged determination to find the truth. I even found an email address for him and sent him a message, thanking him for his efforts, a Republican to a trusted Democrat.

Therefore, I am pleased to see that Gov. Jeb Bush has appointed Judge Burton to the Circuit Court bench:

Burton moves into a new spot on the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, one of 55 judicial positions created statewide during the 2005 legislative session, Bush spokeswoman Deena Reppen said. Burton will assume his new position Nov. 1, Kroll said.

Burton spent 11 years as a prosecutor in State Attorney Barry Krischer’s office, leaving for a five-year stint as a civil attorney before returning as a prosecutor and eventually heading up the Crimes Against Children unit. He has been a county judge since May 2000.

Congratulations, Judge Burton.