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.

Monday, October 22, 2007

PLEASE SIR MAY I HAVE SOME RENT MONEY?









Like Oliver Twist standing there with a sad face and an empty oatmeal bowl, our esteemed Regional Office Counsel, one Mr. Joseph P. George Jr., Esq., has been left standing at the front of the orphanage hungry.

Rumpole has obtained, at great personal sacrifice, a letter from Ms. Jennifer Glazer-Moon, Director of Strategic Business Management of Miami Dade County, in which our County answers Mr. George’s plaintive cry of “please sir, may I have some more?” with a loud and definitive NO.

From the letter dated October 18, 2007 (hot of the presses; you’ve got to admire our sources)

“Dear Mr. George:

In response to your inquiry about funding for facilities, security, and operating expenses for the Regional Counsel Office in Miami, the FY 2007-2008 Adopted Budget does not include funding for a facility and/or operating expenses for such an office.

The letter references FACDL v. Florida Governor Charlie Crist et.al., SC07-01744 and concludes rather rudely:

“While the lawsuit is pending, we do not intend to consider funding for facilities and other expenses related to the Regional Conflict Counsel’s Office in Miami

Rumpole says: Welcome to Miami. Now leave.

We continue to side with the strategy of slowly suffocating Mr. George and his Rockettes. We don’t want his office in Miami, we think clients will be poorly served by an office that is waiting for law students to pass the bar so they can handle capital litigation against Mr. Laeser and his prosecutors in the division formerly known as “Major Crimes”.


In fact there is nothing we like about Mr. George's ROC and we have previously made that abundantly clear.


Take your oatmeal bowl, your request for rent and "security" (just who are you afraid of? Your clients or your colleagues? ) and leave now. We don't need no stinkin ROC office and we do not want you or your kind in our court system learning how to be criminal defense attorneys while your clients (who should be our clients) go off to prison.
See You In Court pulling the chair out from under Mr. George while he's not looking.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ouch! Rumpy, didn't your mother teach you to play nice with others?!

Anonymous said...

why doesnt dude just practice out of the trunk of his car, thus obviating his need for funds for office space.

perhaps a few dolphins will volunteer for his apparent need for a security detail.

Anonymous said...

No money --- ARE YOU DEAF? -- NO MONEY AT ALL -- PERIOD -- NONE!

Now let me hear, again, about that Constitution crap you guys are selling...

Rumpole said...

I have stopped posting many comments about identity. Yes, one individual just sent the letter out for FACDL. No I'm not trying to make you think I am that person. Obviously the letter had many sources today and one of them emailed it to me. Don't make such a big deal about it. Obviously I was joking about secret sources. Everybody has seen the letter and it was blog-able, if that is a word.

LET THE WORD GO FORTH: I Shall pass no opportunity to make fun of the Rockettes.

Anonymous said...

Only thing you missed Rump (and I love your post) is "We don't need no stinkin dependency lawyers running the second largest criminal
defense firm in the county!!!"

Anonymous said...

i am amused at the apparent indignition of rump with the conflict counsel. rump must be a bottom feeder as well. frankly, i welcome the reduction of my tax money that goes to the bottom feeders to represent those scumbags. i used to take ct appt. when the critera was "reasonable atty fees" and judges would award fees based on affadaivts. fees of 25 to 50k were common. ask dresnick who received reasonable fees.

Anonymous said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

First, the name is CAPTAIN not captian. Second, if you don't enjoy what I write, don't read it. Third, someone asked about Brummer's history of filing early, so I gave the correct information.

Finally, I think it is very relevant that OUT OF A POSSIBLE 46 Judges, all but two Circuit and one County Court Judge have filed for reelection:

Judge Prescott
Judge JB Cohen
Judge Figarola

The common practice these days, is to file early, raise lots of money, and scare away any potential opponents. Filing deadline is May 2, 2008; that's only 6 months!!!

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

Dear Captain:

You tell em - and, look at all the judges out there raising money already. I have been invited to three or four fundraisers in the past week.

Anonymous said...

"SECOND FLOOR PD" says:

First, the late Great Joe Reyes would roll over in his grave if Carlos becomes Public Defender.

As for Weed and Rory, the banded together with Martinez during the Gabe Martin calamity. Generally, they felt Carlos was Brummer's stooge.

My pick for Public Defender would be a man with at least some trial expierence. Otherwise, it is difficult to gain the respect of the rank and file. The job is not that difficult. You can both administer and try cases, it seems.

Anonymous said...

EVERYBODY assumes Rumpy is a man, BUTTTTT look how red his lips are in his bio pic. Maybe that's a hint. Could RUMPY be none other than MBF?????

Anonymous said...

Rump- I want to clear up some confusion about operation restore sanity. There was some discussion about the existence of the web site at the Federal Bar meeting- which CPS tried to crash in his uniform and boombox, but security nabbed him at the door.

There is a very plain web site- call it franksnbeans.com (NOT the real name). When you go to that website, you have access to a VPN- a virtual private network, where all the animation and jokes and pictures about CPS are. Just click on a file a laugh.

Because the documentation is on a VPN, no search on the internet will turn up any hint of the website, because the content is off line. If you have a friend who has the website, he can invite you, give you the password, log your IP address as acceptable, and voila, hours of fun are available for viewing. The latest is a "claymation" of CPS getting thrown out of the Federal Bar Meeting and then trying to serve everyone with a complaint. Pretty Funny stuff!!!

Anonymous said...

6:56- you couldn't have been that great an attorney if you refer to your former clients as "scumbags".

Anonymous said...

That "POP" you all heard was Captain Pro Se's head exploding. That there are people out there laughing at him- lawyers yet- something he can never be- is driving him crazy, especially since there is not a damned thing he can do about it.

Anonymous said...

Joe Reyes? If we are talking about tall thin Joe Reyes, then we are talking a hell of a great guy and lawyer. He and I were on opposite sides early in my career. Talk about a lawyer's word being his bond, that guy was a class act. I hope by "late great" you mean former PD not that he is deceased. If so, it is terribly saddening to hear the news.

CK (the real one)

Rumpole said...

CK, I am sad to report that I believe Joe Reyes passed away from a heart ailment - at way too young an age- a few years ago when he was in Texas seeking treatment for his heart problem. I may have the details partially incorrect, and I know one of our PDs will write in with the details, but I do believe sadly, that Joe Reyes has passed away.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

The Florida Bar:

Joseph A Reyes
Deceased

ID Number: - 784850
Address: Office of General Counsel
110 SE 6th St Ste 2160
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 333015016
United States
Phone: 954.3087345
E-Mail: jreyes@uaig.net
County: Broward
Circuit: 17
Admitted: 12/29/1988

Is this the same one ???

CAPTAIN OUT ...

Anonymous said...

Having known and worked with Joe, I'd have to agree that he was a class act as a person and attorney; in fact, he was so much a class act that what would really make him in spin in his grave is his name and an "opinion" anonymously and posthumously ascribed to him being used to hurt or insult anyone.

Honor his memory and drop the subject.

Anonymous said...

No Captain, it's not. Joe Reyes (former PD) died a couple of years ago.

CK, you are right about him. He and I were assigned to division together (I was a prosecutor). He was a perfect gentleman, a total straight shooter and a hell of a trial lawyer. I'll never forget him.

Anonymous said...

LOL> Aren't you the same guy who has waxed poetic on professionalism and bashed a Broward prosecutor for her inapporpriate comments for the last couple of days?

You don't think you and your cohorts are hurting the system by undermining the ROC?

Anonymous said...

Hey 2nd Floor PD - You're an idiot! You obviously didn't know Joe Reyes that well because he never would've involved himself in any PD political bullshit. He came to work, did his job and did it well. He was a fine attorney. May he rest in peace.

Rumpole said...

6:10 AM- you don't see the difference between a political opinion and violating the professional rules of ethics by tainting a juror?

Anonymous said...

Rump- on behalf of the 3rd Floor PDs, we wish to challenge the 2nd Floor PDs. Name your game and name your time. Basketball? No problem. Scrabble? Bring your dictionary.

FIFA soccer? See ya later as we will wax your butts- can you say GOALLLLLLL?

What do you guys say?

Anonymous said...

You guys are on! But only if we can pick up Mark Eiglarsh to run point. Before the game though, he wants to call a news conference to stress the importance of cardiovascular conditioning.

Anonymous said...

you said: LOL> Aren't you the same guy who You don't think you and your cohorts are hurting the system by undermining the ROC?

i say: YES!! Now go get your pen and paper out of the trunk of your car and get to court-scab!

Anonymous said...

Nice to know that the PD's have enough free time to play soccer. Perhaps taking fewer pleas and trying more cases would help you get ready for life after the PD's office.

Anonymous said...

2nd floor pd

your comment, "The job is not that difficult. You can both administer and try cases, it seems" Just shows how little you actually know what it takes to run the Miami Public Defender's Office. This isn't some po dunk town. This isn't even a mid sized city. This is a huge city with tons of clients who need the office's help. Alot of that help is provided by the trial lawyers, and a lot of it is provided by the administration who works tirelessly to protect the rights of the clients in ways which go beyond the understanding of most pit lawyers.

It would be near impossible for the public defender to appropriately do his administrative duties AND represent clients. If that day ever came I would definitely not want to be his client. I'd be filing a rule 3 pronto.

also, careful who's name you through around on this blog. joe reyes was about as solid a human being as there was. To state what may have been his opinion is treacherous ground.

Anonymous said...

Hey Judge Butchko - for the record the legal requirement for seeking a Competency evaluation under 3.210 is that counsel has a reasonable ground to believe that the client is not mentally competent to stand trial.

If counsel articulates reasonable grounds for his or her belief, it doesn't matter that you don't think the defendant is incompetent.

Remember you are their to follow the law not obstruct it. Stop thinking like an administrator.
Your concern should be with justice not saving the tax payers
money.

Signed,
A Concerned Attorney who was
in Court this morning - not
Mr. Markus.

Anonymous said...

There are many topics which get thrown around this board that genuinely have two evenly argued sides to them. There are topics which, the debates on which could go on for hours. As far as the ability, intellect, and skills of Rory Stein goes, respectfully I must say, is not one of them.
Those of you who have been commenting negatively about Rory Stein's lawyering ability have absolutely no freakin' clue what you are talking about. NOT A CLUE.
Rory Stein is as knowledgable a legal authority in the office as there is. There's a reason he is the office's general counsel, and it is because of his thorough knowledge of the law in just about every area of criminal law. I challenge anybody to claim they have a better working knowledge of the 4th amendment than he does.

Oh yeah, he also used to be the office's training director. He helped develop the office's training plan which had made all of you the amazing, wonderful, well-skilled, unbeatable pit lawyers that you are today. Please don't tell me that you walked out of your book reading law school days with those abilities.

I could go on....and I will...
Before he was relegated to the 5th floor Rory was a successful trial and appellate lawyer. Feared for his cross examination skills and known for his brilliant arguments to appellate judges. He was representing death row inmates at 24, an age when many of you were wondering if the bar exam, "really was going to be THAT hard."

And for what it's worth. Rory envys many of you pit lawyers who trash him name up and down this board. he remembers the days he "actually tried cases," and he wishes he was still doing it now, as it was his first love.

But the fact is, Brummer saw in him, and knows that amongst so many other things, Rory is a great leader, and manager, which is what it takes to be an administrator in an office of 200 lawyers. If he wasn't so busy cleaning up the dirty diapers of many of the pit lawyers (who can't even manage themselves) than maybe his time would be cleared up enough to take a case load.
Alas, that day probably will never come. So those of you who have never seen him in action will just have to go on your assumptive ways, claiming things which you know little to nothing about, in order to puff your chest out a little bigger and complain about why you "don't get paid enough money," even though you've been a lawyer for less years than Rory has fingers on his left hand.

To be honest, I have no interest in much of what is said on this board. However, knowing Rory quite well, better than most people in the office and on this board, it is upsetting to see such an honorable and good man's name be trashed.

Anonymous said...

To 6:08a.m. and the Captain, 6:08, you are wrong and the Captain is right. Joe Reyes did work for the Office of the General Counsel for United Auto (in Ft. Lauderdale) prior to passing away. The Captain has the right Joe Reyes. As his colleague both at the PD's office and at the Office of the General Counsel, I agree that he was a very fine attorney. He passed away way too young and left a new wife behind.

Anonymous said...

to the pretender CK

I don't know about you, but I was born with my initials and have been using them since before there was even an internet. And don't take credit for my football picks.

C(R)K

Anonymous said...

I had heard that Joe Reyes passed away a while back. I really liked Joe as a person and he really was a great lawyer. Here's a funny Joe Reyes story:

As an ASA I offered him 10 days on a DWLS HTO case. After speaking to his client he came back and said "can you make it 30, my client's a real [jerk]!"

Rumpole said...

I liked it better when the discussion centered around which mid-morning snack Mr. Stein enjoyed.

Longtime and careful readers of the blog may remember that way back in the early days of the blog, Mr. Stein called us a liar and- to which point we retorted something to the effect that he should put down his danish and go to court. At which point there began a year long discussion of his eating habits.

Anonymous said...

The Rory apologists are PATHETIC!!

"The Office's General Counsel" what the fuck is that?? 10 hrs of work a year? "Cleaning up young lawyers messes"? How exactly ? Sounds like some made-up shit.

The guy basically took an early retirement. Face it. Deal with it. He is a has-been, if he ever was anything to start with.

I got many trial cases Rory can come 2nd chair and demonstrate how great he was in the days before color tv. I know others have asked him to try cases with them, but he ALWAYS has an excuse. Something to "administer", I guess. But I'm sure he'd be there if he could just find the time!

What a fucking joke these "leaders"
are. Enjoy the welfare while it lasts, and pray there aint no karma in this world.

Anonymous said...

Frankly I think Rory is a prick, but he is really smart.

Anonymous said...

Rump,

Will you tell Clay Kaiser that in fact you baptized me publicly on this blog with the name Circle K (and hence the initials CK) before he provided anything to this blog.

CK - the offical CK of the justice building blog.

Anonymous said...

"As an ASA I offered him 10 days on a DWLS HTO case. After speaking to his client he came back and said "can you make it 30, my client's a real [jerk]!"

I have not teared up laughing so hard. That statement is priceless!

Rumpole said...

I have indeed been puzzled by the whole CK contretemps. Indeed I did get into a blog argument with an individual that I lambasted as being a clerk at Circle K, and was surprised to see a later post from the individual signed CK-which showed me CK had a sense of humor and understood that what is done here on the blog is or should be all in fun.

Then Clay Kaeiser started signing his comments CK, and that has caused some confusion. In spirit of the legal profession, you guys need to work this out at mediation. Perhaps CK circkle CK can be Fake CK, since after all CK are Clay's initials. I mean I wouldn't want someone using the initials....woops- almost gave my identity away. Anyway, you guys work it out and let us know.

HR
(Horace Rumpole)

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know why Judge Bach is resigning?

Anonymous said...

CK, I thought he was the KING of whitie/tighties???

Rumpole said...

To go "Bach" from whence she came. (hahhahahhaha) if nothing else, this blog keeps me amused.

Anonymous said...

Dear 2:56:

You must not know Rory very well. I have gone to his office to staff everything from murder cases to "c" cases. He was going to second chair a murder case of mine and worked it up with me but I secured a very fair plea offer at the 11th hour.

Once, I heard him walking by and I asked him a question on a case. He had no forewarning on the issue yet he told me what case to pull and that the answer I was looking for could be found in FN 1. True story. The MOST impressive part wasn't even that; it was the fact that he even told me the YEAR the case was from.

The man is an incredible lawyer. You cannot take that away from him. I also happen to know from my years working here and for him that he does work very hard. Harder than anyone realizes. He does it for little pay (compared to what any of us could be making 30 years out at a firm), and he has to put up with people like 2:56 who are angry, bitter, small, and talentless (especially if you are who I believe you to be). Since he cannot really come on here and defend himself, it is left to me and the others who know him to correct the inaccuracies of those like you.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Judge Bach's resignation has something to do with her personal life and new marriage. I cannot say anything more than that for now.

CAPTAIN OUT ......

Anonymous said...

The West Palm PD and the Tampa PD make it a point to try murder cases every year. They're trial lawyers and leaders who know its a great morale boost for the pit lawyers. That, I believe is the difference between a leader and an adminstrator. Perhaps if BB actually came to the office once in a while instead of calling in testimony from Colorado, he'd have time for a case load.

Anonymous said...

6:45
Rory needs to get in there and try a case.

Anonymous said...

Hey 2:56, I've known Rory for over 20 years. He's incredibly dedicated to making the PDO the best criminal defense firm in town and in the state. He works his butt off day in and day out. You sir are an ignorant, mis-informed, and embittered sloth. You might actually consider talking to the man about the law. On the other hand, maybe not, you wouldn't want to embarrass yourself.

Anonymous said...

Rory knows his case law.

So shut up, you whiny, small, talentless, bitter (haha) trial lawyers and bow down to the man with the greatest case law knowledge in world history .......Rory Fucking Stein!

Anonymous said...

Rump
Rory is a fine lawyer. He was my Training Attorney when I started felonies at the PDs; and my supervisor when I was a Training Attorney. He is a hell of a Trial Lawyer and a good Appeallate Attorney. I still can go to him to find the answers/case law, when even I'm not sure what the answers are. Alot of things happen that the 5th floor does that most of us do not see. Rory is trying to make sure we and our clients are not screwed too bad in the Circus Courts. He is a gruppy guy and aprubt, but he is a hell of a lawyer. This ain't suck-up just as I see it.
D. Sisselman

Anonymous said...

Rory knows his case law like he knows his danish....

Rumpole said...

Mr. Sisselman's voice carries authority in this matter. He has been around awhile. He has seen a lot, and he knows BS when he sees it. If he supports Mr. Stein, that goes a long way in settling the debate for me- not that I have a dog in this fight. I don't.

Anonymous said...

Judge Butchko wasn't particularily great at following the law over in juvenile court either. Glad to see that she's at least consistent

Anonymous said...

Who cares if Bach leaves. She's a b---h anyway. Yes she is pretty, but that only helps the men tolerate her. She isn't pleasant to attorneys, she is just nice to look at.