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.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

The 11th Circuit Historical Society hosts retired Judge Seymour Gelber tonight at 6:30 at the Historical Museum at 101 West Flagler Street.

Want to know what kind of Judge Seymour Gelber was? The title of his new book says it all:
On Behalf of Children - A History of Judicial Activism in the Dade County Juvenile Court."

Isn’t it wonderful that a man can look back on his career and see that part of it was devoted to the noble cause of helping children? Judge Gelber was also the former Mayor of Miami Beach, but don’t hold that against him.


The Federal Blog reported yesterday that Southern District AUSA Hugo Black passed away unexpectedly this weekend. Mr. Black was the grandson of the Supreme Court Justice, and not only a fine lawyer but a gentleman in his own right. Many lawyers have been remembering Mr. Black as the type of lawyer who would go out of his way to spend time getting to know you and loved to talk about matters other than law. He was one of the good guys and will be missed.


The Broward Blog (the link is at the top of the page) has a tidbit on reciprocity. Many people know Florida does not have reciprocity with other State Bars. What they don’t know is that some state bars will admit lawyers who have been in practice for more than five years. So if you want to get into Arizona’s state bar, you can apply to Vermont which allows lawyers in who have been in practice for more than five years. From Vermont, you apply to Alaska, and once in Alaska, you apply to Arizona, and voila! You’re in. Anything to avoid taking another bar exam.


It’s raining. Again. We have previously opined in these pages that when it rains for more than two hours over night, that is good cause for Chief Judge Joe Farina to cancel court. Otherwise, as we saw yesterday, you have long lines of wet people waiting to get into court; damp and angry jurors; not to mention the interminable traffic jams that form for no reason when a few rain drops fall. Florida may have played an integral part in putting a man on the moon, but it is abundantly clear we cannot function in weather that is anything other than 85 and sunny.

Mr. Markus fell out of the football suicide pool with an ill advised pick of the hapless Chargers. Meanwhile Clay Kaeiser is looking good, having survived four weeks without relying on any of the obvious favorities. His pick on Sunday- the Lions over his beloved Bears was insightful and courageous, and he is the now the favourite to win this thing as we head into our second month with four remaining players.


See you in Court.

59 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's no longer Markus with a K?

Rumpole said...

Woops. Thanks for the tip. Our editor was drunk. Again. We fixed it.

Rumpole said...

Our October 1 New Yorker arrived with an unusual little article about Janet Reno hitting night clubs in NYC. Weird, but at least she's getting out.

Anonymous said...

Bloom Pds looking very scrumptious today. Maybe they'll go to the Historical Society party and I can get them drinking.

Anonymous said...

Kaiser once told me that he is related to John Clayton from ESPN. Do you think he is getting tips from him?

Anonymous said...

I'd send a limo for those PD hotties if they will only attend.

Anonymous said...

You have to love the power outage in the building today. Reminded me of the scene from the pilot episode of Miami Vice, when the power went out in the court room for a moment, and when it came back on, the clerk, judge, bailiff, and court reporter all had a gun pointed on the defendant. And they say that show is just Hollywood fiction. Thankfully no one pulled a flare gun on any defendants.

Anonymous said...

rump - you won't publish unsubstantiated rumors, yet you will publish tawdry posts about "scrumptuous pd's?" where's your decency?! the people posting those comments are probably old enough to be those pd's father.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but the Broward blog is wrong about one thing - Arizona does not currently allow reciprocity from any state and no admission based on years of practice. Everyone takes the same test, regardless of state or years of practice.

Anonymous said...

Those pds do not come close to the females strutting around the courthouse thanks to Reiff, Hersch, Lefcourt and L & L twins. Keep those honeys looking good and in court often.

Anonymous said...

Better check the state rules on reciprocity before making plans to practice in another state without taking an exam. For example, this is what the Arizona Supreme Court says about being admitted in that state:

Rules for admission of applicants are set forth in Rules 33 through 38 of the Supreme Court of Arizona. Examination is required for all applicants. Arizona does not admit by comity, reciprocity, or on motion. No individual shall practice law in Arizona without being admitted to the bar by complying with those rules. No portion of the examination may be waived regardless of admission elsewhere or previously earned Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) scores.

You can find that quote at http://www.supreme.state.az.us/admis/

In Vermont, attorneys who have practiced for five years in another state still have to complete a three month clerkship in Vermont before being admitted to the Bar there.

Links to all State Bar Examiners can be found at: http://www.law.duke.edu/career/bar.html

Anonymous said...

Yea, at least Reno's getting out. Thanks for that update. Thrilling stuff.

Anonymous said...

Bloom looks better than anyone else in the ctroom.

Anonymous said...

rain rain go away, come again some other day.....

and everything I never liked about you- was slowly seeping into me...

was that the song you were thinking about rumpole?

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

For those of you that actually practice in criminal court, some things you should know:

Florida's sex predator penalties became among the nation's toughest Monday [Oct. 1] as a new law took effect tripling maximum sentences to 15 years for solicitation and child pornography. It also makes Florida the first state to specifically criminalize trips to meet minors for sex — regardless of whether a child actually is contacted — and requires offenders to register e-mail and instant message handles with authorities. That information will be shared with social networking sites like Myspace.com. The Legislature passed the sex crime bill last session and Gov. Charlie Crist signed it in June.

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

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

And for those of you that venture over to that big building on Flagler Street, (NOT ME), this one's for you:

Veteran Miami Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ronald M. Friedman has been removed from a bizarre dispute involving an eye doctor and her landlord after the judge publicly predicted the landlord would eventually lose in court. "What transpired here is ridiculous, and you've got a doctor who was arrested for no good reason. God only knows what your damages are going to be there," Friedman said at a March 28 court hearing. In a per curiam opinion by a panel that included Judge Melvia B. Green, Judge Richard J. Suarez and Senior Judge Alan R. Schwartz, the court said Friedman's "expression of displeasure with the case . . .and his prognostication in open court that the defendant would be faced with liability and large damages in the absence of any pleadings having been filed were sufficient to instill the fear that it would not receive a fair and impartial trial."

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

Anonymous said...

This presumed guy who keeps talking about the PD's in Bloom is getting creepy. Who says a girl looks scrumptious? (except the guy who made the TV guide bouqet for Elayne in Seinfeld)

Anonymous said...

Friedman's a good guy - very fair.

Rumpole said...

The Arizona thing was just an example I made up out of thin air. I didn't actually trace the steps needed. You can do that by clicking on the Broward Blog reciprocity link. Sometime you people are way too technical.

Rumpole said...

I always seem to walk a fine line here. If the comments about particular PDs or any lawyers is offensive I will not allow it. Its hard to tell sometimes between a comment that is just designed to be silly or fun and a comment that may offend someone.

That Elaine TV guide comment from 7:33 was pretty funny. Never much watched Seinfeld but I now recall that episode.

Hilda said...

Captain, you youtube? Do you remember this song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vUOg3Y7ve4

A tribute to our Native American folks...and a bad ass song.

Anonymous said...

Re your 9:41 comment, unfortunately, Rumpole, sometimes being "technical" is part of being a lawyer. Being accurate is also helpful. Contrary to what you write, you really can't trace the steps for reciprocity by following the link in the Broward Blog. If you look at that link (the info on Arkansas), you will see that it is more than three years old. It is also inaccurate. For example, it says that Texas does not have reciprocity. In fact, under the Texas rules as revised in 2005, any attorney who has been engaged in active practice for five of the past seven years can be admitted to the Texas Bar without having to take any test other than the MPRE.

The only way to get accurate, up to date, information is to check with the office of the State Bar Examiner in the particular state where you might be interested in being admitted.

Rumpole said...

Geeze Louise- All I was doing was giving a hypothetical example. If some moron sold their house and quit their job to move to Arizona based on something I wrote before racing out the door so as not to be late for a very important case in Hialeah Branch court, well caveat emptor.

Anonymous said...

I hear Vermont does not require law school?

Anonymous said...

Any truth that Alan is on a nationwide Halo introductory foam party tour?

Anonymous said...

Dum da da dum! Ta da.

Anonymous said...

8:52 AM I think California does not require law school.

Captain are you up yet?

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

to Hilda:

"Come and get your love" ... great song. And tell me, doesn't the lead singer (on the right) look exactly like Chief from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest?

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

Anonymous said...

Rumor is Barnaby Min turned down an appointment to the bench.

Anonymous said...

Comcast Cable Ch 51 COURT TV has wall to wall live coverage of that 15 year boy that was killed at that boot camp in upper Florida a few years back. All the guards on trial. Opening arguments started a few hours ago.

Live right now and its getting good.

Hilda said...

President Bush vetoed the approval of the spending bill to expand the S-CHIP program, which provides health insurance to impoverished children.

Although the topic is not within the realm of your witty blog banterings, what better way to demonstrate support for Rumpole's affinity for our fried chicken, mashed potatoe eating friend.

Way to kick of the Federal Fiscal New Year Mr. Bush.

Anonymous said...

What's up with my court cost?

Anonymous said...

HELLO blog readers and daily contributors. I am one of the "hotties" that you keep writing about. I have a brain, I can type. I am starting out as a lawyers and want to learn my profession without a bunch of sexually frustrated wimps talking about me on this blog. Rabid football fans and gossip like schoolgirls mean you have NO chance at having a date with me. I prefer men who have talent, nothing is more important to a woman than a man with talent, not money or muscles. A man with real skill does not have to brag about how great he is on this blog. Now I will sign off until I am notified again, for the 80th time, that some nerd is calling me a hottie. P.S. I have a boyfriend!

Rumpole said...

10:41- My sources are telling me things may not be that kosher in Northern Florida- with side deals between the defense and the prosecutor not to call certain experts, and cooperation between the sheriffs department and the defense attorneys. This young man was killed in boot camp and his family as well as the defendants deserve a fair trial so the truth comes out.

Rumpole said...

I will be more than happy to not allow any more posts about you, if this is bothering you. You certainly have every right not to be bothered by this and I apologize that I did not stop it. To be honest, I didn't really pay attention to the posts and didn't realize they were directed at one person. You have expressed yourself well, but I am sorry it even came to this.

Anonymous said...

Yeah Rump, leave us alone too.

Anonymous said...

The boot camp trial will result in an acquittal. Almost all cop trials end in not guilty verdicts. On the local level people fear cops more than criminals. On the national level almost all of us fear the military. example. the U.S. Senate just approved 200 more billion dollars for a war 80% of them disagree with, we are now over a half Trillion dollars a year on the military and if you fuck with them you get killed. Just ask JFK.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess, the attorney who keeps following around the bimbo is 5"4", has no athletic ability which is why he worships the nfl, and 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 are as common as finding an honest politician in south florida.

Anonymous said...

Leave me alone too...

Anonymous said...

11:54PM does weight matter? I am broke and over weight do I have a chance?

Anonymous said...

As a Bloom PD, I have to admit - we get way too much credit on this blog. And, I think I speak for all of the Bloomies when I say, thank you! It's amusing AND flattering...well, mostly flattering. If the comments about "hotties" are bothering some people (I mean, we are your colleagues, fellas), they should stop. Just know, though, you've given three ladies something to smile about.

Anonymous said...

After 5 years, you can also waive into Kentucky which has reciprocity with many other states.

Anonymous said...

no ma'am, actually we were talking about the other one - the HOT pd

Anonymous said...

Here's a quote from our Rumpole posted just the other day:
"Tell him to try mixing it up with me under the boards sometime. Then we'll see who can wear a jock and who can hold it."
These words were typed with such fury and anger that I find them to be genuine (not unlike an excited utterance). Therefore, I think it is fair to rule out Phil R. and Jason Grey as Rumpole candidates. Phil hasn't played basketball since being forced to in Phys Ed and Grey is too short to pull in a rebound.

Rumpole said...

I assure you that my comment was not written in anger. There is very little about this blog that could get me angry. But I would not turn down the chance to play a little b-ball with the chief judge. As I understand it, there used to be some legendary pick-up games on the Supreme Court court when Whizzer White was on the court up through his late 60's.

White was one of favourite Justices for many reasons. Robert's who I respect as very bright, it not. I was impressed with Clarence Thomas's 60 minutes interview this past weekend.

I'm a complicated guy.

Anonymous said...

What no hot guy lawyers in Bloom's court?

Anonymous said...

i am sure that seymore gelber is very proud of his relative, the dirty judge-con Roy Gelber.

Anonymous said...

Rumps, I too was impressed with Justice Thomas on 60 minutes. Not too many people rise above such a start in life. He is an inspirational figure. I wonder, though, if we were impressed in part due the low expectations created by the left's caricature of Thomas. It reminded me of how Bush won the first debate against Gore not because Gore sighed, but because Bush didn't drool on himself as expected.

Anonymous said...

whos hotter, the pds or the private hotties?

Anonymous said...

May I just say that when I was in highschool I was a starting forward for the Storm King Mountaineers of the Lower Hudson Valley Athletic Association. And I could dunk a basketball. Barely, but I could dunk.

Phil R.

Anonymous said...

You are right 4:05 I can't play basketball for shit

Anonymous said...

the trialmaster will return to this forum on Oct. 15th. he has accepted the apology i have been told.

Anonymous said...

Phil, what happened to your trial today? Did you finish?

Hilda said...

Captain, yes he does look exactly like the Chief!

I can't decide who I enjoyed most in that movie Nicholson, Sampson or DeVito.

Hilda said...

Rumpole, I wish you had posted my comment about Webster's definition of "scrumptious" and "hottie". It would have suited today's blog material well.

Anonymous said...

11:54 you are a bit full of yourself. what makes you think anyone is talking about you? now get off the blog, go to your boyfriend and tell those hotties you work with hey.

Anonymous said...

ummm...11:54 is definitely NOT a PD

Anonymous said...

But Jason is great along the boards ... he just needs the ice under his feet!

Anonymous said...

phil is so funny. i havent ever seen anyone so thin skinned. no matter what anyone says about him, if it is negative in anyway, he needs to reply and defend himself. glad you could dunk phil. glad you could dunk