For some fair citizens of Miami, it’s the chance to receive another cash payment for voting again. For the rest of the law abiding among us, it’s the chance to make an informed choice from the best and brightest Miami and Florida has to offer.
In our little corner of the world, “best and brightest” is unfortunately not synonymous with the choices the electorate makes about Judges.
Some Judges have no one but themselves to blame for their opposition. Judge Ivan Hernandez comes to mind first, but arguably (although we have endorsed them) Judges Larry Schwartz and Shirlyon McWhorter can also be put into that category.
Perhaps some of our dear robed readers time would be better spent remembering the words of Solomon, then fretting over tee times and lunch or dinner reservations at Christy's:
By much slothfulness the building decayeth
and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through
Ecclesiastes 10-18.
Other Judges have opposition for no reason other than their opponent’s last name. Judges Steve Leifman, Dennis Murphy and Bronwyn Miller fit into that category. If these three qualified Judges are able to be re-elected despite facing individuals with Hispanic sur-names, then we will have faith in our system of electing Judges. But if two out of three of these Judges are defeated, then we will grudgingly be forced to embrace merit retention for Judges.
Please do not be mistaken about our words.
In our opinion, some of the very best Judges Miami has ever seen are Hispanic. Judge Jose Gonzalez (now a senior Judge) in Federal Court was about the best we have ever tried a case before. Judge Federico Moreno is a close second. This is not about not wanting to see Hispanic attorneys as Judges. It was just as wrong two decades ago when any lawyer named Klein was unbeatable at the polls.
We have spoken about this before. Race, Religion, Gender or Ethnicity are not what makes an individual qualified to be a Judge.
This is about quality, ability, talent, and dedication. Judges Leifman, Murphy and Miller (although Miller has not had enough time to really develop ) have those qualities, and in our opinion, their challengers do not.
STAY WITH ALL US DAY AND INTO ELECTION NIGHT AS WE WILL HAVE SPECIAL ELECTION DAY (unless a certain Judge forces us into a trial) AND NIGHT COVERAGE OF ALL THE JUDICIAL RACES.
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS.
16 comments:
Careful readers will note we deleted the last two posts by us. Do not be swayed by conspiracy theories. We had a technical issue that caused the blog to be displayed in a wierd way on our computer, and usually the fault lies ("not in our stars Brutus, but in ourselves") with the post. This time the problem was with our own computer. Sorry.
Given today's rain, the voter turnout will be even lower than predicted and the early and absentee votes will play an important role in the election.
Couldn't you have backed up the comments before deleting them? Maybe you need another computer, because the posts displayed correctly in mine.
At the very least, you should have left up the results of the election lawsuits:
1) Planas v. Planas was affirmed by the Third DCA: J.C. Planas won and J.P. Planas was removed from the ballot for using a name he had never used in order to confuse voters. The trial court had removed J.P. using technicalities that were rejected by the 3rd DCA in Manno-Schurr v. Sanchez-Gronlier but the name issue was sufficient to affirm the judgment under the tipsy coachman rule.
2) Manno-Schurr v. Sanchez-Gronlier was affirmed by the Third DCA: Sanchez-Gronlier won and Manno-Schurr was unsuccesful in her attempts to have him removed from the ballot on minor technicalities.
3) The Circuit Court of Palm Beach County dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit by Patricia Marino-Pedraza to have Judge Shirlyon McWhorter disqualified on technicalities. Marino-Pedraza has not appealed.
The Third DCA's decision on Planas v. Planas now leaves Manno-Schurr and Marino-Pedraza vulnerable to disqualification lawsuits for adopting names at the last minute that they had never used before. No such lawsuits have yet been filed.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
VOTE. IT IS YOUR RIGHT, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITIZEN.
To paraphrase the politician William Simon, “Bad judges are elected to the bench by good people who don't vote.”
Vote for the candidate that you think is the BEST qualified for the job. Remember when casting your vote, that a Judge has the power to take the life of a human being, take your children away from you, amongst many other serious consequences. Make your vote count.
Go out and make a difference today!
CAPTAIN OUT ..............
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.
et tu, rumpole?
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
Regardless of which candidate in the Democratic primary for governor wins out today, Rod Smith or Jim Davis, I expect to see Minority Party leader and State Rep. Dan Gelber at the front of the list for Lt. Gov. consideration.
CAPTAIN OUT ...........
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.
GO VOTE! Even if you vote for someone I don't like.
People across the world have fought long and hard for the right to be able to have elected leaders, and we seem to take it for granted.
I think we should dip our finger in the purple ink also (nobody wants a little sticker) and those that don't have an ink stain at the end of the elections should be ridiculed.
this is he who must not be named. you can take off moderation as the election is over and faber won!
My job and/or calling in this election is over. See ya next time in a few years when another sitting judge has upset the electorate.
Rumpole I hereby call a truce.
Breaking NEWS!!
results are coming in slow exit polls show Faber with over 70% of the vote against Hernandez.
Stay tuned for other updates.
Moderation has been turned off. He who can not be named has called a truce with the great Rumpole.
Faber wins by a landslide.
RESUME:
NAME: IVAN HERNANDEZ
WORK EXPERIENCE:
2000 TO 2006: FORMER COUNTY COURT JUDGE.
GOALS: TO AVOID THE MEDIA OVER MY HUGE LOSS IN THE ELECTION.
CALL ME PLEASE I NEED A JOB. SINCE JUDGE LEIFMAN WAS RE-ELECTED HE WON'T APPOINT ME TO MY OLD JOB OF TRAFFIC MAJISTRATE.
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP I NEED WORK.
THIS IS THE LINK TO INSTANT REAL TIME ELECTION RESULTS
http://enr.clarityelections.com/Default.aspx?eid=30&lid=1
"Exit Polls". Yeah right. You need to poll a statistically significant number of people at a statistically significant number of stations. That costs cash. And exactly who is going to waste their money polling judicial races? NOBODY.
Miami is a Banana Repuclic.
Love, Broward
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