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.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

NELAN SWEET HAS PASSED AWAY

We read with sadness this morning in Joan Fleischman's column in the Herald, that former municipal court Judge Nelan Sweet passed away at age 85.

There is a service today, Sunday, at 2:30 at Mt. Nebo at 5505 NW 3rd Street.

Old timers will remember Mr. Sweet in the courtroom as a courteous attorney. And really old timers will remember Mr. Sweet along with Alvin Goodman as judges on the old Municipal Court. And really really old timers will have practiced in that court.

Sy Gaer. Alvin Goodman. Nelan Sweet. These were the lawyers who practiced law in the criminal courts as Miami turned from a sleepy southern tourist town into a bustling metropolis.

When a prosecutor or defense attorney walks into a courtroom a seeks justice, they are, in a sense standing on the shoulders of these pioneers. It's just something to remember the next time you, dear reader, think nothing happened in this town until you graced us with your legal genius. And that applies doubly to our robed readers.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

7AM Barak Obama strategy meeting:

BO: OK people, how do we spin this Nevada defeat?

Campaign Manager: Well, the "we won more delegates than Clinton" didn't work that well with the media last night.

BO: Any ideas on how we can change things to avoid another losss?

(there is some mumbling in the back ground).

CM: Who said that?
BO: Speak up. What's your name son?

Wilson: Wilson, from telephone polling. Well, sir, a few of us were kicking this idea around. Florida is coming up, and well...

CM: Well?
BO: Out with it.
Wilson: Well, everyone seems to think this is a good idea....ummm..we need a little barzee..

BO: huh?
CM: He said We Need A Little Barzee
Wilson: (louder now) Just a little Barzee..we NEED a little Barzee right now now now

(everybody sings) WE NEED A LITTLE BARZEE JUST A LITTLE BARZEE...

Anonymous said...

Just a gem of a guy. A fellow Miami Beach guy to boot.

Anonymous said...

Just how does this affect me?

Anonymous said...

I dunno. I'm just feeling real good right now.

Anonymous said...

Dream on city boy. It's gonna be cold tonight. Hope your momma lets you out to play.

Anonymous said...

Too bad I can't kick fake favre's ass again

Anonymous said...

Sad to see Nelan Sweet go. Always a kind and 'sweet' man.

Moving up the seniority list is NO FUN.

Anonymous said...

There will be an organizational meeting of fake bloggers this Wednesday at Tobacco. Come meet all your favorite fake bloggers, including fake blake, fake alschuler, fake peckins, and yes, even my mortal enemy real fake blecher.

Anonymous said...

My dearest Rumpolium:

I was in NYC this past week, and I decided to try out Cooper’s Tavern, a handsome new restaurant that’s part of the renovation of the New Yorker Hotel. I was in the mood for a good old fashion steak and Cooper's Tavern presents four hefty cuts with a choice of five sauces, allowing for the game of mix-and-match that’s the prevailing steakhouse formula these days. I tried the rib steak ($35) and the porterhouse for two ($75), sufficiently flavorful and juicy to keep me from mixing and matching. Good steaks don’t need saucing.

The evening menu branches out to include many salads, a few pasta dishes and many main courses of other meats or fish, including coriander-dusted tuna ($29) and falafel-crusted salmon ($24), which I suggest avoiding.

Lunchtime sandwich options include a seafood melt ($17) and the “skyscraper burger” ($15), its many stories built from 12 ounces of beef, grilled Portobello, smoked Gouda and crispy onions.

My one dinner didn’t give me huge confidence that Cooper’s handles all of this terrain as ably as it does its steaks. But the area around Penn Station isn’t a culinary wonderland, so it could come in handy when the mood strikes me again.

Your best Pal,
Miami Frank Bruni.

Anonymous said...

1) what's the deal with the Barzee buzz?

2) Can I come to the fakes meeting?

I'm too cool.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, I am in a quandry and seek your advice. I am new. I work for either the SAO or PD- I shan't say. I went to a top 3 law school and finished in the top 5 (students, not %). I come from old money and live in New South Beach in a Condo I dare say your most successful readers could only dream about affording. I drive a Porsche worth more than any Judge or lawyer makes (yet I drive a sensible Toyota to work, because flaunting it is so passe'.)

I am seeking a private eating establishment. A Place where I can mingle among my own- the wealthy and successful. A place where those who have EARNED the good life are catered to.

Does such a place exist in this fetid festering place? Not only would English only be spoken, but ti would be staffed by the finest English manservants. The Newspaper (WSJ of course) would be ironed. My martini would be dry, and steak perfect. No bill. A monthly tab to my Black Amex with tip inlcuded is the way finances would be settled.

Can you reccomend such a place in this town of neon, fake breasts, and faux intelligence?

Call me...Well bred. Because, I am.

Anonymous said...

rumpole, i recently visited orlando where i dined on the 2 filet of fish for 1 dollar at mcdonalds, 2 egg mcmuffins for 2 dollars, and an exquisite bucket of kfc for 6.99. a gourmet for a pcac bottomfeedder if i may say so, alos water is free at most establishments.

Anonymous said...

PS, Mon Ami. I fully expect this establishment to conduct a background, credit, and ancestral history search. I would not have it any other way.

Anonymous said...

to well bred: muffin, miff, mitt, and brooke would like to invite you to our cabana on key biscayne for some mimosa and eggs florentine, rsvp to 1 800 richsnob. go republicans.

Anonymous said...

As my father pointed out to me many years ago as I sat in his lap in his office as he wrote out checks, the very very rich don't vote- we fund candidates. And we do it for both parties, so we never lose. Never.

Anonymous said...

I think quaffing a few (chomp chomp) cold ones wednesday night after work at Tobacco road (smack smack) sounds just right to me. I shall be there. Perhaps a defense continuance is in order? (smack chomp chomp)

Anonymous said...

Tynes...the Giants field goal kicker...grrrrrrrrr.ruff ruff. I grrrrrr can't believe he missed it. Ruff ruffgrrrrrrrr..

Anonymous said...

sheesh, at least pick up the recycling on MLK Day.

Anonymous said...

hmmm well bread huh, must be a pd slumming amoungst the little people to say he/she has paid their dues.but you better more north to Hobe Sound where the REAL rich people live,the old money who wont let you in to the club until there is a background check .....Go meet Abe he is a classy dresser ,a slick talker and can give you advice on ties and cigars but don't pay any attention to the accent,its all a puton!!!!!

Anonymous said...

the only thing sy gaer was a pioneer in was in rule 3s because of his ineffective assistance of counsel.

Anonymous said...

5:13, go back outside and yell at the kids playing for making too much noise.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps we can have Sy Gaer, Alvin Goodman, and Nelan Sweet as a panel on the high Court. Something tells me the panel would condem many of the "Robed ones" who have forgotten where they came from, all too often foresake compassion and with it all semblance of humanity, and are intoxicated with their dillusions of granduer!

Anonymous said...

5:13--there's no other way to put it--you are DEAD WRONG. Were Sy Gaer's methods unorthodox, to say the least? Yes. Would they work with 98% of defense attorneys out there, myself included? Heck no. But Sy managed to do things his way and win more than his fair share of jury trials. More than a few ASAs took a slam dunk guilty to trial only to get whipped by Sy.

A little bit of Sy's success was his shtick. But he had a keen knowledge of the law and could pick holes in the State's case as well as anybody. Did he win all of his jury trials? No, but name me a trial lawyer who has a 1.000 winning percentage. And Sy would the be the first to admit he did not win all of his cases. Did Sy make mistakes from time to time? Yes, but what attorney doesn't.

The simple fact is that Sy Gaer was unorthodox yet, most of the time, extremely effective. Don't disrespect him now that he is gone.

Anonymous said...

To the idiot who castigates Gaer:

Sy gave his clients dignity and an adequate defense. A client is not entitled to outstanding representation but adequate representation. His clients paid him modest sums and Sy did wonders for them.

I daresay that most defense attorneys I meet do not give their clients outstanding representation though they may charge 5 times what Sy charged.

The man is dead -- let him rest you moron.

Anonymous said...

I had the pleasure of being secretary to Sy Gaer and he honestly loved his work and his clients. They gave him great joy and he seemed to win most of his cases with just his little black book. He was always kind and generous to me. I miss him.

As for Nelan Sweet, he was a good friend of mine and very much a gentleman (although he loved to flirt with the - then young ladies).

To those of you new to the community, savor every moment, learn all you can, take chances and dream big . . . life is
**kc*n0)short.