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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.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

JACK THOMPSON DISBARRED FOR LIFE

BREAKING BLOG NEWS: FDIC SEIZES WASHINGTON MUTUAL AND SELLS ASSETS TO JP MORGAN. LARGEST BANK FAILURE IN US HISTORY. 
Very strange. FDIC usually seizes banks Friday afternoons so they have all weekend to work on the books. Our sources tell us the WAMU top brass were not even told when the FDIC seizure went into effect. 

I thought long and hard about posting this. I take no joy in this news about Mr. Thompson. The title links to the Florida Supreme Court opinion. I obtained the link from the Broward Blog.

Mr. Thompson found this blog about a year and half ago and was a welcome participant. We didn't agree on much, but he was entertaining, committed to his ideals, and thoughtful.   I welcomed his participation against warnings from others. 

I soon found those warnings correct. He delighted in the indictment of Ben Kuehne and his actions towards  the family of Steve Chaykin shortly after Steve's tragic death were reprehensible. 

Somewhere along the line as Mr. Thompson and I parted ways I began to see his other side. I was subjected to a barrage of nasty and threatening emails that were entirely inappropriate. 

From the Supreme Court's order: 

"Over a very extended period of time involving a number of totally 

unrelated cases and individuals, [r]espondent has demonstrated a 

pattern of conduct to strike out harshly, extensively, repeatedly and 

willfully to simply try to bring as much difficulty, distraction and 

anguish to those he considers in opposition to his causes.  He does 

not proceed within the guidelines of appropriate professional 

behavior, but rather uses other means available to intimidate, harass, 

or bring public disrepute to those whom he perceives oppose him. 

...

Among the extensive findings of fact presented in the report, the Court takes  particular note of the following which occurred during the three-year period at issue  in five counts in these cases:  ... (4) respondent publicized and sent hundreds of pages of vitriolic and disparaging missives, letters, faxes, and press releases, to the affected individuals;... 

(10) respondent retaliated against attorneys who filed Bar complaints against him  for his unethical conduct by asserting to their clients, government officials, politicians, the media, female lawyers in their law firm, employees, personal friends, acquaintances, and their wives, that the attorneys were criminal pornographers who objectify women. " 


In our experience  the above quoted actions of Mr. Thompson are entirely accurate. Having been on the receiving end of these diatribes, I cannot imagine actually litigating in a civil and decent manner with an individual who acts in the way described in the order.  Mr. Thompson, in our view, holds his beliefs in an absolute manner that allow him to utilize any and all methods to achieve his goals because of his simple belief that he is right. Because he is right, he theorizes, the ends justify the means.  But he fails to recognize that he lives in country in which the the means- democracy and the right to a different opinion- are sacrosanct.   


This is a sad day. Mr. Thompson has a wife who has battled a serious cancer and a teen age son to support and shepherd into adulthood. I take no joy in this order, fully cognizant that because of his hatred for me, he would never ever extend me the same courtesy or compassion. He would have me disbarred and ground into the ground in a second if he could- merely because I disagree with him. I still wish him well and peace. 


See you in court after I withdraw my money from WAMU first thing in the morning.





19 comments:

Rumpole said...

FYI- VIA EMAIL DAN LURVEY denies he has just gotten another JOA. Although if anyone could pull it off two weeks in a row, Dan is the man.

Anonymous said...

Rump
You realize that most of your post is a direct quote from Dava Tunis' order , right?meaning that the FlaSCt. quoted her report, and you posted the quote.
What gives here. Isn't this about REG judges and happenings? So did she mishandled the case or was she right?

Anonymous said...

While I take no joy in seeing Thompson getting disbarred, he got exactly what he deserved. Contrary to what he says/believes, he was not "persecuted" for his beliefs and views. Jack Thompson and utter lack of professionalism are synonymous in my book.

Anonymous said...

Judge Tunis, deserves the purple heart for having to endure that scum of the earth.

I can't think of one Judge who would have the guts to do the right thing as Judge Tunis did.

Remember the Bar was asking for 10 years suspension and she enhanced it to life.

Judge Tunis, I don't know if you read the blog, but I for one think you are an asset to the justice system.

Anonymous said...

Rumpole:

Jack Thompson has never made real money. His wife, on the other hand, remains a partner at Carlton Fields and continues to make bank.

His disbarment is an unfettered good.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Rump, I don't want to post over your front page piece about the Jack Thompson decision, but you should have something on Judge Michael Salmon.

Judge Salmon, 80, passed away on Wednesday after a bout with cancer.

Salmon was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bob Graham in 1981 and served until his retirement in 1994. He continued to serve as a Senior Judge until very recently.

CAPTAIN OUT .....

Anonymous said...

kotaku.com has a great picture of the 'disbarrment' party cake in honor of JT.

Batman said...

It is truly a sad day when someone who served the public as Michael Salmon did fails to be recognized by the Miami Herald with an appropriate article, not just an extensive death notice. Judge Salmon was a man of incredible intellect who found his role as judge to be one of great significance and he gave every case that type of consideration.

His calm demeanor and probing nature brought sanity to the most insane of situations. His clarity of thought and adherance to the rules and the law gave comfort to each side. His sentencing was well thought out and always appropriate.

Simply, he was what we wish all judges could be. He has been missed since leaving the bench and his absence will be sorely felt in our legal community.

Anonymous said...

Don't you all think it strange that within hours of the FDIC taking over WAMU, JP MOrgan was right there to gobble up its assets. Sounds like a done deal before the public was aware. I wonder what else we don't know that is really going on with the "financial crsis". If some one could shed some light on this issue perhaps they should be at the debate tonoght.

Batman said...

One should never take joy in the hardship of others. I take no joy in the hardship and embarrassment Thompson's disbarment brings to his family. But we have long ago recognized that permitting Jack to continue to foist upon others his brand of retribution through the guise of the legal system as an attorney had to come to an end.

Punishment of the guilty and protection of the innocent and the system is the order of the day. Rest assured like all those justifiably convicted, we have not heard the end of JT. He will inevitably take to the Federal Courts to attack this action against him. Until the courts deny him access without representation he will march on as Don Quixote did, tilting at windmills and battling for what he believes is justice.

Jack does not understand that his form of intolerance is the undoing of us all. He argues for free speech in order to destroy free speech. He would tear down all the laws to get to the devil himself. But does not understand that when the devil turns on him, what will he use to protect himself.

The system is better off without him. We will all live better knowing his ability to harm others is partially dismantled.

Bravo Judge Tunis and bravo to the Florida Supreme Court.

Anonymous said...

I was assigned to Michael Salmon's division as an ASA in the early 1980's. He was a nice man, reserved, respectful, intellectual is how I saw him.

One thing I liked about him was his exercise of judicial restraint and gentle effort to keep lawyers on message in his courtroom. "What is it that is before me?", was his mantra. David Scott Markus and I were both in there together.

Another loss of a long-time MJB face. My thoughts are with his family.

Anonymous said...

80 is a pretty good run

Anonymous said...

If Mother Teresa was alive and doing charity work in Miami I am sure Jack would have found fault in her. I bumped into him a few times and it was clear Jack's head was not screwed on his straight.
Reporting from the kitchen table, The pole is being greased....
BTW rejected attorney, she denied you access. You should have eased into it instead of coming on so strong with your remark.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE YOU, DANNY!

Anonymous said...

Was that Blecher, Fake Blecher, or Real Fake Blecher? I can never get those guys straight? Which one does DUIs?

Anonymous said...

Oh wise Rumpolo mio. Now that I've lost all of my money on WaMu, please tell me what to bet on for NFL games this weekend.
Should I bet on the cheaters and KC to win?

Anonymous said...

Jack got what was coming to him. I do not feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for the clients he had that may not have been properly represented by a guy who was so screwed up in the head that he could not understand the reality of being a lawyer.

Jack, GO AWAY AND BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE.

I hear Home Depo is hiring.

Anonymous said...

I worked with Mr. Thompson in the early 80'. Back then he was kind of kooky but he was always fun. Now he just seems like a raving maniac.

Anonymous said...

bull shit.