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.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

HO HO HO CHRISTMAS IN MIAMI




MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL YOUR FRIENDS AT YOUR FAVOURITE LITTLE BLOG. 


This from the comments section made me laugh. How true. It's why I got  out of town when the getting was good.  (I did a smidgen of editing to make it at least semi-palatable on Christmas Eve.)

Anonymous wrote:
If one more f'ing  judge wants a hearing this Friday or next Friday, I am going to explode.

Merry Christmas.

27 comments:

Batman said...

The Herald weighs in on Crist, Jimenez and the Supreme Court JNC:

"If Gov. Charlie Crist wanted to ruin the concept of diversity, he could do no better than his ham-fisted handling of a nomination to fill a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court. After a late-night meeting last week, the Judicial Nominating Commission acquiesced to the governor's request for a more-diverse selection of nominees from which he could choose.

The governor's desire to have a diverse Supreme Court is admirable, but his untimely interference with the JNC undermines that effort. Earlier this year, Gov. Crist appointed two conservative white males to replace two retiring justices, one of whom was Hispanic. This newspaper criticized the governor, saying he had missed an opportunity to maintain, or add to, the court's diversity.

Of the JNC's most recent list of five qualified judicial candidates, Gov. Crist chose Jorge Labarga, the only Hispanic on the list, to serve on the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Then Gov. Crist asked the JNC to submit a more diverse list In order to comply, the commission waived its own rules in a legally suspect maneuver and added one more name to the list: Frank Jimenez, a Cuban-American general counsel for the Navy.

By compelling the commission to bend the rules, Gov. Crist taints the process. The commission is allowed to submit six names to the governor. However, after rigorously screening dozens of candidates, the commission settled on five names. In other words, if the JNC had determined that a sixth candidate was qualified, that person would have been included on the original list.

To suddenly produce a sixth name after Gov. Crist selects the only Hispanic on the list and asks for more ''diversity'' isn't the way real diversity works. Diversity means giving everyone an equal chance, not cherry-picking the only one you want."

South Florida Lawyers said...

Happy X-Mas, Rump!

Anonymous said...

Rumpole, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The time of year to forgive and forget.

Your true friend,

Darrin E. McGillis

aka, Captain pro-se
aka, He who shall not be named
aka, Candidate for Clerk

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

What's worse was the way the voting went down on the JNC Conference call.

The vote to waive the rules, 5-4.
The vote to waive the rules and permit Angel Cortinas' name to be considered, 5-4.
All other votes were also 5-4.

The 5 that voted to go down this path that resulted in Jimenez' name be added to the list - those just happened to be the 5 that were appointed by the Governor to the JNC.

The 4 that voted the other way - those four just happened to be the names the Florida Bar nominated to serve on the JNC (with the Governor's approval).

Politics has no place in the JNC voting, expecially when we are dealing with the Supreme Court.

Crist's moves have tainted the system and the system is worse off because of it.

And the Chair of this JNC, Robert Hackleman, should grow some and tell the Governor exactly what the 5th DCA JNC told the Governor: "we sent you the most qualified names, now pick one and move on"!

Instead, he gave in to the pressure. Was that because the Chairman of his own law firm just happens to be Crist's former Chief of Staff?

And how is it that the same JNC that voted NOT to send Frank Jimenez' name up last week meets one week later and Jimenez now gets at leats five votes and gets his name sent up this week? What did he do in the past week to suddenly become qualified to sit as one of the seven justices on the supreme court?

Remember, this is the same Frank Jiminez who, in 1999, when he was the number two legal advisor for Jeb, proposed a system of
"unofficial regional panels" of Bush supporters to recruit candidates for judgeships. Mr. Jimenez added in his official government e-mail:
"Warning to all who respond: I will be a pain-in-the-you-know-what if the recommended person is not ideologically compatible with the governor." Signed Frank Jimenez.

Well, we should know if a few hours who the next Sup. Ct Justice will be as Crist is expected to announce his choice later this afternoon.

We'll be watching.

Cap Out ...

Anonymous said...

Happy Holidays Rump from the defense attorney and his Princess!

Anonymous said...

They don't call him HACK elman for nothing.

Anonymous said...

If one more fucking judge wants a hearing this Friday or next Friday, I am going to explode.

Merry Christmas.

Anonymous said...

Rump,

How come you are not tracking Santa's trek this year?

Anonymous said...

I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao3FuGEGcU8

Anonymous said...

NEW FEDERAL JUDGESHIP opening in the southern district of florida in february with Judge Hurley retiring. This seat is going to Michael Hanzman.

Done deal.

Anonymous said...

that seat aint going to him. that seat will go to a pretty smart blonde with red lips

Anonymous said...

To the defendants held in Jail because no lawyer is available, Merry Christmas...

From the Miami Herald today:

"But Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle, the chief prosecutor, said putting third-degree felony defendants on the back burner will create ''chaos'' in the judicial system and will not solve Brummer's problem.

A better solution might be giving less priority to misdemeanor cases, she said. Brummer has rejected that idea in the past, saying his younger lawyers don't have the experience to handle the felonies they would have to defend in lieu of misdemeanors."

Anonymous said...

when i was a pd i took pride in having a huge case load. now a days, the pd's cry when their case load gets to big. but the bigger the case load the bigger the army.

merry christmas to all the people in the struggle.

Anonymous said...

Word is that Moe Green and Hyman Roth are putting the fix in for Hanzman.

Barzini is seeking an unholy alliance with Corleone who has those judges and politicians in his pockets but refused to share them.

Anonymous said...

I just read the herald article.

I am lost for words.

Shame Shame Shame Sleepy

Anonymous said...

the fed seat is going to barzee. AUSA's heads will explode when she starts giving away the federal courthouse as she has done with state courthouse for years

Anonymous said...

The solution lies in the State Attorney's Office not filing so many crappy misdemeanors and third-degree felonies. The legislature should decriminalize the mala prohibitum crimes and just leave the ones that are mala in se, and it also should take away the power of cities and counties to pass criminal ordinances. The county judges should stop being so jail-happy and get some perspective and set their bench warrant bonds to reasonable amounts commensurate with the seriousness of the offense so that a defendant doesn't have to sit in jail and need a public defender (I've seen bench warrants in the $3000-$5000 range for stuff like no valid or expired driver license). KFR should appoint mature prosecutors with the ability to see the big picture as chiefs for the felony screening and the county court units.

Anonymous said...

"Brummer has rejected that idea in the past, saying his younger lawyers don't have the experience to handle the felonies they would have to defend in lieu of misdemeanors"

Solution, KFR can send her younger lawyers (prosecutors) to the third degree felony cases from misdemeanor division and in turn so can brummer. Even playing field?

A lawyer should be able to handle any case? Why go to law school if you can't practice law?

Anonymous said...

The dade county public defender is a shadow of it's old self. the office seems to have serious leadership problems.

Give me fifty aggressive ladies and gentleman and we would handle every felony case.

Rumpole, can I get a witness.

Anonymous said...

barzee did not give away the state court house.

what a great federal judge she would make. fair, pretty, smart and down to earth.

Anonymous said...

KFR can let the speedies run out on the current misd cases and take the stress out of the PD's office. Honestly, we have criminal investigations because someone got shoved over a fax machine. If Judge's get investigated over silly shit, just imagine what joe the plumber has to deal with.

The whole mess might just be a blessing in disguise. BHB I got your back.

Anonymous said...

The majority of the PDs at all levels have no clue what they are doing...those in felony have just been clueless for a few months longer.

And those complaining about the high bond amounts for a NVDL? This wouldn't matter if the Defendants showed up and/or followed up on their cases. If you were PTA'd, you would surely check in reguarly with the Court to find out your upcoming court date. For those that are arrested and cannot post the bond - look no further than their lengthy list of priors.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

Batman said...

I doubt Barzee gets the seat over Bailey or Bagley. If you are looking for competence and ability then those two have it all over Barzee(-Flores). Smooth sailing for any of them through the Senate.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing, when I was a young ASA the caseloads were far higher than they've been in over a decade. Yet, so many young APDs and ASAs complain about the caseloads it's pathetic.

When I was a young ASA we took pride in our huge caseloads. Back before the merger, the laziest prosecutors and judges worked 9+ hour days. The rest of us, far longer. When we finished prepping, we started reading. I learned more case law my first year as a prosecutor than in my three years of law school. It was a matter of self-respect and an appreciation for a job that truly matters. We were proud to bust our asses like that.

It's a shame that so many young APDs and prosecutors don't get that. Public service is an honor, not an entitlement. If you do it right, you'll find yourself missing those days as so many of us do once we leave.

BTDT

PS----A huge thank you to all the APDs and ASAs who DO give a damn. Thank you for protecting the communities I love so much and the rights of us all. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Anonymous said...

Remember the Southern District is comprised of more than Flagler Street to 17th avenue. Dont forget the political game in Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale.

Anonymous said...

Bailey is super smart and has a fantastic demeanor. pls let it be her

Anonymous said...

How 'bout KFR rotate the lifers in Felony Screening Unit into trial divisions so that they just might have to try some of the crap that they rubber stamp.