MIAMI JUDGE RIC MARGOLIUS HAS PASSED AWAY

 

Sad news to report that retired REGJB Judge Ric Margolius a/k/a Ric Zweig has passed away. 

This is a complicated obituary to write. Much like Jimmy Carter, Ric Margolius accomplished a lot when he left the bench. A music career that earned him accolades and in which he donated profits of CDs to charity.  Click here and here. 

When he returned to the REGJB to do some coverage, he was, well, a character. We once saw security stop him in a back hallway, sure the person they were seeing did not belong there. 

Ric Margolius started his career as a public defender. He served on the bench during a time when there was not 24/7 scrutiny and exposure of every little thing a person does. To put it politely he did not suffer fools lightly. His manner in court could be caustic, cantankerous, or just ornery. He would not get high marks on Judicial Temperament. 

But that means he called it as he saw it. He was not afraid to lambast a prosecutor who was stepping over bounds or hiding behind a "victim wants max" mantra. He wanted to see justice done. And he was not beyond giving a defendant a good old-fashioned dressing-down when they pled guilty to a crime. 

But there was obviously another side to him, and his life after the bench, spent making music and working for charities speaks a lot to the heart he had and his desire to make Miami a better place than he found it. 

We are certain we will not see his like again in our courthouse. He spoke his mind freely, and did what he thought was right, regardless of the consequences or who was offended. 

 He was certainly one of a kind.  May he rest in peace. 

CITRA REGISTE JOSEPH HAS PASSED AWAY

UPDATE: This young woman, who passed away way too young leaves a family. We know we just asked, but if you can....

Go Fund me     for Citra Registe Joseph. 

Erian White shared the sad news of the passing of Attorney Citra Registe Joseph. We did not know  her. She has passed much too young.   

Good Morning All,

I wanted to share with you that Citra Registe Joseph (former ASA) has passed away from T-Cell Lymphoma.

I'm not sure if any of you ever got the opportunity to work with her but Citra was easily the most honest and well meaning prosecutor I have ever come across. She was also my Sorority sister and friend. 

She will be missed dearly. If anyone is interested or wishes to support her family during this time, the details for her arrangements are below.

THE START OF OUR FINEST HOUR

UPDATE. We asked and you delivered.  As of Wednesday morning the Go Fund me account for Greg Gonzalez raised over $50,000.00  Thank you.  We criticize a lot,  but the people who work in the REGJB and the Miami criminal law community are the best in the nation. Thank you for caring about a great man who needed our support.  

July 16, 1969 was the culmination of a decade of work that would result in America's finest hour four days later.  The 1960's, and 1969, and Apollo was a time when petty people didn't cancel government programs because some other president started the process. Kennedy started the quest for the moon, Johnson continued it, and Nixon made sure NASA had the funds to carry the ball over the goal line. 

It was a time when science mattered and was respected. When the laws of physics governed whether a rocket carrying Americans could get into space, leave earth orbit, transit space, enter lunar orbit, land on the moon, and then do it all in reverse and return safely. Prayer didn't get Aldrin and Armstrong to the Moon, science and hard work did, along with tens of thousands of government workers who did not have to fear being fired for doing their jobs. 

The moon landing is the ultimate intersection of government support and capitalism. Only the United States of America had the entrepreneurial spirit to produce men and women who could design a plan to land two people on the moon and return them safely.  Fifty-six years later, we are still the only nation on earth to do so. It was a time when competence, science, and intelligence mattered. How times have changed. Sadly. 

But enjoy the liftoff. And you can best expect our nerdy 1202 Alarm post on July 20. 

MONDAY FUNDAY

 Good Monday morning. Let us help you denizens of the REGJB who are making that long, slow slog from the parking lot to the courthouse in 90+ degree heat with 101% humidity - and for those of you whose pronouns are him/he- wearing a jacket and tie (which is lunacy if you think about it) start the week on a good note.

Monday is National Mac and Cheese Day! 

Homemade is best, but when you're not feeling well, Kraft Mac from a box works fine. We like ours simple and plain. Make mac and cheese great again. MMACGA! We will tolerate some breadcrumbs toasted on top, especially at Thanksgiving. What we do not like is lobster mac and cheese. It is too rich. What we do love, which is rapidly disappearing, is a homemade mac and cheese served as a side at a southern eatery. 

We used to have one of those in Miami. The S&S cafe, which was a historic "meat and two sides" classic southern diner.  Wednesdays (we think?) was Turkey Day. In the doldrums of August you could go and get a roast turkey plate with stuffing, mac and cheese, and collard greens and dream of a cooler November. We went for decades on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was like a warm-up for the big day- and the tureky was often better. It was a great place to fuel up in the mornings before court. Our favourite? The creamed asparagus on toast. It may have been the last place in the US serving that dish.  The waitresses worked there 30 and 40 years and knew all the judges and lawyers and the latest courthouse gossip. We would leave a large tip for the staff every December. It was like a family, and we miss the S&S, but alas, as we often say, change is the price of survival. 

And finally, take our strong recommendation on this.  We are a well-known bibliophile. Audio Books are a distant second, reserved for those long drives we used to take to try cases in Deland, Florida (practice tip- avoid taking cases in Deland). 

But you MUST get and listen to Project Hail Mary, by our friend Andy Weir. Weir wrote the surprise best seller novella The Martian more than a decade ago (and the movie isn't bad either). His subsequent projects were mostly a miss. Then this- Project Hail Mary. And here is the thing, the audio book is the way to go for reasons we cannot explain without spoiling the plot. It is a great story and one of the very unique ones that is better being told than read- and the narrator Ray Porter is absolutely perfect for the story- inflecting humor, panic, sadness- feelings that are more powerful when you hear them. 

Do yourself a favor. Find some cool shade, get a tall glass of iced tea, stretch out, close your eyes and prepare to be taken on a wonderful journey. You can thank us later. 

GREG GONZALEZ

UPDATE:  They are at $30,000.00 in just over two days of opening the go fund me account and us posting it on this blog. It is an absolutely wonderful response and speaks so well about the hearts of the people in our REGJB community. BUT, we are going to ask you to consider digging a little deeper. We can get this to $50,000.00. If you have friends who are civil lawyers (and yeah, it's hard to be friends with those people, we get it) tell them what is going on and ask them to donate. If you sent $100, then skip Starbucks this week and send another $25. We are asking a lot, and we have no business doing so, other than we have a friend who we know would have been the first to contribute if this had been anyone else. If you know Greg, then you know he would have dug deep and spread the word. Let's do the same for him. Thank you. We never ask. We are asking now. 

HR

We have rarely done this.

  
Many of you know that Greg Gonzalez has battled a deadly brain tumor for the past several years. We have now sadly learned that he has entered hospice care and a go fund me account has been set up for him to receive palliative care at home.  We urge you to donate. 

 https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gregs-palliative-care-journey?modal=share&source=fundraiser+sticky+footer

Greg was a fixture at the REGJB for decades. He truly was a person who always had a smile on his face. He was the first person to volunteer to help someone - a lawyer or a client.  He was instrumental in supporting the creation of the Veterans Court because Greg served our country as Airborne.  Like his military service, he was often first in on a difficult case or when a lawyer asked for help. 

We cannot think of a better person who deserves an outpouring of love and respect for the life he has lived. If you can, please send something. Let him know that we all support him, as he has supported us with his military service and friendship.  
Thank you. 

UPDATE the list of names of people who have generously donated is so heartwarming.  Judges. Former judges. REGJB support staff. Prosecutors. Pds. Regional Counsel. Defense attorneys. It’s amazing. Sometimes we can all come together and help a friend in need. From the bottom of my heart I thank you one and all for stepping up and showing that in many ways our courthouse is special and we are a family of brothers and sisters that help each other.  

I BEFORE E EXCEPT AFTER T(RUMP)

 The president sent out letters earlier this week to various heads of state informing them of pending tariffs. Unfortunately, grammar matters. 

GATORS

 

(This is the way some judges look to us on a rough Monday morning.) 

Florida’s newly infamous Alligator Alcatraz is open. Channel Six here has a report on conditions. 

Leamsy Izquierdo, also known as Leamsy La Figura, a self-described Cuban urban artist, was arrested for a violent incident and has been at the detention center out in the Everglades since Friday. “There is no water here to bathe,” he told Telemundo 51, adding it’s been four days since he showered. He believes there are about 400 people inside the facility. “They give you food only once a day, food that even has worms in it,” Izquierdo said.

This is wonderful. No great nation wants to be known for humanely treating its prisoners. Be like North Korea and Iran!” Should be our motto. 

If you scan social media, there’s dozens of interviews popping up with immigrants who voted for the president only to now find out that the government is now seeking to deport them and/or a family member.

Which leads us to this Rumpole maxim 

Be careful what you ask for in life; you may get it.