Miami PD Bennett Brummer has announced that he will not seek re-election.
Not exactly the same Constitutional import as the President resigning, but in the two plus years we have run this blog, the most surprising comments have been from disgruntled assistant public defenders. When we started we would have bet that it would have been assistant state attorneys that were going to fill the blog with comments about low morale (but we also picked the Giants last week, so what do we know?). But since the Dade SAO trusts its ASA's as much as China or North Korea trusts its citizens (and all three limit the Internet access of their populace) it was the assistant public defenders that filled the blog with Nixonian tales of suspicious administrators and dark machinations.
Today any lawyer can walk into the State Attorneys Office. However, the same cannot be said for Mr. Brummer's office, where in the wake of a failed coup attempt in the last election, we know of at least four lawyers who are "Banned in Dade." Along with a rather public spanking two years ago in a federal lawsuit alleging wrongful termination, and a subsequent settlement for 300 thousand dollars, that is an ignominious history for a Public Defender to have.
However, Mr. Brummer's office has consistently provided competent and in many cases excellent legal services to the citizens of Dade County. His legacy will undoubtedly be one he can be proud of. Some of the very best lawyers in the United States were trained in the Dade PD's office. H.T Smith and Roy Black and Jack Denaro are just a few that come to mind immediately.
So, while we mourn Sean Taylor, we put up this post as the more appropriate place to continue the discussion of the future of the Dade County Public Defenders Office.
40 comments:
Bennett Brummer finally decides to leave. Is he gone yet? Can we get him to leave now instead of in a year? Then Crist could pick someone to run as an incumbent.
Is anyone going to run against his anointed successor or do we suffer through more of the same in a hispanic body?
I am no Barzee fan. Somebody of real substance please step up. PLEASE!!!
Barzee for PD
Day Two.
The momentum builds.
Miami has the Dolphins
they often lose by three
their record is 0-12
oh how bad can this be?
now they've got Ricky back
will his running get them by
because if you think they're gonna win
like Ricky you are high!
Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins are the worst
Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
I can't remember the last time they were in first
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
IT'S OFFICIAL ... Martinez files ..
2008 General Election
Public Defender
Circuit 11
Carlos J. Martinez
Democrat
Status: Active
Date Filed: 11/26/2007
and the race for the Office of the Public Defender is on .....
CAPTAIN OUT ........
"Some of the very best lawyers in the United States were trained in his office. H.T Smith and Roy Black and Jack Denaro are just a few that come to mind immediately."
wrong wrong wrong wrong.
jack denaro and roy black NEVER worked for brummer. check your facts.
Does Carlos have any money besides
the obscene 150K salary he makes as
a Chief Assistant Public Defender?
Captain - How much does it cost to put your name in for PD?
Markus is going to run and he will name Barzee as his first assistant because Barzee can't actually run.
When did Martinez become a democrat? He was a registered Independent until recently. playing politics it looks like
Dan Gelber for P.D. He is a good Trial Attorney, knows Tallahassee and is term-limited
Funny that Rump has heard bad things from PDs because all of us in the criminal defense world only hear good things about Bennett and his managment team.
Stacy Glick for PD - "Compassion for Dade County"
12:34- I realize you are correct and what I was inartfully trying to say was that the office has a proud tradition of producing fine lawyers. I realize those guys worked for Hubbart. So I changed the post to better reflect what I was trying to say.
1:53 my comment was only in the objective sense. Go read the early posts of the blog. By december 2005 there was a raging battle about the PDs office, which as I wrote, took me completely by surprise. I have never expressed an opinion about how the office was run, other than to criticisize the banning of lawyers from his office. Truth be told, I have no idea how the PDs office is run from an administrative point of view. I'm a courtroom guy, not a back office guy.
1:37,
And just why can't Billy Barzee run?
BREAKING NEWS: the Miami Herald is reporting that former Judge Ivan Hernandez has filed papers for Public Defender.
When reached by telephone Hernandez stated he "looked forward to hiring the entire trinity tour as upper MGMT".
I think a bunch of people are going to file to run for PD. That place has been locked up for 3 decades, don't be surprised if several people file, and some surprises emerge........
Billy Barty? He was great in Wild Wild West.
Black, Denaro, Smith etc. All recruited and trained by Phil Hubbart. wrong wrong wrong is correct correct correct. Were you guys born yesterday?
WRONG!
"Some of the very best lawyers in the United States were trained in his office. H.T Smith and Roy Black and Jack Denaro are just a few that come to mind immediately."
wrong wrong wrong wrong.
jack denaro and roy black NEVER worked for brummer. check your facts. (They were proteges of Phil Hubbart!)
JAYNE WEINTRAUB IS MY CANDIDATE!! She will kick ass. Let's get a ground swell going for Jayne
We can have fun about speculating about who will run for PD- but as to one particulary unstable individual, unless that person actually files, its better not to print stuff about him, as it drives him crazy, and we are not about hurting people. So I didn't post the comment.
Billy please be a hero
Please run for PD
Billy Please be a hero
go and set the people free
and as he went to hire Susan Freed
I yelled Billy fire David Weed
Billy please be a hero and run for PD.
The Commodore needs to step up and run for PD.
Giving Brummer credit for his best lawyers would make sense if he had something to do with their training. The fact is, he doesn't. His legal knowledge is non-existent.
The PD office is awful roomie
but can it fit the ego of Shumie?
Someone thinks poorly of Bennett Brummer and Kathy Rundle. The comment did not go up, but I am conveying the sentiments.
I may give it a ride.
SLEEPY BRUMMER
ONE MORE TIME PLEASE
PLEEEEEZE?
GAIL LEVINE FOR PD!!!! IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN! GAIL LEVINE FOR PD!!!!!!
The TRUE hard-working PDs are the least recognized (can be said for State too- obvious when you consider the super-ego & macho city of miami cops out there :) However, its the PD's Top Floor Esqs.. that kick back & can afford to plan vacations & buy shiny cars-oh yeah, and thats the hard part of their short, unproductive, cushy day.... How about giving a real LAWYER who PRACTICES law, deals with the everyday Courtroom Drama a top spot...- NOT hand over the reigns of such an important organization to Martinez, maybe he doesn't know he should visit that BIG building next to his, Brummer didn't, maybe now after retirement he'll swing by. ha- yeah, nice to see THE SYSTEM at its best.....
Leslie Rothenberg for PD
THIS COMMENT DESERVES REPEATING (From the Captain's Brummer Post:
I am an ASA and have known Carlos almost 20 years since U of M law school. I saw the second post requesting that first poster explain why Carlos would make an excellent PD.
I was thinking of just that on the drive in after seeing the piece in the Miami Herald.
During these two decades I have been known Carlos in my last year of law school, court and representing our respective offices. Althogh certainly friendly, I have never known Carlos in a social setting- we are not related nor do we have friends in common- my opinion is based soley on professional interaction and I have observed the following:
Carlos is bright and as far as I can tell he is not ego-driven, power-hungry or looking for glory. He is kind, accessible, shrewd and above all, realistic. He is caring but firm in his convictions and appears dedicated to fulfilling the oaths and obligations as a criminal defense attorney and public defender. He will step on many toes to make his case.
Carlos is well-respected in many different arenas in this community by a wide-ranging spectrum of citizens.
I have seen Carlos advocate on behalf of public defender clients, assistant public defenders, the defense bar, state employees, the mentally ill, children, addicts, the poor, victims and the homeless at public hearings and committee meetings and every conceivable public forum in Tallahassee, Washington, County and City halls and in the courts. He appears to have a broad and solid understanding of adminsitrative, budgetary, staffing, programatic, legal (both substanitive and procedural)functions.
I am sure there are many other features that I have left out or do not have knowledge of. I am sure Carlos has made mistakes, no one is perfect. I cannot think of any one better-suited to be the new elected public defender.
Beyond that I think Carlos would excel in any other high-level public office adminstrative position, e.g., head of DCF or other vital cabinet position.
Plus, the guy has a great sense of humor which comes in handy in his line of work. Good Luck Carlos!!!!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 10:21:00 AM
I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER MYSELF
All of these people, PD's and SA's, should be term limited. After they stay a decade or so their offiices become their own little fifedoms. This does not serve the public well.
We realy shouldn't have to pay for our health care in a nation this wealthy.
I wish the US had the kind of system Canada, France, Cuba, UK have.
How can a country this rich not have free healthcare, Rumpole? And frankly, we need a lot more free services and programs since our nation is so rich.
I'm starting to think you're right, Rumpole by supporting Edwards. Maybe he could bring about some progressive changes.
Miami has the Dolphins
an 0-11 football team
Cam Cameron is the coach
the worst we've ever seen
he's worse than jimmy or dave or nick
he's much worse than Don
and when you say Miami
think that all hope is gone
cause we're the miami dolphins
miami dolphins
miami dolphins no wins this year
miami dolphins
miami dolphins
miami dolphins of us no teams have any fear
Like him or not, Brummer does more for his clients as an elected Public Defender than most other PD's office in the country.
Doubt me? Ask around...Broward's PD's office has tons of issues, and doesn't offer the quality representation that Miami-Dade does....nor do other big cities. Why heck some cities didn't even get a Public Defender until the millenium (Can you say Georgia?).
Which goes to show that the artificiality of term limits will get us nothing, but a revolving door of state hacks who won't give a hoot about the community they represent. No, like him or not, Mr. Brummer is a pillar of Miami-Dade county. He and his office have served the people of Miami-Dade county very well, and continue to do so everyday.
Carlos slipped me a luminex and tricked me into a deep slumber. Then he put out a press release and got one over on the scribe. I'm going four more years. I will crush this man they call Barzee!
10:56:00 a.m. you don't want to have the health care system that Castro has in Cuba for the Cubans. As with tourism, Cuba has an apartheid system where the nomenklatura and foreigners paying in dollars or euros have excellent healthcare in 4-star clinics and hospitals where ordinary Cubans are not allowed to enter. Regular Cubans only have access to an abysmal health care system with ruinous, decaying and bare hospitals. See http://www.therealcuba.com/ and more specifically http://www.therealcuba.com/Page10.htm and http://www.netforcuba.org/InfoCuba-EN/HealthCare/HealthCareSystem.htm andhttp://www.netforcuba.org/InfoCuba-EN/CubainPictures/CubainPictures.htm
Now if only KFR would follow suit.
I hear that two former Miami attorneys.. one a former prosecutor (Julie Stone) and the other a former prosecutor and defense attorney (Joe Fredrick)recently got married in Costa Rica. Congrats! I think they live somewhere in Texas.
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