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, September 20, 2007

SOUTHERN JUSTICE AND THE TOOTH FAIRY


ONE NIGHT ONLY. Tonight. At the Miami Historical Museum at 101 West Flagler Street.

A New President parades down Biscayne Boulevard, while nearby an assassin squints and aims his gun. A shot rings out. A man crumples to the ground fatally wounded.

The 11th Circuit Historical Society presents The Five Weeks Of Giuseppe Zangara.

The five weeks refers to the time between the attempted assassination of President Roosevelt, and Zangara’s execution. Author Blaise Pichi will be present for a book signing as the 11th Circuit Historical Society kicks off an exciting season of events.


Rick Freedman, ever the eternal optimist, writes in defense of the clerk’s office:


rick freedman said...
Rumpole:

This is not the first time I have had to provide you with accurate information; (ie the interpreter column).
According to the Clerk's office, (I spoke with them today), Director of the Division in charge of those that work the windows on the 9th floor, both for the public as well as for the attorneys, probation officers, etc., the procedures for obtaining a file and viewing the file WILL return to normal on either Friday or Monday. It is true that the office was undergoing a makeover and that this makeover did cause an inconvenience for the attorneys, but it is NOT a permanent fixture.
Also, I spoke with the Clerk about their policies reference waiting times. I received a commitment from this person that, once the regular system is back in place, that if there are more than three people waiting for assistance in the attorney's window line, that a second clerk should come over and assist the other clerk at the window. If you continue to encounter this problem, and do not see a change in the speed and efficiency of the clerks, please let me know and I will talk to them again.



Rumpole replies: My dear Mr. Freedman, your misplaced faith in the clerk’s office mirrors your faith in the Jaguars (now we’re even for that shot you took about this not being the first time you have to set us straight.)

Rumpole is sorry to inform you that there is no Santa Claus. There is no Easter Bunny. And there is a snowball’s chance in hell of the Clerk’s office efficiently and promptly assisting attorneys in obtaining files to review. I assure you that I did indeed inquire as to why, having trekked down the hallway, I was given a form to request a file and told I had to walk back down the hallway to turn it in, and then walk back down the hallway to see if I won the lottery and my file was available. And I swear it is true that when I asked the clerk in the attorneys room why he could no longer go get files, I was met by a blank stare and then the comment : “We just painted this room” as if that clerkian logic explained why it was necessary to race up and down the hallways like a rat in a maze (no smart comments please) only to be told there was no cheese.

You want to believe their bureaucratic propaganda? Go right ahead. From someone who on a weekly basis waits in that interminable line while the clerk’s disappear for ten and twenty minutes at a time only to return with a smirk to say “the file is out”, we are just a bit less optimistic than you are.


SOUTHERN JUSTICE 2007

You have heard the STORY
by now. Some African American students at a Louisiana high school decide to “sit on the white side” of a meeting area at the school. White students responded by putting nooses in the trees. The African American students got upset, a fight broke out, and six young black men sit accused of attempted murder and face decades in prison, while the noose builders go on with their studies.

Today in Jena, Louisiana, hundreds if not thousands will descend on this small backward town to protest the treatment of these young men.

Violence begets violence. Does Rumpole support these young men’s actions in initiating physical violence ( if that is what they did)? The answer is no. Nor does Rumpole support hanging nooses in trees.


The answer is so simple it is right in front of their racists noses.

This happened at a school. These are kids. And they need to be taught. The white students and black students need to be brought together in a class. The white students need to write essays on southern lynchings. The black students need to write essays on Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence. Instead of throwing the book at these kids, some enlightened educators need to see this as a chance to plant ideas that can turn these kids into productive citizens.


See You In Court, helping to explain to Mr. Freedman why there is no tooth fairy.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rump,

I disagree.

I have always recieved good service from the Clerk in Miami.

I have NEVER been given good service by the Clerk in Broward.

Anonymous said...

I know this is a little off topic, but I just saw the David Young Show on TV. It comes on at 12:30am in my local market. The cases are pretty stupid, but he's just as good as always.

It reminds me of the first time I met him. I was recently promoted to a C in the SAO and went into his chambers looking for another ASA to go to lunch. He introduces himself and then out of the blue states: "You're not married are you?" Confused, I quickly answer "no". He responds: "It shows. No woman would let you walk out of the house with that shirt and tie on together."

There's certainly no other judge on TV like him.

South Florida Lawyers said...

Can someone explain why there is still a "white tree" at this school?

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Responding to last evening's citing of Mr. McGillis at the South Dade Govt. Ctr., I cannot confirm the purpose. It appears that the candidate for Clerk of Court does not have any pending cases. While the list of past filings is long:

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs ANTHONY ABRAHAM CHEVROLET

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs GROSS, HOWARD

KOLUDROVIC, MARK A vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs PARKWEST LTD

KENDALL LAKE TOWERS vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN E

KENDALL LAKE TOWERS vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs BACKHAUS, PAULETTE

DARRIN MCGILLIS Re: MCGILLIS, WENDOLYN

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs BENGE, GERALD

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs FLORIDA DEPT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES(THE)

KENDALL LAKE LCC vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN

ENTERPRISE RENT A CAR vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN

MCGILLIS, DARRIN E vs LAWS REPORTING INCORPORATED

LESSARD, RYAN vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN E

MCGILLIS, DARRIN vs LESSARD, RYAN EMERY

NESS, BENJAMIN vs MCGILLIS, DARRIN

CHHABRA, CHARANJEET vs MCGILLIS, DARRINE EDWARD (?????)

... it also appears that all of these cases are closed. The last one that was still ongoing was the Judge Hernandez case that made so much news last year.

On a side-note, it would also appear that anyone who has been involved in that much litigation over the past 15 years (16 cases in Miami-Dade County) is probably very qualified to run the Clerk's office.

CAPTAIN OUT ..........

Anonymous said...

captain search under benjamin ness and you find 3 more mcgillis cases with his name mispelled.

Anonymous said...

Is it me or is Rick (get his own blog) Freedman getting on your last nerve.

News Flash: If I wanted to read your crap I would email you or visit your Blog. Wait You Don't Have a Blog. Brian T, the Big O, David O, all have a blog dedicated to serious legal news.

GET A BLOG OR JUST STOP THINKING THIS IS YOUR ADOPTED BLOG.

Now back to humor, rumor and inuendo with a touch or flat out lies.

Anonymous said...

Fake Harvey Ruvin said: After much thought and the very professional lobbying efforts of the FACDL Miami Chapter I am pleased to announce that the following question will be removed from future job applications and interviews for positions in the felony criminal division office of the clerk; How badly do you hate attorneys and can you give me some examples?

Anonymous said...

Anyone catch Judge Young on Hannity and Colmes last night?

Anonymous said...

"How badly do you hate attorneys and can you give me some examples?"

The funniest comment ever.

Anonymous said...

Captain, you also forgot or missed the famous

Darrin McGillis vs Darrin McGillis
where captain pro se sued himself for some imagined transgression.

Also, didn't the idiot file a bunch of lawsuits against "Rumpole"? Are those in the courthouse, or was he lying, as he usually does? What a MOOK.

Rumpole said...

10:55- Rick Freedman is welcome to post on this blog whenever he damn well feels like it. He has worked tirelessly on many issues, like court appointments, and other issues that affect defense attorneys every day. He donates his time to make our job easier, and we value his input.

Anonymous said...

Clerkian logic--funny.

Anonymous said...

I saw that guy Joseph George who is supposedly going to head the new Conflict Offices in ct today. With him were Tony Joyce and Dennis Berger, who are evidently going to be his top two lieutenants.

They were making the rounds of the various chambers to introduce themselves.

They seemed happy with themselves today.

Anonymous said...

I was wondering how long it was going to take for someone to comment on David Young's show. I personally like David a lot. I think he is a great human being. BUT, I couldn't get through 10 minutes of his show. It was awful! It was like pulling teeth. The facts of the case are stupid to begin with and then he asks ridiculous questions to try to make some drama and then he gays it up too. It's all irrelevant and bad. Sorry Dave. You've got a long haul, but the good news is things can only go up.

Anonymous said...

The female family lawyer that is going to run against Fierro is Pat Kopco.

Rumpole said...

11:41 am- I admit the comment made me laugh. Very funny indeed.

Anonymous said...

...and Rick Freedman is a hell of a nice guy, too.

I didn't know BT had a blog. Does anyone have the address?

CK

Rumpole said...

Oh, I fixed the post adding "faith" to Mr. Freedman's misplaced--- in the clerk's office. The original post had a scribbner's blogger's error.

Anonymous said...

longtime wordsmith...


scrivener's error.... not scribbener's.

A clerical error is an error on part of an office worker, often a secretary or personal assistant. It is a phrase which can also be used as an excuse to deflect blame away from specific individuals, such as high powered executives, and instead redirect it to the more anonymous, less identifiable, less punishable, and certainly less embarrassable clerical staff.

A clerical error in a legal document is called a scrivener's error. There is a considerable body of case law concerning the proper treatment of a scrivener's error.

Anonymous said...

Tony Joyce? I think you mean Richard Joyce. He does dependency. He's a happy guy. He'll happily rip you a new asshole. Happy is good.

Anonymous said...

Anyone running against Fierro should be supported by all!!!

Anonymous said...

Good for Pat Kopco. She was an ASA in the late nineties and has been doing family law since that time. She's got my vote.

Rumpole said...

To Longtime word watcher:

au contraire my etymologically astute reader.

While you are correct about the definition of a scriveners error, a "Scribbners" error is when a Blogger leaves out a word. See, Rumpole's Rules and Definitions for Blogging, Volume 1 (2006).

Anonymous said...

my dearest horace, you pusililanimous pedagog.

follow this link to a blog entitled "scrivener's error" powered by blogspot.

http://scrivenerserror.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_scrivenerserror_archive.html

i suggest you two meet at dawn on the steps of of webster's and settle this once and for all.

Anonymous said...

Pat Copco was a great prosecutor and a really nice person. Her main hobby was handling golden retrievers.

Judge Fierro is one of the bigest jerks to ever wear a robe. He is rude, offensive and will not listen to anyone.

Anonymous said...

Any truth to the rumor, BLAKE out of the office two weeks to shoot and try to sell a pilot? Anyone know for sure?

Anonymous said...

Good lawyers taking on questionable Judges is ok... At least Kapco isn't another Gina, Josie or that nutcase Gonzalez.......

Anonymous said...

Rump: How about adding video like North of the Border?

Anonymous said...

How many of you receievd a letter from our good friend Darrin asking for money for his campaign for Clerk of Court?

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, the state of race-relations in Jena is obviously tragic, but months separate the tree/noose incident, and the beating of the white kid by the black defendants. Your post makes it seem like both events happened the same day and the second was a direct response to the first. Those who have investigated the situation (the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Weezy) did not conclude that the two were linked.

Anonymous said...

BT's blog is located at http://criminaldefenseblog.blogspot.com/

He comes off as a surly man.

Anonymous said...

Anyone running against Eig? He has to be the worst judge in the building. Nothing bothers me more than judges who waste our time. He never starts on time. I'm not talking 9:15. He rarely takes the bench before 9:45.

Rumpole said...

It must make you absolutely crazy that even when you pretend to write as someone else, I won't publish your drivel. I win. Again.

Anonymous said...

I agree- Eig is rude about wasting our time.
But he's a fair man who doesn't follow the state's marching orders.
We could do a lot worse.

Rumpole said...

1