JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL RICHARD E GERSTEIN JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE BUILDING RUMOR, HUMOR, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT AND BETWEEN THE JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT STAFF, CLERKS, COURT REPORTERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORLD OF MIAMI'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE. POST YOUR COMMENTS, OR SEND RUMPOLE A PRIVATE EMAIL AT HOWARDROARK21@GMAIL.COM. Winner of the prestigious Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

DISCOURSE

We received this comment on the election today:

Rumpole, it is obvious that you are an Anglo Bigot. Those Hispanic Judges you mention from the past were the token Hispanics at that time. Sort of what the establishment is doing now with the African-American Judges, i.e., McWhorter and Francis who we all know stink. (Well, Francis not as much as McWhorter.) You are playing the game of numbers. Soon, the Anglos will become the token pieces in this game. Also, as you know, Merit Retention will never pass. Well, at least not until Hispanics are seated in 85 or more of the Judicial Seats in Miami-Dade County. Thus, if you do not like it, go north my pal. Your days, I mean, hours are numbered. Ger ready for a avalanche of new Judges and continuation of Pando and Hernandez on the bench. Yes, the two Judges who never bow down to Slom or anyone else at the Court. They are free thinkers unlike your so called Exceptionally Qualified losers who will cry and not get any sleep tonight.

RUMPOLE RESPONDS: We have thought about this awhile, because your oh so thoughtful comment merits a serious reply.

Dear Ignoramus: What high school committed the negligent, nay, criminal act, of giving you a diploma? You call us a bigot? A bigot is a person who discriminates based on a specific characteristic. First, you slander the good names of great Judges. Federal Judge Jose Gonzalez was a “token appointment’? You disgrace his good name, his outstanding intellect, and his first rate judicial demeanor by calling his appointment a “token” act. Second, you make mention of a certain magic number of 85 Hispanics on the bench. Clearly, Hispanics are just a number to you. You care not if the person is of good character, intelligent, fair, just, hard working, and deserving of power over a defendant’s liberty, if not his life. You only care that the Judge is Hispanic.
Who here is the bigot?

There is a certain place for hell in you, and I am kind enough to tell you what it is in advance.

You will be in court one day. You will be accused of something you didn’t do, or be sued for some alleged act of negligence. You will need a fair judge, not someone who is easily influenced by the media, or popular public opinion. And instead, you will get a Judge with a last name you like, who will proceed to eviscerate you and throw your life on the trash heap of public opinion. And then you will know what it means to select Judges on the basis of quality, and not race.

We will have no sympathy for you. (Although for the proper fee, we will handle your appeal.)


Another, more thoughtful reader, had this to say:

Rumpole: To say that "other judges have opposition for no other reason than their opponent's last name" is a big overgeneralization. I don't know Murphy so I can't comment on why he drew opposition.Knowing both Leifman and Miller, however, there are reasons that both of them drew opposition, irrespective of the fact that their opponents have hispanic last names.Leifman has angered many attorneys in his rulings, his association with the prosecutor's office and the legislature, and while he is to be commended for his 'mental health' work, many do not feel that this is the appropriate role for a judge. As for Miller, simply because she was a talented prosecutor does not mean she is a talented judge, especially when the cases she has been ruling on over the last year have not been criminal. Simply because she is a sitting judge (with only one year experience) does not give her an automatic 6 year extension. From your writings, Rump, you obviously never handle PI cases, especially in South Dade. Prior to recommending Miller, perhaps you should have sat in her courtroom a couple of times and talked to those of us who have been in front of her. So, while, yes, their opponents do have hispanic names, I don't believe that this is why they drew opposition.

Rumpole responds:
You are 100% correct about Judge Leifman. In the course of executing his duties, he did institute a system that was financially disadvantageous to the traffic ticket lawyers. By requiring a system of soundings for tickets, he doubled the in court expenses of those traffic ticket firms that litter the legal landscape. You can applaud Judge Leifman for making a decision that is better for the community, in the face of angering a base of potential support in the election. Or you can say that is why he has opposition. But the person running against Judge Leifman is not a partner in a ticket firm, or even an employee. Leifman was targeted by a former traffic magistrate that is barely compos mentis. And Judge Leifman’s opponent is being assisted by the Runaway JA- D’Arce, who threatened Leifman not with just running an opponent against him, but running a Hispanic opponent. And that is wrong.

As for Judge Miller, you make a few wrong assumptions. 1) We NEVER handle PI cases. Anywhere, anytime, any place. Civil court gives us the willies.

2) It is true we only know Judge Miller by her work as a prosecutor, and we were impressed with that work.

It pains us to say this, because by all appearances the lawyer challenging Judge Miller is a very nice man. It just appears to us that he does not have the experience necessary to be a Judge. And by that, we are primarily commenting on jury trial experience. A Judge must be many things. But we believe, if a lawyer has NEVER tried a case before a Jury, then that lawyer is not ready to be a Judge.

Want to know what to do to become a Judge? Talk to Judge McWhorter. Listen to her tell you about her attempts to be appointed, and how she switched jobs to gain the experience the JNC wanted her to have. As nice and as dedicated a man as the gentleman is who is challenging Judge Miller, he does not have the experience. Therefore, we view the challenge to Judge Miller as a challenge in name only.
And we mean that in every context.

STAY TUNED.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

well said Rumpole. Although I think by repeating there stupid comments is worse than if you had just ignored them. Rumpole you had good intentions but sometimes ignoring idiots is the best medicine. Otherwise you give them a voice.

Anonymous said...

THIS IS THE LINK TO INSTANT REAL TIME ELECTION RESULTS

http://enr.clarityelections.com/Default.aspx?eid=30&lid=1

updated every 30 minutes

Anonymous said...

Rump: Before any results are tabulated and posted, I'd like to say that the positions you articulate are 'stand-up and respectable'. If it weren't for the perspective you create, this blog would be worth much less in the integrity category.

Rumpole said...

Sometimes we just love our readers. You sir/madam, have given us the perfect opening for our favourite quote:

‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’

Edmund Burke

We will, at every opportunity, sound the alarm for the good fight in the face of racists and fascists who pray on the altar of ethnicity. Hitler had similar ideas about the master race.

Anonymous said...

i am only voting for irish people. they will soon dominate this community.

Rumpole said...

ERIN GO BRAGH

Anonymous said...

isn't marino irish?

Anonymous said...

JUST IN SHOCKING:

COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 1 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Patricia Marino-Pedraza
64.79% 15,927
Shirlyon J. McWhorter
35.21% 8,657
24,584
COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 4 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Robin Faber
41.46% 10,549
Ivan Hernandez
58.54% 14,892
25,441

Rumpole said...

You mean Pedraza?

Anonymous said...

OH MY HERNANDEZ WINNING

Anonymous said...

COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 11 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Karen Mills Francis
50.50% 12,291
Stephen T. Millan
49.50% 12,050
24,341
COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 12 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Juan F. Gonzalez
54.54% 13,785
Steve Leifman
45.46% 11,490
25,275


WOW

Anonymous said...

COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 27 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Migna Sanchez-Llorens
59.70% 14,953
Sheldon 'Shelly' Schwartz
40.30% 10,093
25,046
COUNTY COURT JUDGE, GROUP 39 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
George A. Alvarez
55.44% 13,906
Bronwyn Catherine Miller
44.56% 11,179
25,085

Anonymous said...

CIRCUIT JUDGE, 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, 25 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Dennis J. Murphy
42.73% 11,002
Josie Perez Velis
57.27% 14,743
25,745
CIRCUIT JUDGE, 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, 42 699 of 744 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Lawrence 'Larry' Schwartz
39.62% 10,444
Gina Mendez
60.38% 15,918
26,362

Anonymous said...

where to drown me sorrows and have the odd pint if dennis doesnt pull it off....

Anonymous said...

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 115TH HOUSE DIST 41 of 41 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Rafael A. Palmerola (REP)
8.83% 103
Juan-Carlos 'J.C.' Planas (REP)
91.17% 1,064
1,167

Anonymous said...

ALL THE HISPANIC SURNAMES ARE WINNING. I AM SAD TO SAY THAT THE DAYS OF THE JEWISH WIN IS OVER.

Anonymous said...

this is the most shocking not because George is not a good guy but because he spent only $50 k compared to over $200 k of miller

wow

Anonymous said...

clearly you have to be hispanic to win in dade. glad to see this country has come so long in race awareness.

Anonymous said...

oh snap, murph just pulled ahead!

Anonymous said...

my nerves

Anonymous said...

I believe that, at this point, the results reflect only absentee and early voting. The polls closed only an hour ago (some still may be open if people were in line at 7 p.m.)

It may be a bit early to sound the alarm, since absentee voting is not an historically sound indicator of general election results.

Anonymous said...

oh, well, I believe it's time for the good old-fashioned days of stuffing ballots. that's the only way anyone without a Hispanic surname is going to win in Dade County. Most people really do no care about who they vote for, only someone they can identify with. Henceforth, since Miami-Dade is comprised mostly of Hispanics, it's no surprise that they will dominate for years to come. Oh, snaps, I forgot. stuffing ballots was born in Hialeah.

Anonymous said...

You're wrong. Hispanic surnames don't mean shit, even in Dade County. LOook at Faber, Murphy, Cohn, Miller, Schwartz, Parks, and many others, all of whom won.

Anonymous said...

AS for "What it takes to become a Judge" perhaps Judge McWhorter is a good person to ask.. I really don't know.,. I DO know she' not the person to ask on "How to remain a judge".. If you consistently make it hard for the attorneys in your courtroom by requiring Defendants to be present or to have a waiver in your hand.... You are NOT going to be a popular judge.. This has NOTHING to do with ethnicity or any other noncsense that Phil Rumpole, Jackie, would have you believe.. It's SIMPLE.. NO OTHER JUDGE MADE SUCH A REQUIREMENT. McWhorter did.. it was a hardship to every attorney and defendant in her courtroom.. not to mention the absurd lists of "motions to set aside bench warrants".. The SAD truly SAD part of it is that she wasn't a bad judge.. but she made our lives miserable so we didn't support her.... Funny, when she got opposition it I found myself being asked less and less for waivers and "where's your client.. etc... I suppose the bottom line is if you want to bully your way through your first term.. perhaps you shouldn't exppect a second.

Anonymous said...

AS for "What it takes to become a Judge" perhaps Judge McWhorter is a good person to ask.. I really don't know.,. I DO know she' not the person to ask on "How to remain a judge".. If you consistently make it hard for the attorneys in your courtroom by requiring Defendants to be present or to have a waiver in your hand.... You are NOT going to be a popular judge.. This has NOTHING to do with ethnicity or any other noncsense that Phil Rumpole, Jackie, would have you believe.. It's SIMPLE.. NO OTHER JUDGE MADE SUCH A REQUIREMENT. McWhorter did.. it was a hardship to every attorney and defendant in her courtroom.. not to mention the absurd lists of "motions to set aside bench warrants".. The SAD truly SAD part of it is that she wasn't a bad judge.. but she made our lives miserable so we didn't support her.... Funny, when she got opposition it I found myself being asked less and less for waivers and "where's your client.. etc... I suppose the bottom line is if you want to bully your way through your first term.. perhaps you shouldn't exppect a second.

Anonymous said...

OH GET REAL.. what do you think it's like in Boston with Irish Surnames or Quebec with French Surnames. (umm.. I forgot .. most of you have no clue.. Quebec is in C A N A D A.... not the U.S... it's the priniciple that remains the same... ).. What do think it's like in L.A. etc.. Whenver a particular ethinc group has worked hard and obtained political power and the majority of the population is of that ethinic group.. you will certainly have folks from that group as judges, mayors, goveners..etc.. Why is everyone so SURPRISED or think this is "unfair". what's unfair about the majority of the populaton votiong for people who think will represent their issues.
FURTHER, as we've seen.. the population is NOT just a group of idiots that blindly follows it's "surnames".. GOOD judges held their seats.. Leifman, Murphy, Schwartz... I was THRILLED with the election results .. and hold on to your seats..
I AM NOT HISPANIC!!!!

GO FIGURE.

Anonymous said...

OH GET REAL.. what do you think it's like in Boston with Irish Surnames or Quebec with French Surnames. (umm.. I forgot .. most of you have no clue.. Quebec is in C A N A D A.... not the U.S... it's the priniciple that remains the same... ).. What do think it's like in L.A. etc.. Whenver a particular ethinc group has worked hard and obtained political power and the majority of the population is of that ethinic group.. you will certainly have folks from that group as judges, mayors, goveners..etc.. Why is everyone so SURPRISED or think this is "unfair". what's unfair about the majority of the populaton votiong for people who think will represent their issues.
FURTHER, as we've seen.. the population is NOT just a group of idiots that blindly follows it's "surnames".. GOOD judges held their seats.. Leifman, Murphy, Schwartz... I was THRILLED with the election results .. and hold on to your seats..
I AM NOT HISPANIC!!!!

GO FIGURE.