The State Attorneys' building is the E.R. Graham building, named, we think, after former Governor and Senator Bob Graham's father. The building was named the E.R Graham building when it housed a variety of state agencies, and the SAO's county court division. Now of course it is the office of the State Attorney for Dade County, and it is time to change its name to the Janet Reno building. It is the very least we can do to honor one of our own who continues to inspire us with her work with the Innocence Project, and whose words of advice and encouragement for lawyers to always do what's right no matter the political cost, ringing in our ears. She was the longest serving Cabinet Member of the Clinton administration and her simple and straight froward refusal to play politics did us proud.
Re-name the Graham Building the Janet Reno Building, and lets do it while Janet Reno can still enjoy the knowledge that we are all proud of her, and many of us owe our careers to her.
See You In Court.
30 comments:
Rename this blog the "Shumie Time Post"
Agreed. All politics aside... she is really Miami's fist lady of law.
Fuck naming any building after some Democrat.
I propose we name the building the Ashcroft-Gonzalez-Mukasey building after three fine gentlemen who have shown nothing but firmness, fairness and respect while enforcing upholding the laws of our great nation in a perfectly impartial manner.
Would the Cubans revolt? "Remember Elian", etc?
WORD OF THE DAY
DACTYLOGRAM
PRONUNCIATION:
(dak-TIL-uh-gram)
MEANING:
noun: A fingerprint.
The study of fingerprints for identification purposes is known as dactylography or dactyloscopy. Dactylonomy is the art of counting on fingers. Dactylology is finger-speech -- communicating by signs made with fingers.
USE; "The prosecution said they will call an expert dactylography, the Judge then said the lawyer should not curse in court, at which point the lawyer was so frustrated he was given to using his middle finger to communicate dactylogically. Order was restored several minutes later.
LUNCHTIME SEMINAR SERIES
FREE TO THE FIRST 50
FACDL-MIAMI begins our Lunchtime Seminar Series on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at NOON at the Dade County P.D.'s office in the Brummer Building. Our first topic is "Scientific Evidence, DNA, and the 'Innocence Revolution:' Florida's Experience" and will be taught by our own Milton Hirsch. Milton has about 70 pages of written materials to hand out with the lecture.
We are trying something new this year - FREE seminars. The seminar will include lunch (sandwich, side dish and a drink), CLE credit and course materials. Here is the catch - you must reserve your spot for the seminar with a $15 check payable to FACDL-Miami by mailing in the check to Sheryl Lowenthal, 9130 S. Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1200, Miami, FL 33156. Please indicate DNA Seminar on your check. When you arrive at the Seminar, your check will be torn up. The seminar is FREE for the first 50 members that mail in their checks and show up; all other members will pay the $15 and we will keep those checks. With the help of Carlos Martinez and the PD’s crack technology staff, this year our Seminars will be videotaped and catalogued. Please mail in your checks today.
Our Monthly Free Luncheon Seminar Series continues on October 16th with Electronic Data, Discovery & Duties sponsored by SOLUTIONS BUSINESS CONSULTING. In November we have a DUI Formal Review Hearings Seminar presented by Michael Catalano. In December, we have our 13th Annual Cruise Seminar. In January of 2009, we have a Domestic Violence Roundtable with all six DV Judges on the Panel with a Moderator running the show.
If you are not already a member of FACDL-MIAMI and wish to join so you can attend the seminars, please contact Treasurer Sabrina Puglisi at sabrina_puglisi@fd.org.
There are still prosecutors and secretaries in the Graham building that have the Elian poster up where he was being carted off with guns in his face.
Me thinks it will never be the Reno building...although I never served under her, from what I hear, it should be the Reno building.
If you want to re-submit your comment about reno and Waco go ahead. But with the first part of the comment as ugly and nasty as it was, I will not publish it. Free speech is fine- go ahead and criticize her, but hold back the nasty crap.
Or KFR should do like King Brummer
and name the building after herself.
I couldn't agree with you more Rump. Love her or hate her, Janet stood for everything right. She was fearless, took responsibility for her actions and those of her staff and always tried to do the right thing (and usually succeeded). And she was (and remains) as gracious as the day is long(I'll never forget when she interviewed me for an ASA slot). You can't ask for more than that.
BTDT
The Richard Gerstein Justice Building was named after a prosecutor. Now, someone tell me why a Courthouse, a place where someone is walking into the halls seeking impartial and absolute justice, was namesd after a PROSECUTOR. Frankly, I think it's wrong. It should have been named after a Judge if it had to be named after anyone.
Janet Reno disgraced herself by playing the Clintonite political game in the Elian case. Janet had the correct position at the beginning, when she said that she'd let the Florida family court decide custody issues. However, after Castro got involved and started dealing with Clinton and his friends, Janet inexplicably changed her position and compromised her principles when she should have done the right thing by resigning. She knew that before Castro started pressuring Elian's father and his Cuban family, Elian's father wanted to follow him to the United States. She knew from her friend, the nun president of Barry University, that Elian's grandmothers were scared feceless of Castro agents that never left their side. She knew that Castro never allowed Elian's entire family to come here and always kept half the family hostage in Cuba. Janet Reno allowed Castro's state security goons to keep control of Elian, his father and his family with free rein in American soil. And, for what? To help Dwayne Andreas land an ethanol plant in Cuba? To induce Castro to take back some bad-ass Cuban criminals that had taken over jail in Louisiana? To give in to Castro's extortion and prevent a mass exodus of Cubans that could have costed Al Gore the election? Don't forget that Janet Reno's "Justice" Department fought tooth and nail to deny Elian his day in court and his right to a hearing. And don't forget that while she was supposedly negotiating with her friends inside Elian's house she was sending the SWAT team in. No, I don't think it'd be a good idea to rename the Graham building after her. She had the chance to do the right thing but, instead, she did the political thing.
The Gerstein building name should be restored to Metropolitan Dade County Justice Building, which is its original name.
Two reasons not to rename the E. R. Graham Building after Janet Reno:
The PATRIOT Act was originally introduced by Bill Clinton and pushed by Janet Reno. However, the Republicans in Congress shot it down because it came from Democrats. Later, when Republican George W. Bush reintroduced it, it was approved by Republicans and Democrats alike in the midst of the post 9/11 hysteria.
After the Republicans passed their draconian 1996 immigration act, Janet Reno gave it a retroactive interpretation that resulted in decades-old pre-act convictions and withholds being used to deport long-time legal residents.
I agree with you Rumpole. I am also a huge fan of KFR and we should get behind a tribute to her as well. In office since 1992, a strong woman who truly cares about Miami and the safety of all.
It is a tough job but both Janet Reno and KFR are icons to the Justice system for being fair prosecutors only seeking the truth.
There is cause for celebration - there are only 498 more days until Peter Adrien is unemployed. We have broke the 500 day mark.
Here is a question for Reno supporter who think she is Mother Theresa. Ask yourself. If one of her assistants behaved the way Clinton did with an intern and then openly lied about it and then tried to slander the woman, would that assitant have been fired? Absolutely. So why did not St. Reno resign her position as AG after finding out her boss was a lying bore?
Peter Adrien won't have opposition. He will hire Bob Levy, Al Lorenzo, Tangela Sears, Armando Gutierrez, Ruby Feria, Susan Fried, Louis Medina, Hipolito Leon, Alix Desulme, Sasha Tirador, Steven Ferreiro, Gus Garcia, Angie Gold, Louis Medina, Stephanie Bromfield, Zaida Nunez, Nancy Delgado, Barbara Howard and every other fine consultant that appears on every judge's campaign finance report.
I think we should rename all building every five years, or when ever we take a toilet break. I think we should rename the Dade County Courhouse after Frank Ulysis Cordova Kassem (we can use the first letter of each of his names, he was a homeless guy who lived under the overpass. I think the nmae is befitting for the building.
Richard Gerstein was a dirty crooked hack prosecutor who was in the pocket of local politicians. he was a wannabe j edgar hoover. It is an affront to Justice that the courthouse bears his name.
I was voting for Obama until the Herald reported that Daddy Yankee is behind McCain. If Daddy Yankee says vote for McCain do we really have a choice after that?
"Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee backs McCain"
http://www.miamiherald.com/979/story/656975.html
...and I would like the street between MJB and the Jail renamed for me. Nothing fancy, perhaps: ABE LAESER WAY. Or maybe just the third floor bridge to the jail.
C'mon. I really loved working for Janet, but naming an office building for her would have no meaning for a person of action and deeds - not one who seeks aggrandizement.
Passing a bill to improve the state of justice, perhaps for Juveniles, or related to the DNA project - now that would honor Janet.
No dount Janet Reno relied on information from her underlings that wasn't good, especially at WACO, when she was new on the job.... and she took the bullet for it not blaming anyone else. But IMHO, she believed she was enforcing the law as written. She did not bend to political pressure. I suppose for many of your readers this concept is too hard to grasp. Too bad. Della Street
check out the most recent posts here on the CABA judicial candidates forum and the Christian Family Coalition endorsements....
http://dailybusinessreview.typepad.com/insidetrack/
after Waco , where Reno ordered the assault that killed dozens she should not have any building named after her. but if you disagree rumpy, then I would like Ted Kennedy to receive a lifetime achievement award from MADD after he dies.
mmmm
You shouldn't name buildings or other public edifices after living persons, or even the recently deceased. The reasons should be apparent to even the fools who populate this blog.
Elian? It was obvious from the get-go that no matter how it turned out, Castro would win. The Cuban-American publicity and power seekers who hitched their wagon to this child and the family in Miami either were so myopic they could not see this, or did not care. No matter how monstrous Castro was and is (and I take a back seat to very few in this regard), once the father said he wanted his son the matter was settled, legally and ethically.
Waco? What took them so long?
I loved Ms. Reno. It's too bad she went to work for the Clinton's, but how could she know when she took the job? Boy, could she write a book now, but she has too much class for that.
Gerstein? Get that "gentleman's" name off the building ... it's an embarrassment. Why not just name it after Sepe?
i'm all for naming a building after Ms Reno, however current plans are to turn the current SAO building into public housing and build a new state building nearby.
"Costed"??? "feceless"??? "rein"???
I was once interested in naming a street after a very prominent, upstanding person in the the legal community. I asked Janet Reno for her support in assisting me in this endeavor. She adamamently told me that she would not support or endorse the naming of any public facility after anyone while that person was still alive. She said that there was too much of a chance of embarrassment that the person could do something illegal, stupid, immoral, etc. after the naming of the structure, which could not happen after the person was dead. I did further research and found out that it was a county rule that sturctures could only be named after dead persons. I guess we have a wait....unless the typical Miami protocol persists which means they will do whatever they want to do without regard to previous regulations or what other persons have tried to do. Another words, it's Miami and rules means nothing and they are only followed when they want and not followed when it is convenient for their needs.
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