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.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

A FEW DAYS OFF

While we rarely comment on our exact whereabouts, it is no secret we have been slow putting up posts as we travel to our summer home "on the Cape" to enjoy the Labor Day festivities.


Out of the loop at the REGJB, we nevertheless post some interesting things that arrived in our mailbox.

Anonymous wrote:

Let's have a one day post dedicated to the following:
Who is the most overrated and underrated defense attorney and prosecutor in the courthouse?


Rumpole replies: We are by far the most underrated defense attorney in the building. We labour away in obscurity, winning cases, but neither fame nor fortune.


Readership is up:

Justice Building Blog
-- Site Summary ---
Visits Total ...................... 302,420
Average per Day ................ 727
Average Visit Length .......... 4:48
This Week .................... 5,092

Rumpole says: We look at average per day and time spent reading. That means over six hundred people find five minutes a day to take a break and relax. And we are glad we can help.


A reader had an epiphany:
Anonymous wrote:

OMG I KNOW WHO RUMPOLE IS OR AT LEAST I HAVE FIGURED OUT A CLUE
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
What Box means something to us? A JURY BOX
Who or what is outside the box?
A CORRECTIONS OFFICER
A CLERK
A COURT REPORTER
A JUDGE
Rumpole, am I thinking outside the box?
This clue was so simple, it was right in front of our noses all the time.

And we responded:

9:06. Take a bow. You, my friend, "think outside the box."
Now I'm not saying you are correct ,however I will reward you for
thinking about something no one else has.
Send me a private email, and I will send you a juicy clue, just for you.
HR.

FEDS....
Certain well known federal bloggers take issue with our grammar, and mock us by complaining about our usage of "I" versus "Me".

Here is part of the offending offal:

"Maybe Rumpole is A.G., as he often makes similar grammar gaffes on his blog..."

(Shouldn't that read "grammatical gaffes...? Bloggers who write in glass offices shouldn't throw stones. Or put another way, "let he who has not published a typo throw the first stone.")

"I" will not take this sitting down.
Watch "me."

It is time to show our friend from "Harvahard" the power of the people- those of us not blessed with the clientele that allow us to practice in the cathedrals ruled by the Federal College Of Cardinals.

If you have an embarrassing story, picture, or court transcript of our favourite federal blogger, and want it to be seen by 700 or so of the Miami Legal Community, email it to us in private. Your anonymity is assured.

See You in court after Labor Day.

59 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excuse me, Mr. Rumpole. But I already thought outside the box without kudos from you:

On August 13, I wrote:

arobedone said...

Thinking outside of the box: Rumpole is not a lawyer. Maybe a longtime clerk or a JA.
Monday, August 13, 2007 5:55:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Rumpole the most "underrated" and "underpaid?" Come now, I doubt that. . .you just admitted you have a summer home. No one in the previous categories has a summer home.

Rumpole said...

Lots of people have guessed Judge or JA. No one has framed their guess with such logic- apolying "outside the box" to the guess in a very cogent manner.

3:08: But it is not as big as I would like. And the pool needs resurfacing and the dock needs a new seawall.

Anonymous said...

No fibbing allowed, Rumpole.

Clerks, correction officers, court reporters, and even actual reporters come and go too frequently to know what is going on - day to day, in the BUILDING.

Judges would, but so few of them can read and write, let alone both.

'Inside the box'- the BOX with nine stories and escalators that stop way before the top floor, is the only reason to know who McWhorter is, or the difference between Millan and Milian (either one).

Being 'away', at least physically, is not an option for most judges, either.

Give it up. You are in the box because you are a criminal defense attorney who actually has read a novel or two for the singular pleasure of reading. You like the fact that you have a command of the written language. I know the defense bar. There are all too few persons who can meet that criteria + would be of the proper age to have even known about Gerstein or Reno.

Do not fib to an old fibber about where you stand - in relation to the box.

David Oscar Markus said...

Oh great Rumpole,
the gramma(tical) comment was simply in jest.
From the bottom of my soul,
I apologize to you; you’re the best.

Rumpole said...

I sure hope you people read your depos more closely than my clues (as you should). All I wrote was that I liked the guess. It was intelligent. It had an explanation for "outside the box" and then it had suspects connected to the guess. I never said the guess was correct. I would never fib an old fibber.

Anonymous said...

Pacificus asks whether Judge Bob Scola is on vacation this week? Is it possible that one of the best Judges in South Florida is Rumpole?

Anonymous said...

thekeyistheemail

Anonymous said...

Me thinks Young Mr. Markus does not want Diamond Joel feeding you info.

Anonymous said...

Bob Levy is being attacked by some idiot calling himself "Batman". When you can stop using comic book heros as your alias maybe perhaps just maybe someone will give a hoot!

When you are the best and good at what you do people gossip, rumor and libel all day long.

If you are a Judge and Levy is not on your payroll that means you are not the winning canidate.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole is Broward attorney Fred Haddad. That is way outside of the box. I was in court today in Broward, and he was griping that it was taking to long, and he needed to hurry up because he was leaving for the Cape. He is obviously working with someone in Miami. Does anyone know of any Dade lawyers that are close with Fred Haddad? Additionally, I would look into whether Fred was travelling with anyone...perhaps a Dade lawyer that he is close with. This may also explain all of his old "north of the border posts"

Anonymous said...

Rumpole the AG lets review? Arrogant? Misleading? wait thats Phil. R.

Whoooops!
The WSJ blog has a story about Alberto Gonzales's resignation letter, which has a major grammatical mistake:

It has always been my honor to serve at your pleasure. After much thought and consideration, I believe this is the right time for my family and I to begin a new chapter in our lives.

From the WSJ:

The mistake: “My family and I” should be “my family and me.” WSJ Supreme Court reporter Jess Bravin, who first pointed out Gonzo’s error to us yesterday afternoon, suspects it privately will delight the attorney general’s critics, who snicker at the sloppy way Gonzales ended his tenure. Such errors may be common in everyday speech, but perhaps they don’t belong in carefully deliberated public letters from cabinet officers to the president. So, Law Blog readers, what does Gonzales’s grammatical lapse symbolize: slipping of standards at DOJ, a rare common touch in official Washington, or, well, just a negligible gaffe?

How embarrassing!

Maybe Rumpole is A.G., as he often makes similar grammar gaffes on his blog...

Anonymous said...

Harriet Miers, the Sequel
By Chris Suellentrop

Harriet Miers, the next attorney general? Kevin Shay, guest-blogging for Daniel Radosh at Radosh’s blog, says Miers’s nomination is foreordained: “I mean, it works on so many levels,” Shay, a former Web editor for McSweeney’s, writes. “A) It passes the SPM test: Can you imagine a Stupider Possible Move? I didn’t think so. That’s always been a reliable predictor of this administration’s actions. B) It’s a great way to spit in the face of the hardcore 27% of voters who still inexplicably support you. C) She’s owed.”

Anonymous said...

Rumpole is a longtime JA and Judge combo. My vote is Judge Blake.

Anonymous said...

Who gives a rats ass who Rumpole really is? Why can't we just have fun with it, and try to have some quasi-intelligent, and entertaining dialogue?

Anonymous said...

Alex Michaels almost brawled with two female PD's in Herb Walker's Courtroom today. Comedy at is finest.

Anonymous said...

Who are the attorneys nominated and receiving awards by the FACDL I in the last 5 years. ?Wasn't one a PD who had a death penalty result out of state?

Anonymous said...

RUMPIE, There someone away from the REGJC for the long weekend up on the shore in the northeast. HAs Rumpie ever sang aboutt SF on top of a piano????????

Anonymous said...

State: overrated: the senior trial counsel; underrated: Laura Adams

Batman said...

To Reality Check (aka Bob Levy):

You have attacked me before and no doubt you will again. But it does not change the fact that you have been and always will be the lowest form of paricite in our judicial system.

You have fed off of others so long you have no idea what to do. Your "sucessful" campaigns are a result of the efforts of people wiser and more talented than yourself. That is why your fee is $5K and everyone else gets three times that much. Actually you would have been through 4 years ago except Lorenzo saved you. Now even he can't stand you.

You are a liar, a cheap shot artist, a dirty trickster, a felon and a blight on our community.

I will be watching all of your candidates. Every time they do something that smacks of "Levy Politics", I and others whom I trust will be public and up front exposing them and you to the ridicule you all will richly deserve.

"If you use Levy, I will give you no money." Learn those words. Soon they will resonate throughout the judiciary and judicial candidates.

Anonymous said...

L&L twins it is. Lurvey worked for Reno and Gerstein and Lyons is from Mass.

Rumpole said...

To the individual who did not like our comment about Ms. Reno's quiet dignity and thereby concluded that our genitalia is made of certain dairy products.....your comment has not been published.

Anonymous said...

9 pm Blog update

CASTRO STILL ALIVE

JIMBO BEST STILL NOT IN TRIAL

COBITZ STILL WON'T TAKE A POLY (is he on vacation???hmmmmm....)

DOLPHINS STILL STINK.

Anonymous said...

I hear Judge Thomas is in Provincetown (on the Cape). Could Rumpole be Judge Thomas?!?!?!

Anonymous said...

batman get a grip. get your facts in order. if you look at all the winners in the 2006 race they all had one thing in common "Bob Levy" on the payroll.

So back off you jerk and get some balls and show your name or take you and your cape back to south beach.

Anonymous said...

Rumpola- after careful debate among my group of friends, please keep fake blecher and real fake blecher and ban Blecher from the blog. As is normally the case, the fictional person is more interesting than the real thing.

Thanks.

Rumpole said...

The trialmaster's suspension is over.

Rumpole said...

He may resume being obnoxious.

Anonymous said...

Rump- I know you into hip hop- who got the best badunkadunk in the REGJB? You know, a real fine Kim Khardashian caboose?

Rumpole said...

Whaaa? Good night. I had to Google the term. It means rear end.

Anonymous said...

The A prosecutor in Judge Schwartz's division has an ASS I'd like to smack.

Anonymous said...

hey bob, what's wrong with sounth beach? are you afraid of gay people?

Anonymous said...

Gerstein left office in 1978.

Do you really think Lurvey was a prosecutor 29 years ago?

IDIOT !

Anonymous said...

Rumpole is Scott Fingerhut.

Yes, the let the truth be told.

He does stutter or at least did a lot when young. So, he was forced to become a good student and read a lot. This is how he knows about so many issues.

Yes, you are it. Prove me wrong Mr. Scott Rumpole Fingerhut.

Anonymous said...

The following is total BS!

"REALITY CHECK said...
Bob Levy is being attacked by some idiot calling himself "Batman". When you can stop using comic book heroes as your alias maybe perhaps just maybe someone will give a hoot!

When you are the best and good at what you do people gossip, rumor and libel all day long.

If you are a Judge and Levy is not on your payroll that means you are not the winning candidate.

Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:27:00 PM"


Aside from that, he did not win all of his elections last year and he was not on every winning team.

Additionally, Bob Levy needs to go back to jail. I am with you Batman! Let's start a Bob Levy watch and a No Donation to Levy Blog. I mean, this guy is a crook who abuses the system and even uses KFR to further his candidates and felonious campaigns.

SAY NO TO BOB LEVY FOREVER CAMPAIGN!

Anonymous said...

One last thing before I go to bed:

Blame the results of the election last year on the Rain. Blame it on the rain because it was falling. Mark my words, it will not happen again. As well, I see a big surprise coming in 2008! Wait and see mortals!

Before I forget, Bob Levy is a Crook!

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

That, as a direct result of my Election Central 2008 report, where I pointed out that Judge Butchko had not yet filed for re-election in Group 77, her Honor has now filed her papers and is officially in the race.

No need to thank me, Judge :)

CAPTAIN OUT .....

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Did you know .. that the 3rd DCA actually used the word:

"“transmogrified”

in an opinion recently.

In the case of Baptiste v. State, 32 Fla.Law Weekly D1650a (3d DCA, 7/5/07), an anonymous informant called in a tip to police about a gun waiving subject walking down the street. When police went to investigate, the anonymous tipster apparently showed up and identified himself as the one who had called in the tip.

The 3rd DCA said that when the anonymous tipster showed up at the scene of the stop, he was then
“transmogrified” into a “constitutionally reliable citizen informant”.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines transmogrify as:

To change into a different shape or form, especially one that is fantastic or bizarre.

Judge Schwartz wrote the opinion for the panel. Colleen Brady Ward, from the PD's office, has filed an appeal with the Florida Supreme Court asking them to review the case.

Interesting choice of words for our elite robed ones.

CAPTAIN OUT .......

Anonymous said...

Batman,

Once again, you show what an idiot you are--Rump, how about a suspension for batman, too. if you look at the reports of the candidates that hired Bob Levy, you'd see that they paid much more than 5K. I know from some of those candidates that Levy/Lorenzo were a pacakge deal for well, well, WELL over 5k.

Levy had some good wins (quality candidates) in 2006 so you should be grateful.

CK

Batman said...

To Anonymous at 4:27 (aka Bob "The Scum" Levy):

No, I will not "back off". Not only will I not "back off", but I will be watching every candidates' report. I will be up front and center exposing them as your clients. I (along with others) will be urging judges and judicial candidates to drop you.

There are few things in life that give me so much pleasure as to make your blood boil. We are intent on bringing you down. It is time to end your reign of terror upon the judiciary. It is time to bring to an end your letters of extortion sent every election cycle which in essence say: "Pay me or I will run someone against you." It is time that we remove the influence of crooks like yourself from influencing our courts or involving yourself in the election process. (By the way, have your civil rights been restored since that felony conviction and prison time? Are you even a registered voter?)

I used to think that it just took a collective decision of the judiciary to freeze you out. I was wrong. It will take the influence of those of us who pay for the campaigns on the fundraising of judges and judicial candidates to dispose of you. "If you use Levy there will be no money for you."

I will be watching from the campaign events, the Miami-Dade Elections Department and every dark alley and crevice in which you hide.

Batman said...

I forgot to mention, that "The Scum" (along with his fellow crook Al Lorenzo) is responsible for such stellar judicial officers as Barbara Areces, Peter Adrien and Will Thomas. Thanks "Scum". We all appreciate your efforts. We only hope we can undo all of it in two years.

Anonymous said...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Anonymous said...

I am going to talk about Bob Levy and the candidates running for judge all day on this blog.

I am also going to do nothing about anything I am complaining about. I'm just going to complain about it. And complain.

I am complaining.

Doing nothing.

But complaining.

Anonymous said...

phil r. in town= not rumpole
blecher in town= not rumpole
shumie in town= not rumpole
fakes blecher, phil r. and shumie in town= all not rumpole
lurvey not literate=not rumpole
tannebaum thinks haiku harry is a bar in yokohama=not rumpole

rumpole is none other than michael matters!!!

Anonymous said...

Who cares about overrated/underrated, everyone knows who the best are and are not and noone will say a kind word about another lawyer out of jealousy. Most who one time prosecuted will tell you that criminal defense is much more difficult and challenging. Only a handful of career prosecutors are great trial lawyers because they have few challenges other than the uncooperative/victim or witness and the bad cops. The defense has to contain with so much more including very often having someone's life in your hands, their family depending on you, having to deal with harassment from cops if you are really good at what you do, and dealing with the cretins who run and work in the jail, most of whom are far worse than the people they guard. Let's have a real contest. I propose the following category: ATTORNEY most likely to gossip about you behind your back but not to your face. Nominees: Jason Grey, Michael Catalano, David Alschuler, David Marcus(both), Dan Lurvey, Simon Steckel, Fred Moldovan, Denaro, Scott Saul, Gene Zenobi, Terry Lenamon.

Anonymous said...

I'll be Catwoman to Batman anyday.

Rumpole said...

The Trialmaster has resigned from the blog. As such, I did not feel it is necessary to publish his final parting shots, which were essentially that Phil R is Rumpole and he is a bottom feeder. Trialmaster, as I often tell my clients: Be careful what you ask for, as you may just get it. Having resigned, you can no longer post so do not expect your long wided and boring parting shots to be published.

Rumpole said...

Oh...and good riddance, I always thought you were a jerk.

Batman said...

Catwoman - Today is your day!!!

Anonymous said...

Rump, you need to organize a blog government. A Mayor, prosecutor, defense lawyer, reporter, town crier, etc....

Anonymous said...

Rumpole has a great sense of humor, this post proves it.

Anonymous said...

i dont care who rump is. no offense but i only read this blog to see who other people are gossiping about. i love it when they talk about me.

p.s. dont give that person so much credit for coming up with "outside the jury box." Rump is someone outside the jury box? DUH.

Batman said...

CK

You make my point. "The Scum" is nothing without Lorenzo. He was nothng without Susan Fried and he is nothing but a hack and extortionist now. Even a blind dog finds food. The fact that some of the "clients" he had as a result of his association with Lorenzo were "quality" candidates does not excuse the "drek" he has put in other seats and foisted upon the people of Miami-Dade County.

If the candidates were quality, they would have won without him. It is inconceivable that anyone could be grateful to "The Scum" for anything.

"If you use Bob Levy there will be no money for you." Everyone should learn that phrase, use it and live by it.

Anonymous said...

Julie Numar, Yum!

Anonymous said...

Batman, you know, there's a difference between not liking someone and BEING ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THEM.

Please tell us about your history with Levy. Are you a former candidate?

Anonymous said...

All I know is that Fake Tom Cobitz is Fake Rumpole.

Anonymous said...

I once sat down with Levy when I was thinking about running. I was shocked that my qualifications NEVER came up. He did not ask me even a single question about myself. Not one. It is disconcerting that this man is helping people get elected without, at least in my case, even knowing whether they possess any qualifications. You would think that, at least out of self-interest in winning, he'd be trying to field qualified candidates.

Anonymous said...

Fred Haddad?
Michael Matters?

.. as Rumpole?

No chance! They are 2 good guys but neither knows how to turn on a computer, much less how to moderate a blog.

I'd say Rumpole was a prosecutor towards the end of Reno's run who is a white male, 38-45 years old, who (as he admitted) grew up in the northeast. Why?

1. Rumpole's Reno supporting statements. As an ex-prosecutor myself, I know that many people just don't "get" Janet unless they worked for her. Janet left the State Attorney's Office in 1993.

2. Most people over 45 barely can get their documents out on a word processing program, much less run a blog (unless they are a computer brain like Judge Silverman. Hey, now that's a candidate ... um). Guys over 55 don't even use computers (and their cell phones are the basic models because anything more complicated they can't figure out).

So let's make a list of white males, 38-45 years old, who worked for Janet during the years of 1986-1993, who now practice criminal defense, mostly if not entirely in the REG. It can't be that complicated, can it?

Is that out-of-the-box Rumpie?

Now let's narrow the list to those who can read and write more than a sentence or two ...

Oh, never mind!

You go Rump! Enjoy the mountains!

Batman said...

8:52 If you are reader of the Blog you would know I did not start this debate. I am not obsessed by him, but by the disarray and hipocrasy of the elective system for judges.

As the poster at 11:12 tells us, it is not qualifications that drive "The Scum". It is the challenge of getting unqualified people in office. That is why the lesser qualified use him.

My experiences with "The Scum" are not limited to the judicial arena. His methodology extends beyond that to the hallways of County Government and the State Legislature. He is unscrupulous and untrustworthy. Not one office holder believes anything that comes out of his mouth.

Beyond that I will not elaborate on my contacts with "The Scum". To do so would give hints of my identity. Nice try though.

See you anywhere dishonesty and dirty tricksters operate in my desire to stop them.