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.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

CHILDISH



CHILD CARE ARRIVES

We noticed the posters by the escalators this week announcing child care in the REGJB. We called for this a long time ago, and we say well done. We have noted with some amusement that the criteria for using the services has changed every day this week, going from child care, to child care with ID or a court notice, to child care with court notice or a court order.

In any event, children are our most precious resource, and they should be spared the problems associated with having to sit quietly in court.

Well done.



CHILD HEALTH CARE VETOED.

Speaking of children, our president vetoed the child health care bill on Wednesday that had been passed with bi-partisan support. The bill authorized 60 billion dollars for child health care, 30 billion more than the president wanted to spend, or to put it another way, about one month’s worth of bombs and bullets and soldiers for the war in Iraq. This man has single handedly looted our national treasury and resources. He came into office with surpluses as far as the eye could see, and turned those into deficits, and he has spent to date a half a trillion dollars for a war started because of a lie. All we can hope for is that someday history holds him and his cronies accountable for wrecking our economy, ignoring our infrastructure, and buying bombs on the backs of children who can’t afford basic health care. For shame.


For the problems of child health care in this country, and the tragic story of Deamonte Driver, who died at age 12 after an untreated tooth abscess (he was sent home from the hospital with aspirin) caused a brain infection and death, see our post on JUNE 13TH of this year.


As Nelson Mandela said:
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul
than the way in which it treats its children.”



CHILDISH COMMENTS ON THE BLOG.

We have realized maybe too late, that what some might consider playful comments about individuals in certain courtrooms, maybe causing individuals problems. There is a strong response in yesterdays comment’s section. What to do? An entire blog was devoted to gossiping about, we kid you not, hot and hottie federal judges. The blog, called,
UNDERNEATH THEIR ROBES was devoted to rating the physical attributes of federal judges. The formerly anonymous blogger was written about by journalist Jeffrey Toobin:

A3G, as she calls herself, writes like a boozy débutante, dishing about the wardrobes, work habits, and idiosyncrasies of the “superhotties of the federal judiciary” and “Bodacious Babes of the Bench.” The author is keen on the new Chief Justice, writing, on one occasion, “Judge Roberts is lookin’ super-hunky tonight, much younger than his 50 years. . . . The adorable dimple in his chin is making A3G dizzy.” In contrast, she had doubts about Harriet Miers, posting a “Hairstyle Retrospective” and noting, “If Harriet Miers wins confirmation, maybe Supreme Court justices should start wearing powdered wigs.” Her posts on the new Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, have included a report—a “judicial sight-ation” — of the Judge stopping in at a Newark pizza shop, and a sizing up of Alito’s teen-age son: “Since he’s 19, A3G is permitted to say: he’s a hottie!”

The point is that while commenting on hot guys and hotties is apparently a blogging tradition, it should not be tolerated on this blog at the expense of embarrassing or causing anyone distress in the work place. Just our thoughts on the matter.

Let us know what you think.





When we said “rain rain go away” we didn’t want tornados.

See you in court where it doesn’t pay to complain about the weather.

52 comments:

Rumpole said...

Ok. Didn't post the comment on an individual's physical attributes vis a vis basketball.

The more problematic comment was the one about a civil judge, and a litigant who claims he had a sexual liason with the judge when the judge was a law student. It MAY, and I repeat, MAY be blog material, if the allegation is substantiated, and the Judge is currently not acting in a judicial manner. We need to see more. We are very hesitant to go with this, as we are not about hurting or embarassing people. But some things are newsworthy, so if the person who made the comment will send me an email, we can speak some more.

Rumpole said...

The comment we are concerned about arrived from an individual who called themselves "court observer." Please email me. You threw a lot of mud against several judges and we take the allegations seriously.

Hilda said...

Rumpole, I must applaud your comments on President Bush's decision to veto the S-CHIP spending bill.

There is a direct correlation between uninsured children and medical care. Be it that parents are too embarrassed or intimidated to visit a Doctor or Emergency room without insurance (knowing they will be asked for an intial payment for services at a minimum of $50) or be it that some hospitals and doctors (all ER's where Federal EMTALA rules apply) continue to treat our uninsured children, thus impacting their profitability margins, thus impacting quality of care...more free care equals a lesser quality, no means to keep up with the lastest greatest technology or costly experimental drugs - these things save lives.

As uninsured continues to grow, medical malpractice insurance rates soar, and our medical providers continue to provider FREE care, there is no greater burden on society (particularly children) or our medical care providers than paralyzing the expansion of a program that will benefit our future leaders, our children and quality of care.

Not only has President Bush taken away a child's ability to get quality care, but he has also burdened our medical system by asking them to continue to provide FREE care. There are cost's associated with providing services. Could you offer 30% of your clients PRO BONO work? This is the typical uninsured percentage of patients in an inner city hospital, such as the PHT.

The tooth abcess story is moving. Any story surrounding the loss of a child due to no damn good reason deserves a listening ear. I had an experience in which I watched a toddler, with a very serious but rare internal organ disease, slowly die because our Federal Social Security Administration took 18 months to make a favorable decision, and to would allow a drug therpay to give the young tike a few more months with his family and siblings.

8 hours in line at the Social Security Administration and 4 weeks too late. I couldn't get out of bed for 2 days feeling as if I let that family down.

President Bush should be ashamed. His defense is weak in that passing the spending bill would take us one step closer to socialized medicine, and that $5 billion is sufficient.

Mark today as a day in history considering the health insurance crisis in America.

Anonymous said...

our economy in shambles? rumpole, you jest.

six weeks ago I gave you three pics:

google at 510 now at 585.

whole foods at 39 now at 50.

and goldman at 168 now at 228.

tonight i give you comcast, bank atlantic, and citibank. and i buying the us dollar!!

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

ELECTION UPDATE:

While it is no surprise, we still want to report today the filing of her candidacy for reelection to the office of State Attorney:

Katherine Fernandez Rundle

Still no word from the Office of the Public Defender on whether BB will reup or if Carlos Martinez will step up to the plate!

CAPTAIN OUT ......

Rumpole said...

The stock market may be doing well. Martin Luther King hospital in LA closed because of no funds. Bridges are collapsing because of no available money to spend on infrastructure. We send young boys to Iraq, and then butcher them in Veteran Hospitals in the US because there is no money for veterans health care. We have no alternative engery plan and the ice cap is melting faster than we thought, and just about every hurricane is turning into a cat 5 because the water is so warm- and you really find solace because Whole Foods went up ten points?

You sir, are a moron.

Anonymous said...

Rump for Prez

Anonymous said...

No Rumpole, you are the moron on this one. The economy is not, as you say, in shambles. The economy was in shambles when Carter was president.

And by the way, you were for the war in Irac at the start. When it went south, you jumped on the band wagon like ever other limo liberal. I was against the war from go.

Anonymous said...

Bill Barzee is running for PD.

Anonymous said...

"All we can hope for is that someday history holds him and his cronies accountable for wrecking our economy.."

Lets see, interests rates are below 7%. Inflation is low. And the stock market is at 14k. Are you drunk Rumpole?

Anonymous said...

I don't think Justice Thomas's 60 minutes interview was all that great at all.

Croft threw softballs at him and he spewed a lot of rhetoric which sounded impressive.

I think he has an insidious charm to him, because clearly his opinions reflect some of the terrible things wrong with this country.

Anonymous said...

I do not think any of the comments about the women were offensive. Granted the individuals posting things constantly about women in the courthouse seem a little creepy, but it was nothing negative. Being a lawyer is a tough job. Being a trial lawyer is even tougher. If someone does not have thick enough skin to handle some positive comments about your appearance, perhaps you need to choose another profession. I say, as long as women lawyers are respected for their intelligence, talent, and abilities as a lawyer, why not also let them receive a few harmless compliments as well?

Anonymous said...

Leave Sy Gelber alone.

Roy is his nephew and im pretty sure he's not proud of that.

What he's proud of is his son, Dan Gelber, former AUSA and current Fla State Senator.

Sy was/is a fine judge and has done a ton for the rights of children. Roy shouldnt even be mentioned in the same paragraph as his uncle (which i had to do to make the point)

Rumpole said...

Listen to me carefully. With a limited IQ you need to pay attention. You are whistling past the graveyard. It's a metaphor, look it up. The world is at the precipice of a disaster. The ecology is wrecked to the point where disasters that were unheard of are happening on a regular basis.

You are happy because the FED has artificially lowered interest rates? Wait until the next congress and president try to go to the foreign markets to borrow the trillion dollars to pay for our deficits, and China says- nah, not today. Then talk to me about interest rates. The Government will squeeze all individuals out of the equity markets, by necessity.

Meanwhile, we have wasted this trillion dollars which could have been used to develop alternate sources of energy. We will need to switch to Nuclear power. No way out. It will cost hundreds of billions to do it right. Hmm...where did those billions we had with Clinton in 1999 go? Oh I know. To find WMDs- THAT DIDN'T EXIST.

Hurricanes, Floods, The Ice Cap is melting, there is genocide in Africa, not to mention the impending probability of a pandemic caused by a new flu. And we are bankrupt. Unable to finance the next great challenges to secure a better world for our children. Why? Because that liar raped our treasury and squandered a great opportunity to change the world all in a Freudian pursuit of a Man his father had a fight with.


But hey, as you said, Citibank is up, and interest rates are low. For now. Just like your favorite president, you have no ability to think about five or ten or thirty years down the road.

Anonymous said...

"Courthouse Hot" and regular "hot" are two very different things gentlemen. The two get confused when your life consists of waking up next to your no-longer-doing-it-for-you wife, running around REG like a jackass trying to get breakdowns b/c cops don't show up, going back to your "office suite" to get ready for the next day, then going home to the previously mentioned spouse. That lifestyle will make a 5 look like a 9 in your eyes everyday. You didnt goto law school with hot women, so what makes you think that there will be hot lawyers!?

Anonymous said...

Joel Denaro will be the next PD. Godspeed.

Anonymous said...

Clarence Thomas is no William Thomas.

Anonymous said...

9:38...speak for yourself...there were plenty of hotties at my law school

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, if govt programs are always the answer, why does socialism NEVER work-it's been tried in every culture on every continent and it ALWAYS fails. Don't be so simplistic to think you can just throw "govt" money or rules at a problem and have it fixed or even alleviated. Most likely, govt action will cause more problems than it solves.

As for the S-chip program, all the extra $ really would have done is take rich and middle-class kids that have private insurance ALREADY and place them in a govt program.

That is silly and purely socialistic. Poor kids are . covered already thru Medicaid

Can't you make some effort to learn the facts on issues before getting so upset when people call out your BS?

Anonymous said...

Bush's veto of the SCHIPS was a good thing.

He wanted too expand the program by $5 Billion, contrary to Hilda's statement that he wants to deprive poor kids of health care.

The democrat version of SCHIP that Bush vetoed pays free health care for "children" up to age 21 (!!), and defines "poor" as parents making (in NY) up to $82,000 per year. Are the dems f***ing nuts?! In the meantime, the dem version removed the requirement that actual POOR children be enrolled first before the wealthy.

The dems are NOT trying to provide health care for the poor in this bill, just launch a stealth version of socialized health care. Because, after all, people can't be trusted to make the right decisions with their own money. They need dems to do it for them.

Anonymous said...

8:35--i couldn't have said it any better

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, the MLK hospital in LA closed b/c it was a poorly-run, PUBLIC (govt-run, get it?)hospital that was bleeding (sorry) $ and providing the worst service in the city acc'd to patient surveys.

You just seem not to understand that govt adminstered programs, businesses, schemes just dont work out so well.

And you claim to admire Howard Roark??!! Shame.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes. Free health care. Damn Bush. What a miser. And the Democrats too. I cannot believe how stingy our elected representatives are. The audacity to only provide health care. If they were really compassionate, they would pay for:
1. My house;
2. My car;
3. My daughter's college;
4. My food;
5. My gas;
6. My vacation;
7. My office rent; and
8. all of the above for my girlfriend, so long as they do not tell my wife.
that is what I call a government for the people!

South Florida Lawyers said...

Sure, Iraq is easily the worst foreign policy blunder in American history; we blow a half trillion there with no end in sight; global warming; inadequate or no health care for millions; milk is $4.50 a gallon, and on and on.

But the stock market is up, Rumpy!

Isn't that enough?

Anonymous said...

8:35am...well said.

A woman with looks and brains needs to develop a level of professional sophistication that sends a nonverbal message to colleagues who think calling you a "hottie" is funny...you know the message, "Don't f_ck with me because I'm cute."

It's an art, and one which a youngin' must master.

Your posting sets a good example for our "hottie" PD friend. Rise above! If you want to play with the big boys, sometimes you have to act like the big boys.

Remember that episode from Sex in the City. Miranda has just had her baby and the girls went to Vegas. Miranda was standing at the Craps table, not playing, and a gentleman walked up behind her and said, "Hey, fat ass, play or get out of the way." Our favorite foursome turned and Carrie said, "Hey, she's not fat, she just had a baby!" Gesturing to his belly, "What did you just have, twins!"

Im sure our hottie scrumptious friend is no prize, they normally aren't.

Thanks to our colleagues who consistently show respect. No matter how good our tits look in our silky blouses. Pleasure working with you.

Anonymous said...

I think it is clear that the economy is very good...for a very small number of very rich people. For the rest of us...it is in awful shape.

Rumpole said...

Government programs never work. I guess McDonalds sent Ronald McDonald to the moon, not Neal Armstrong with NASA.

I am NOT for socialism. However, under the constrains of the semi-socialist society that we do live in, I would rather the government spend the money on roads, infrastructure, alternative energy development, global warming, child health, veteran health care, then bombs and bullets for Iraq.

You are not a conservative and a capitalist if you support Bush's spending policies. Bush is the same side of the coin in socialism as the most liberal democrat- the difference is what is important to Bush. Guns, oil companies, bombs, coal mining companies, defense contractors are all eating at the trough of public money. Thus, if forced to choose between the two ways my tax money would be spent- I would choose health care and matters that will make this world livable for the next generation, as opposed to lining the pockets of Dick Cheney's friends and former employers like Haliburton.

Anonymous said...

The offended "hottie" was not a PD. They eat up the attention with relish.

Anonymous said...

Rump. I have struggled to abide by your self imposed ban on the "S" word. But I have so much to say. When can we get to blogging about everyone's favorite Ford owner?

Anonymous said...

Great idea 12:36, all women should look to Sex and the City for professional guidance because that's where all feminists go to for realistic fashion and career advice. Note, Camille Paglia is a much better resource.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, I must admit I am (one of) the admirers of the lucious PDs. I must admit that having been so rudely turned down was almost exciting in a way.

To quote George from Seinfeld, "she hates me so much, I'm turned on. I can't let a woman who hates me that much get away."

Anonymous said...

how long before some parent gets arrested in court and their kid gets stuck in the daycare?

Anonymous said...

3:02pm - Here, let me drop this pen on the floor and bend over in my really short skirt and pick it up for you...do you like that?

Is that your interpretation of a professional female 3:02pm, since you obviously can't support a woman asking her collegues to treat her with dignity and respect.

Give me a break. All strong woman aren't feminists, nor Camille Paglia supporters.

Fake George Costanza, glad you liked it. Come here so I can rub that bald little head of yours.

Anonymous said...

Just b/c I disagree with you, Rump, does not mean I support all or even most of Bush's policies. In fact , I do not. In reality, he's quite a big-govt guy. I'm not.

Anonymous said...

From yesterday's comments:

"...is obviously of he hsiwej persuasion as is most of the people on this blog. after all, the reason there are so many doctors,lawyers, accountants and other professional is because athletic ability and being werbeh a..."

What the hell is "hsiwej" persuasion and being "werbeh"?

Anonymous said...

OMG- I'm running to a cold shower.

I won a contest you know.

Anonymous said...

Fake George, I hope you won something good.

It's so easy not to take the easy bait. :-)

Anonymous said...

Have you even read Paglia? You've completely missed the point. The point is that Sex and the City is hardly the place to go looking for how to handle being a female lawyer in a man's world-- which was your suggestion. Being a female trial lawyer is hard enough without having to walk around being hyper-sensitive about someone throwing you a compliment once in a while (which is what 8:35 said). Read closely, nowhere does my post suggest that I "obviously can't support a woman asking her colleagues to treat her with dignity and respect." You sound a little bit angry 4:31, maybe you have more in common than you think with Paglia? Or maybe, you just haven't gotten any in a while.

Anonymous said...

I do not like this Shumie stuff
I do not like it- enough is enough

I do not like it on the blog
My daily reading it does clog

I do not like it day or night
I do not like it- right is right

I want this Shumie stuff to go
and take his car and IPDO ho ho ho.

Anonymous said...

Bad Boys, Bad Boys-whatcha gonna do?

Anonymous said...

I know its my pretty face that makes you notice me. I am a head turner, and I love it. But it is what I say, not how I look, that keeps your attention. So I dont mind these comments. I have earned my respect the same way the ugly girls have.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

to 8:38 am

Political Correction:

Dan Gelber is not a State Senator -YET. He is a member of the State House.

He is running for the State Senate in 2008 in District 35 against incumbent Senator Gwen Margolis.

CAPTAIN OUT ........

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

ELECTION UPDATE:

Congratulations to HWSNBN.

The Candidate for Clerk of Court has filed his required quarterly finance report; (July 1 - Sept. 30, 2007). As of the end of September, 2007, he has collected a total of $50 in contributions.

CAPTAIN OUT .......

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

Finally ... It's good work if you can get it:

"The city of Sweetwater is appealing a Miami-Dade Circuit Court decision that orders the city to pay $200,000 in fees to attorneys who defended two police officers acquitted of felony battery and official misconduct charges. The city was ordered in April to pay attorneys Richard Sharpstein and Doug Hartman for successfully defending officers Allen St. Germain and George Alvarez, who were accused of beating a teenager in a 2003 investigation. They were acquitted in February 2006. The Circuit Court order made Sweetwater the first city in Florida to test a 2004 amendment to the Law Enforcement Fair Defense Act, which requires an officer's employer to cover his legal costs if he is arrested and then acquitted for something he did on the job."

Read the Herald article here:

http://www.miamiherald.com/
news/miami_dade/kendall/
story/258387.html

CAPTAIN OUT .......

Anonymous said...

Rump:

The problem with the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was that it had very little to do with children. It was another big-government, bloated, beaucratic behemoeth which would have brought us even more dangerously close to socialized (read: incompetent and ineffective - see the VA as a prime example) medicine. What we need is a federal equivalent of Florida's single subject rule.

Anonymous said...

The SOBE/Pinecrest feud has taken a turn for the worse as a coupla SOBE ruffians were seen in a black porsche doing donuts in the Falls Parking lot last night. When the dust settled a few "WBz" and "WBz RuleZ" grafitti were seen on buildings at the Falls. Police gang units confirmed that WBz is the known "tag" for Weisman Boyz, a nefarious south beach crew.

Anonymous said...

Rumpload, did you actually read the Seattle decision-all of it? Or did you just rely on the Times to tell you how to think? Again.

Anonymous said...

Captain - At tonight's Judge Barzee fundraiser, I overheard Jabba the Hut say the Governor has narrowed the list of names for Judge Shuminer's seat to Walsh, De la O, and Sayfie. Can you confirm Captain?

Anonymous said...

Hey - what is the beef - the City of Sweetwater previously paid for attorneys fees to defend a public official. A prior City Attorney and Special Counsel to the Mayor releiud upon the line of cases citing Lomelo v. City of Sunrise
423 So.2d 974, (Fla. 4th DCA, 1982), and the analysis in Semper v. City of Providence, 2001 WL 1005904 (R.I.Super. Aug 22, 2001) to recommend approval. The same reasoning was used in teh City of Hialeah to pay for the fee incurred by Mayor Martinez following the venendetta and three ring circus created by Dexter. Lehiten

Rumpole said...

Actually Jackass, besides reading the decision, I went here
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/
and read the transcripts of the oral argument. Just Because.

Anonymous said...

Joel Denaro me piace e divino, he's definitely a hottie.

Anonymous said...

8:49,

Close. Walsh, Sarduy, and Sayfie