With the end of the Sopranos much on everyone’s mind (and some entertaining Soprano’s type dialogue in the comments section) we are pondering what exactly happened to Judge Gerry Klein. ???
The longest serving Judge in the State of Florida , Judge Klein was unceremoniously removed from his bond hearing duty that he presided over four days a week. “Fast Gerry” as he was known by more than a few generations of attorneys, moved the bond hearing calendar quickly and efficiently. He knew which cases merited scrutiny, and which cases could be disposed of quickly. Judge Klein had the type of experience that should not just be cavalierly discarded.
We sent an email to certain Judges who have admitted to reading the blog from time to time, but they have been too busy to respond. (The rain is playing havoc with many of our robed readers tee times.)
Now word reaches us from several sources that our State Attorney, taking a break from vacation, may have a hand in this dirty deal. Unnamed sources have said the State Attorneys Office felt prevented from obtaining habitual misdemeanor sentences because many people with prior records had pled guilty at jail arraignments.
We know it’s hard to believe, so lets write it again: rumor is the State Attorneys Office intends to seek misdemeanor habitual offender sanctions.
Have they lost their mind? Don’t they have anything better to do?
This speaks to an uncomfortable scenario: A bunch of “chiefs” are sitting around in their office (heaven forbid they should be in court trying a case) trying to justify their existence and corresponding salary. Suddenly one of them who has been paging through a Florida Statute Book that previously served as a base for an office plant, stumbles upon the idea that the Miami Dade State Attorneys Office does not have a habitual misdemeanor offender chief. Can you spell –o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y to score some supervisor points? And their grand plan all starts with replacing a Judge who was a Judge before many of their parents were born.
Let us be the first to say, in legal terms, this stinks.
And to the devious whippersnapper who took out Judge Klein, lets us only remind you of Karma. Someday you will be older, and entitled to the respect that your years of service have earned you. And some snot nosed upstart will take your job away, and then you will know what it feels like.
Until then, we’ll have to get our own revenge by taking your dopey habitual petty theft cases to trial. You guys have enough trouble winning DUI cases with breath. Now you have to go seeking 364 on disorderly conduct cases?
See You In Court.
PS: Where is the FACDL in all this?
When you see something that is not right, not fair, find a way to get in the way and cause trouble. Congressman John Lewis
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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.
25 comments:
FACDL is in Bonita Springs for their annual meeting. Aren't you there, Rump? Shouldn't you be?
As a learned judge North of the Border (Palm Beach County, not Broward County) once opined: "budgetary constraints imposed on the Courts by the Legislature makes it imperative that prosecutors maximize the use of available court time for serious cases."
You are right. The SAO took out fast Gerry.
We need to ask Farina to bring him back. He always made the lawyers look good. He made good rulings.
He did not lock up homeless people for simply being homeless.
BRING BACK GERRY!
12:58- no. I am at the FATSLOB meeting in Key West.
(Florida Association Terrible Secret Legal Obnoxious Bloggers).
Here are some more Shumie songs I like:
Purple Shumie
Blame it on the Shumie
Shumie of 69
The Shumies' they are a changing.
Shumie da money.
why dosen't some some why knows Gerry ask him what happend. For a past ten+ years, judge klein has said Hello to me like I was a long lost friend. ( sure he does not know who I am) He was a fine judge. He did a fine job. If he really wants to keep doing it, why not let him?
I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED GERRY. HE RECDOGNIZED BY SUPERIOR TRIAL SKILLS. HE ALWAYS TOLD MY CLIENTS THAT "THEY HIRED A GREAT LAWYER AND TO LISTEN TO ME". I WILL MISS HIM.
If we (us?) defense lawyers love Gerry Klein SOOOO much, and we love the way he does his jail arraignments (no colloquies, etc...) why do we then turn around and move to set aside those same pleas when your client is going to get deported, or habitualized or whatever. Let's be consistent.
With the new DUI power ratings coming out Sunday, I sure hope my boy
JB Jonathan "slope not met" Blecher does well. He was falling off their for a while.
It had nothing to do with the State Attorney. Get your sources straight.
Right on the nose this time, Rump.
At above $145k, perhaps Zerlin and Horn can explain why they need a guide to find the MJB. They send out orders and 'build morale' by just not caring, at all - unless you screw up like UTPAL.
Then they forget how hard you work. To prove that you deserve firing they trash you in the media because you had the guts to tell a cop that his idea of a fair plea was bullshit - and you got hired to use your discretion and best judgment.
Or, at least, that is the lie they tell you at hiring time.
I sent a request to FACDL Miami to see if they can do something to get Gerry Klien back.
Please, if you know anyone on the board of FACDL Miami, ask them to do something to bring back Fast Gerry.
Mike Catalano
Shumie played guitar, jamming good with Wierd and Gilly,
The Spiders from Mars.
He played it left hand, but made it too far,
Became the special man, then we were Shumie's Band
I heard Blecher won a Kotsin motion this week.
The lawyer in WPB who lost one last week use the old version without the Micaelescu variation.
THIS JUST IN: Judge Will Thomas sentences VIctor Caraballo to death. Justice is served... now bring on the rest of these animals.
How did the oral argument go in the CPS appeal at the REGJB?
My new favorite blog nickname, for obvious reasons, is Jonathan "Slope not met" Blecher.
6:14 I don't know who or what a Kotsin is- but ya gotta love Sammy's. The grivinous over the mashed potatos (rendered chicken fat) is to die for. Indeed, it will hasten death by clogging an artery.
I heard all it took was a "high five figure fee"; a sternly worded fax, some case law, and a determined looking "Q" boarding a flight to LA, to get you know who out. Look for the Q to be in fighting form tomorrow in LA Superior Court.
And to the devious whippersnapper who took out Judge Klein, lets us only remind you of Karma. Someday you will be older, and entitled to the respect that your years of service have earned you. And some snot nosed upstart will take your job away, and then you will know what it feels like.
Rumpole, you know nothing about Karma. When it comes to you it is going to SUCK!
This be good!
Anonymous said...
TV in Spanish is really bad and Judge Shuminer having a television show will make it even worse. Did they not notice she has the personality of a mortician? She is cute, but dry and too anal to be on television. Her show will not be on for over 2 seasons. Mark my words.
As a matter of fact, can we do a poll to see how long she will be on the air? I think we have a better chance for Hector to popped than for Shuminer to stay on.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007 9:38:00 PM
As a recent ASA, I can tell you that the habitual offender statute is becoming a real priority at the SAO. The chiefs need a reason for being.
Rumpole: Although I like a good conspiracy theory as the next guy, is the Fernandle take-out scenerio the only possibility? I wonder if anyone has privately spoken with the Judge. Did Gerry take himself out of the game? Did he finally reach a point where he got tired of sitting there, day in and day out, looking at A-forms and ruling on PC and bond issues. Its a dreary thankless business. No one every says: "Great Job, Judge, you set a perfect bond!" No, with every decision you make, there is the potential for disaster "if one slips through the cracks." I think, if Gerry is healthy and wants to stay, he should be given that opportunity. It seems his fellow judges really don't want the gig, and seem bored on the weekends when they cover the bond hearings. It's the same problem you see in Juvi and Dependency Court--Judges who see those courts as starting points and look to get out as quickly as possible to the coveted CA spots. And, while were on the subject, in addition to bringing back Gerry, if he wants,how about appointing JUVI and Dependency judges who WANT those spots--we know who they are. Let the JNC ask straight up, "if appointed, will you sit in JUVI or Dependency 4ever and look at their qualifications?" But i digress. Bottom line, Gerry Klein did a good, thankless job that no one else wanted. If he was pushed out the door and we let it happen, shame on us. His loss will say more about us then it does about him.
gerry was an embarrasment to the bench. good riddance. its nice to see the eliot silver-gerry klein enterprise over. all you pds out there bitched about judge rothenberg sucking up to asa's, on her worst day she didnt kowtow to the state like gerrry did to eliot. gerry never met a career criminal that he couldnt give a shitty bond. been in prison for lat 10 years? no problem fast gerry says you get pts because you havent commmitted 3 crimes in last five years.
dont think fernandle had anything to do with this and if she did i am glad that her office is throwing its weight around. good job kathy
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