In Dade County the Public Defender's office has gone to the 3rd DCA in their much ballyhooed attempt to be able to withdraw from representation based solely on high existing caseloads. But as we wrote last week, Silent Charlie's real game plan is not to swamp the Regional Counsel's Office, but to starve it, by keeping as many cases within his own office as possible. High caseloads=high budgets. Give Silent Charlie credit for feinting left while going right. A masterful move if we may say so ourselves.
We have now learned that this plan was placed into effect at least two years ago, when the first hint of a second public defender's office wrinkled the nose of Silent Charlie and his danish eating sidekick.
Remember when the Public Defender's office assigned TWO C PDs to each felony division to handle the high case load of third degree felonies? Well, Silent Charlie put a stop to that when he realized that he needed high case loads to protect and preserve his budget. As early as two years ago, BEFORE the current budget crisis struck state governments, Silent Charlie stopped assigning two C PDs to each courtroom. This accounts for the high case loads, like 700 plus for APD Jay Kolsky, the hardest working PD in Miami and the "James Brown of the PD's office".
Silent Charlie and his mouthpieces will tell you that budget cuts caused him to remove the second C level PD. But don't let him fool you. Silent Charlie removed the second PDs before the budget cuts. And while we're on the subject of budget cuts, just how many C level PDs could Silent Charlie hire if he didn't have his old boss on retainer as an advisor while paying for his office to boot?
How many other State agencies during this time of fiscal crisis have former employees on salary as "advisors" while paying for a private office for the advisor?
The problem is Silent Charlie won't answer these questions, which is why is has the Nom d'blog of Silent Charlie.
22 comments:
So, pray tell, how does the caseload litigation fit into your alleged master plan? If the public defender wins, caseloads go DOWN by thousands overall. Then where does the budget go? You simply cannot be correct, as your justification for cutting down on conlicts is totally at odds with the caseload litigation. Or, maybe something else is going on here.
Rump, you're gonna have to dig a bit deeper.
The Captain Reports:
Breaking News ..........
The six finalists have been chosen for our next County Court Judge. They are:
Anita Margot Moss
Steven Lieberman
Tanya Brinkley
Tamara Ilene Gray
Andrea Ricker Wolfson
Lourdes Simon
Gov. Crist has sixty days. The Captain invites all comments and will personally forward them to Gov Charlie.
Captain Out.
Rump,
your conspiracy theories know no end. Where are your facts to suggest that Carlos has planned this grand scheme? Wait, you don't have any. However, I do agree with you that having Bennett on the payroll is ridiculous. He was never around when he was the public defender and is nothing more than a ghost at this point. Some PDs wish Carlos would pull Bennnett's old disappearing act.
As for David Weed, half of his salary is being paid not through the office budget, but from the state retirement plan because he participated in the drop program which many employees in state agencies do. Thus, half of his salary is not coming from the PD budget. Maybe you want them to just flat out fire D. Weed and send him packing after 30+ years of service and give his job to someone younger who cost less. Some would agree with you. But that is not the way people are treated in state agencies. How many people at the SAOs is participation in the drop program?
RCA is a threat not to the PDs office, but to the private attorneys who use to feast of the wheel. If anyone should be praying for RCAs demise, it should be the private bar.
Lourdes Simon is the clear standout
The Captain Reports:
For those that wanted to see who did not get chosen, here is the list of those that were interviewed by the JNC:
1 p.m.- Olankie Annette Adebayo
1:20 p.m.- William Ira Altfield
1:30 p.m.- Tanya J. Brinkley
1:40 p.m.- Joseph I. Davis, Jr.
1:50 p.m.- Mario Garcia
2 p.m.- Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson
2:20 p.m.- Monica Gordo
2:30 p.m.- Tamara Ilene Gray
2:40 p.m.- Robert James Kuntz, Jr.
2:50 p.m.- Steven Lieberman
3:10 p.m.- Fleur J. Lobree
3:20 p.m.- Anita Margot Moss
3:40 p.m.- Gordon Charles Murray, Sr.
3:50 p.m.- Silvia Perez
4:10 p.m. - Margaret Ann Rosenbaum
4:20 p.m.- Lourdes Simon
4:30 p.m.- Jeffrey David Swartz
4:40 p.m.- Marie Jo Toussaint
4:50 p.m.- Andrea Ricker Wolfson
5:10 p.m.- Angelica D. Zayas
Cap Out ......
interesting take Rumpole. I have heard that Rory has gone off the deep end. Talking to himself in the halls and throwing air punches while singing "eye of the tiger." He has turned on David Weed and discourages trials saying "we must treat our clients as if they are members of our very own families. The new public defender and I subscribe to the client cetered approach to criminal law." Weed has been heard saying that Rory needs to be Baker Acted. Not to worry, Rebecca Cox, deputy director and lead mitigation specialist is putting together a mitigation packet.
11:01 Am- Your comment invites an important response. I am not a reporter and have never portended to be one. I do receive tips, emails, whispered conversations, which I attempt to cross check. When I can obtain a few independent sources, I will write something, framed usually as my opinion or citing unnamed sources. For this piece, I received a few separate emails from attorneys who used their names, saying similar things. Could they be in cahoots? Of course. I then forwarded my written piece to another attorney I thought might know about the budgetary wars in Florida and s/he confirmed the basic premise of the piece- that Victor Crist is after the PDs and is favoring the RCAs. I then ran the issue of the double C PDs being removed by one circuit judge and two felony lawyers (ASAs, PDs, private lawyers). These are people who I have developed a relationship with to the extent that they trust me when I write that I will not name them. I received feedback from them, adjusted my piece accordingly, and then published it.
A perfect process? Nope. It is the best I have been able to cobble together over the years considering I remain anonymous and just can't pick up the phone and call someone.
The real issue here in my opinion is why won't Carlos address these issues? I can tell you that there is much grumbling in the hallways of the PDs office over many budgetary issues and the way Carlos has chosen to spend the money. Carlos doesn't need to answer to me or my blog. But he can talk to his employees and address these rumors, and to date by all my best sources, he refuses to do so.
Let's see. You spent your time writing curse words at me. And I didn't print them. I encourage you to continue under the theory it keeps you off the streets and out of everyone else's hair. I just hit a button to delete it. It takes about a second.
Keep writing in!
Andrea Ricker Wolfson would be a great judge
Pit PD's do there best to keep cases out of RCA's hands - but only because we see how those cases are handled after they leave ours.
Silent Charlie and Sleepy Brummer.
I love it. Both are politicians
and not criminal defense attorneys.
But then again what real defense
attorney would want that job.
Tamara Llene Gray has my vote. She is a hard worker and is extremely knowledgeable in the area of juvenile law.
629 you are a moron. tamara gray has done nothing more than try grand theft autos bench trials for the last 20 years and you think that this qualifies a person to be a judge? she is without a doubt the least qualified candidate
james brown is spinning in his grave when you compare him to jay kolsky. when kolsky retired to work at the sao all he did was dump cases and avoid work. dont insult the godfather of soul
Are any of the nominees FL Bar Board Certified in any discipline, such as criminal trial, criminal appeal, civil trial? Does the JNC ask if they are? Does it matter to the JNC if a lawer is Board Certified in a discipline?
Steven Lieberman is a fantastic choice. Well respected and a General Magistrate in juvenile court.
i GUESS SWARTZ IS NOT DOIN WELL IN PRIVATE PRACTICE. HE WANTS TO WORK FOR 135K AS A KOUNTY KNOURT JUDGE. A BAD CASE OF BLACK ROBE FEVER. I MAKE 135K IN ONE CASE.
Bless your heart Rumpole. Someone cursed you, and yep you called them out! Seems like a double standard? Can't stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen.
To 10:01pm:
You're breaking the Captain's Golden Rule, first announced 12/10/09 - "If you don't have something nice to say about someone then keep your mouth shut."
Rump,
There is no room for anonymous journalism in a free society.
Publicus
Dear Mr. Rumpole,
I have to agree, you must sign your real name or people will never be moved by what you write.
There is no room in America for anonymous authors.
Thomas Paine
Hey Rump,
Have you tried calling Carlos to ask him directly for his responses to your accusations? You act like he plays his cards close to his chest, but Carlos has always been frank and upfront in my conversations with, as have all the higher-ups in the PDs office. I don't think they're pulling any punches. They think the caseloads are hurting their clients.
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