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.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

HAVE THE PEOPLE AT THE HERALD LOST THEIR MIND?

We are not referring to the multiple deliveries of the daily paper that we receive.

We are referring to this headline today:

What would end the drought? A hurricane.

Let us randomly throw out a few names: Andrew; Katrina; Rita; Wilma.

We understand Florida is in the midst of a drought. We understand we need rain. What we don't need is some 220 mile per hour storm smashing through Miami, knocking out power for July and August, destroying homes, devastating communities. Not even the prospect of not having to sit and watch certain robed readers labour through 98 page calendars is sufficient for us to wish such a prospect on our community.

In other headlines today, the Herald hoped that all the new draft picks for the dolphins would not injure their knees during the mini-camp; that the surgeon for Dwayne Wade would not make a grievous mistake; and that George Bush would not choke on another pretzel.

Judge Charles Greene:

The comments were running three or four to one against our call for his resignation. Our readers are more forgiving then we are. Let us posit this query: if you represented a client before him, and he ruled against your client, how would you answer your client's belief that Greene did it because he didn't like the way your client looked? There is a reason a Judge is supposed to avoid the appearance of impropriety, not just impropriety itself. It is the reputation of our courts for fairness and justice that we are trying to protect. That reputation is valuable, and Greene has destroyed his ability to ever be viewed as being fair. He needs to go.
Check out our new Judge Greene poll.

See You In Court.

PS. If the Herald does get its wish, lets hope the hurricane doesn't hit during the big federal wing ding in the Keys next weekend. How would we ever get by without our friendly federal friends?



39 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't Phil Reizenstein also represent the Defendant in BOCA DEL VISTA PHASE II v. DR. TIM WHATLEY, KENNY BANIA, MICKEY "THE DWARF" ABBOTT, DAVID PUDDY, AND DR. VAN NOSTRAND, ET. AL.?

don't be modest PHIL...let us average lawyers know what it is like to be a celebrity lawyer. You would be number one on the "CELEBRITY LAWYER POWER RATING"...

Anonymous said...

The real, real, I mean real, DUI power rankings are:

Maultasch
Reiff
Catalano
Hersch
Quirantes
PD
The "Q" fear the "Q" respect the "Q"

Anonymous said...

Rump

If you had a shooting into occupied clothing case and you walked the guy and the Judge made a similar comment as Greene, you would shrug your shoulders and walk out the door with the glow of a victory under your belt.

You have exasperated this situation for the pupose of public dialouge which is acceptable unless it results in character assasination. I wonder if you would have aggravated this topic as you have if the Judge were one of your favs south of the border like Stan or Jeffery.

Isn't there an ethics rule against public condemnation of a Judge. Stop slinging dirt just to post when you lack a worthy suject.

Thank you

Anonymous said...

I wonder what would save more money: the revamped court-appointed lawyers system or eliminating depositions in all cases? As a judge, if I had to pick between two evils, I would rather keep the good lawyers and eliminate the depos. A good lawyer is worth a lot more than a depo.

Anonymous said...

what do you mean "lost their mind?" That would presume......

Rumpole said...

No matter how humorous or good spirited the comment is intended to be, we do not post comments speculating about a person's sexual orientation.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole you are hyperbolizing too much. The Herald did not wish for a big hurricane. They said that tropical weather such as a wet, slow moving depression would do the job, because the normal raons of the rainy season would not be sufficient.

Rumpole said...

10:01- If after a not guulty in a murder case, the Judge said "no big deal- it was shooting into occupied clothing" (and by the way, your hypo is a good one) I have to admit that I would think twice before commenting. If it was a Judge I had known a long time who had tried cases with me or against me and I knew they were joking, I would do nothing. If it was a Judge I didn't know but seemed to be fair, I would probably say something like- "I know you're joking, but somebody is dead here and that's a tragedy."
If it was a Judge I did not know at all, or a Judge who had a reputation for being mean, possibly sentencing people differently based on race- I would file the JQC complaint before I did anything else.

So I do see your point. But I also consider the two comments different. Judge's Greene's comments left no room for speculation- he considers some people less than human and not worthy of the justice the criminal courts can dispense.

Anonymous said...

There is no need to choose between good lawyers and depos. Keep them both.

Anonymous said...

Blah, blah, blah...

Anonymous said...

Horace I am with you about the need for Judge Greene to step down. His comments are vile, and have no place in a court of justice. To "La Verdad", I'm sure you meant "exacerbate", and not "exasperate." Hey, I'm not a lawyer, but I am a stickler for language. Happy Sunday.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole- here's a little update on everyone's favorite former Judge:

After leaving the bench, Jon Colby pursued his first love: marine biology. Jon quickly joined the cause of battling obesity in whales. Whales are the largest mammals on earth, but as Jon likes to say "they don't have to be."

Jon brings his love of marine biology to the common people, lecturing frequently at Tootsies, Solid Gold, and Pure Platnium. His current lecture topic- the matting habits of the pacific mollusk, is packing them in nightly at Tootsies.

In his spare time, Jon's hobbies include suing Cuba, and raising cucumbers for "adult purposes".

Anyway, it's good to know there is life after the REGJB.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, we are not going to keep both. If we come up with a compromise such as eliminating depos, if it in fact is a big financial savings, the legislature may leave us alone and do away with depos.

Anonymous said...

Let's do a little game of connect the dots. Senator Victor Crist claims that his new court appointment bill is necessary in order to save the State of Florida $50 million/year. Yet, the Florida legislature had no problems approving Governor Charlie Crist's new "anti-murder" prison building project with an estimated cost of $270 million over 5 years (or $55 million/year). And let's not even talk about some of the other sludge that oozed from the legislature this year (including a new bill that gives an estimated $100 tax break to HMOs).

Isn't it clear that the Crists have as their goal eliminating effective counsel in criminal cases in exchange for cheap political points with the Republican Yahoo element in Florida? Unlike with some of his other latent tendancies, "Chain Gang Charlie" is not in the closet with his contempt for the rights of the accused in our criminal courts. And does anybody think that if Jim Davis had been Governor this bill would have been passed into law?

We need to take down the Crists, and the Democratic Party will field a strong slate of Anti-Crist candidates over the next two election cycles. I encourage all of you to aid and contribute to our cause; this time, these trogodytes have taken money directly out of your pockets. Anyone who thinks that by giving money to the Crists they are going to help themselves is thinking like a poor small shop owner in Little Italy who gave protection money to Don Coreolone. Only by directly confronting our enemies and taking them out of power can we defend our own interests.

Anonymous said...

My five year plan is to undo and bankrupt the new Florida Court appointment system. Through post-conviction attacks and constitutional challenges (look very closely at the new law in the context of the Florida constitution), I plan to level the system by October 1, 2012. I hope that at least some of you will join me in this quest.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, you should know more about the Green facts before you judge. If you did, I dont believe you would feel the way you do.

Anonymous said...

in light of JUNIOR SOPRANO"S LAWYER comment @ 12:13pm about Jon Colby - "FEAR THE Q - cumber"

Anonymous said...

Serious subject

I am a white male American and never had to deal with prejudice. Today I was watching Msnbc and saw the Los Angeles Police attacking peaceful non-violent immigration protestors. The protestors sought and got a legal permit and did everything right to have a protest on immigration issues.

It makes me sick to know that because the protestors were Hispanic and not white men that they were shot at with rubber bullets, tear gas. One video showed a young Hispanic man about 20 yrs old being hit one after another with the police officers paton. He was not provoking this and was beaten. The news media from Mexico in suits were attacked by the police the cameramen were attacked. Is this the America we live in?

Why is the Herald not all over this? The FBI is investigating the beatings and video footage.

Rumpole and readers of this Blog stand up and let the people in power to know that we will not allow this to happen ever again. Stand up and demand the officers in LA that beat these people be arrested and tried for hate crimes.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, even in Miami with Hispanics being in the majority not far from us on Broward county exist the same prejudice that is found in those LA officers. I call for new legislation that treats hate crimes from Police office more severe than other hate crimes. I want min mandatory sentences for these cops that think that the color of skin mandates different police conduct when stopped for minor traffic stops.

I want to hear from the bloggers. Comment and bring out the outrage that I feel!!

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that it is the lawyers that keep putting on the pressure to push back the courtroom hours. Gone are the days when a judge could work until late at night. Now, everyone complains if they try to work past six! Let's have a consistent argument, it is only fair.

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing appeals might be the way to go. With all these new conflict guys, there maybe many more appeals. Let's see how bad things get before someone realizes what they did by passing this stupid legislation.

Rumpole said...

2 comments didn't make it up- the Sopranos as REGJB people didn't make it because it listed one male as a female and that was an unfair comment on sexual orientation. Redo it without that. The second comment didn't go up had some nasty stuff about the flintstones and you know what we mean. Leave that alone.

Rumpole said...

1:28 PM. Tell me more about Judge Greene. I am willing to listen.

Anonymous said...

Obviously Colby and Phil are using the blog to settle some petty differences. Try email guys.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Jon Colby have a Spider Monkey when he was growing up. His little "Miko" went with him everywhere.

Anonymous said...

early returns on the DUI power rankings lead us to believe these are the bottom five, although results are not final until twelve midnight tonight.

5. The Miami PDs. .875
6. Carlos Canet .810
7. Mike Catalano .799
8. Phil Reizenstein .780
9. Mike Braxton .711
10. Jimbo Best .690

Anonymous said...

Judge Blake's JA Terry used to be Colby's JA. Stop by and see her Monday. She has all the information and possibly some pictures of Colby with his little Miko when he was growing up.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Wheres os the OUTRAGE? at 3:09:00 p.m., don't you remember the FTAA here in Miami a few years ago. That was the same thing that happened at L.A. but in a bigger scale. Just as the L.A. cops failed to concentrate on the provocateurs and beat on the peaceful protestors, the cops in Miami, reinforced by cops from Broward beat, gassed, sprayed, and shot with rubber bullets and lead bean bags the media, bystanders, spectators and peaceful protestors who the police assumed were all Seattle-style anarchists. Very few, of the hard core anarchists were arrested. Police officers were about to beat and arrest long-haired Judge Richard Margolius (who was merely watching the event), when the cops finally recognized him and left him alone. In the Miami FTAA case, the cops couldn't be accused of racism. Cops of very race and ethnicity beat up and injured people of every race and ethnicity helped by the anonimity provided by their turtle-like suits with no name tags or badge numbers. It was a dangerous attitude of "us versus them" and the fear of anarchists and damage to property caused many innocent people and peaceful protesters to get arrested, beat up, and injured (some seriously) by police.

Anonymous said...

Thanke yu.

Rumpole said...

you can keep submitting the fred flinstone post all you want- its not going up. Same with the Sopranos, until you remove the "meadow" reference, it does not go up. Go figure.

Anonymous said...

meadow is hot, the flintstones are celibate, and free mary jane

Anonymous said...

Like the early edition of the Sunday paper- here they are- hot off the presses:

1.Lurvey & Lyons .998
2.Bobby Reiff .997
3. Richard Hersch .996
4. Jonathan Blecher .891
5. Rob Biswas .875
6. Carlos Canet .810
7. Mike Catalano .799
8. The Miami PDs .770
9. Mike Braxton .700
10. Jimbo Best .690

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Dui guy!

Anonymous said...

12:45:00 PM, a Democratic Party in the state of Florida, please don't make me choke on my coffee. When you find the party that's going to whip the Republicn let me know--I fear you may find the Green Party in Florida before you find the Democrats. ps stay away from the sexual orientation issue, its cheap and unbecoming of a "Democrat".

Anonymous said...

Its about time!!!

Anonymous said...

I demand a recount!

Anonymous said...

I'm so close I can taste it.

Anonymous said...

rumour has it that braxton has only now made the DUI power rankings because of a late start by his PR team.

sources close to the P & B camp tell us that parks has personally gone to the mat for his partner and has been trying to spin braxton's disconnected demeanor with his peers as "intensity".

possibly, the DUI Power Rankings Index has been tweaked to account for this.

still, you cant question the seasoned veterans' like hersch, bletcher and catalano when it comes to courtroom savvy and advice to younger lawyers.

reiff, not known for his "accessibility" still rises to the top due to the weight of his tabbed and indexed case-files.

Anonymous said...

sadly I agree the majority of "Voters" will vote republican. While the majority of people would vote democrat it is the people who go out and "Vote" that matter and those people are republican as far as the state as a whole.

As far as Miami Dade is concerned it is still democratic "voters" and will not change for sometime if ever.

The days of a Gov. Chiles are over. The legislator will remain republican controlled for many years to come.

I am democrat and shall here in Miami Dade were I feel safe from the cluches of those darn red elephants stomping on human rights.

Anonymous said...

Number one where I belong!