UPDATE: This was the scene Monday morning as lines to enter the REGJB streatched around the block as thousands of Dade County citizens lined up to view the signs hanging in courtrooms in the REGJB.
Not since old Judge Willard said he saw the Blessed Virgin Mary in a slice of Cazzoli's Pizza has the public been so interested in seeing something inside our humble little courthouse.
Attorney Louie Jepeway is on a mission. (Cue Mission Impossible Theme).
He wants to get rid of the sign that hangs above every judicial bench in Dade County: "We who labor here seek only the truth."
Rumpole says: If anyone has a copy of Judge Holt's email to his "fellow jurists" about the slogan, we would love to see it.
Jepeway has filed a motion to have the sign removed in a case before Judge Sayfie.
The Miami Herald and ace reporter David Ovalle broke this sign shaking story here.
From the article:
According to Miami-Dade’s courts historian, the sign was introduced in the late 1940s by Circuit Judge George S. Holt, a philosopher of sorts who once wrote his fellow jurists should “carry this saying etched in their hearts” in their “fervent quest for justice for their fellow man.”
Best anyone can tell, Holt came up with the saying, which is often quoted in other courts and has even made it’s way into a couple appeals-court opinions.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of anyone attacking the declaration,” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Scott Silverman, the historian.
Truth be told, we have rubbed that sign in the face of prosecutors and their witnesses more times then we can remember. It is a fairly effective tactic in closing argument to recall for the jury a witness for the prosecution who obviously was not telling the truth and then point to the sign and ask rhetorically "Do you think they believe what is on that sign that applies to the rest of us who work in this courtroom?" (Rumpole trial tip# 17- always try and use phrases containing words like "us" and "we" when speaking to the jury to align yourself with the jury.")
While we're on the subject of signs can we please start challenging Judges who blatantly violate the 14th amendment by banning citizens (namely children, or some signs say "babies") from their courtroom by hanging a sign on the door prohibiting them from entering the courtroom? We would love to see them defend their right to exclude a whole class of people from their courtroom. We have noted before that in enlightened jurisdictions Judges have their bailiffs approach the person with a child to find out why they are in court. The information is then passed to the Judge who calls that person's case out of turn. We of course applaud the child care option in the REGJB, but that still does not give Judges the right to ban children from their courtroom as a blanket policy, so to speak. .
See You In Court, seeking truth.
27 comments:
I don't have too much of a problem with the sign. What I have a problem with is naming a Courthouse where people go to determine their guilt or not after a prosecutor.
I ha a case reversed where the Judge excluded the family of the Defendant from the victim's testimony. FLA Statutes severely limits the Courts ability to exclude anyone from being in a Courtroom IF they are not disruptive.
DS
Odds on USA dismissing the Elisha Dawkins case before jury selection tomorrow. I'd say 90% they dismiss - its gonna be an NG and you know how those AUSA's can't stand losing.
The signs saying you are going to be searched upon entering the REG Justice Building must be removed as they convey to potential jurors that all police searches are ok.
The no parking signs outside the REG are indicative of a police state and must be removed.
This is a movement. Its time has come. Arlo Guthrie will re-write Alice's Restaurant and inlcude this movement in his song.
Thank goodness there are those out there protecting my constitutional anti-signage rights.
This is BIG!
Only you Rumpole could pull a "Judge Willard" (RIP) reference out of thin air and make it work.
Nice post. Made me laugh.
Nothing better than grabbing a nice Macanudo from Two Guys Cigar Joint (formerly Shumie's Cigar store of Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, Waco Texas & Milan) at their new location on West Bird Road right at the edge of the Everglades.
When can the shumie be called?
Gerstein later became a defense attorney with his law partner, Ronald Dresnick, and F. Lee Baily. So, one could argue the building is named after a defense attorney as well.
If you know the secret password, you can ask Shumie to sell you a stick from his El Nacional collection.
Call it. See if anyone throws the review flag.
To Trialmaster: Surely you don't think the building was named for Richard Gerstein for his career as a defense attorney.
Who you calling Shirley?
Ssssshumie Time baby! Smoke em if you got em!
Hymie-
No he won't.
And for any ATF agent trolling this blog for targets, he doesn't have any, he never had any, wouldn't know how to get them, and doesn't even know what you are talking about.
He is a legitimate businessman.
He's bigger than US Steel.
PAB
Can anyone post a linc to Abe's article? I cant find it online at
Herald.com?
hey 6:23 am from Monday: since when did working as a prosecutor disqualify someone from being honored by having a government building named after you? would you be ok if a person who spent his career as a public defender had a buiding named after him? or do you only want public buidings to be named after private hacks like you? what a douche.
Gerstein was also a well known horseman and gambler at local tracks and a reported ladies man. When I see his name on the courthouse, I just think: Damn, the man did it all!
Rump,
Have you heard the juicy rumor going around about the county court ASA shooting his gun at his ASA girlfriend and getting arrested in Broward over the weekend?? I heard it from a Judge and it has been confirmed by several people...
How could that rumor be true, yet not hit the news???
But damn, it is juicy.
Gerstein was the orginal "tricky dick ". Althotugh he played the ponies, the ladies, one of which still looks pretty good as a sectarary downtown, he was often investigated, never indicted. Had his Sunday morning breakfast at the old Glorfied deli on Coral Way and later at the holiday inn on Brickell.and he let his buddy, Larry King off on many worthless check charges. "Can you loan me fifty dollars"? A good life well lived.
Hey, 8:41 JUly 11th:
I have no objection to naming a government building after a prosecutor. I object to naming a building where people go on trial for their freedom after a prosecutor. Naming the PD building after Brummer- Proper. Naming the SAO building after Gerstein would be proper. Naming a courthouse where people facing losing their liberty after a prosecutor I think is wrong.
Who remembers the F-up of the Mossler trial that One-eyed Dick had to try by himself?
DS
The Mossler case was tried by a team of ASA's, including Gerald Kogen and Dave Goodheart. Gerstein came to visit.
However, Dick did help out with the first Thomas Knight trial, with Ed Carhart as lead counsel. He was a formidable figure, even when he only was involved in voir dire.
Not likely to catch KFR doing that, are you? Maybe she can try a case against Carlos Martinez - each without help. I would pay for a seat.
Keep guessing D.S.
DS
The Bar says that you were admitted in 1985. That would have made you about 5 or 6 when Mossler was in trial.
Did you follow it in the papers or actually go to the trial every day?
Who remembers the Steven Stanley trial?
Old Guy
I was in 5th or 6th grade at Greynolds Park El. when the trial happened. It was in the papers [ we had to bring in newspaper articles for current events]and on Ch 4 news w/ Ralph Renick every night. My Dad , who liked Dick G , made many comments about the case. We always watched the news at dinner-time.I remember she was supposedly involved w/ her nephew and they supposedly killed her husband. I AM older than I look , lol.
DS
I doubt the photo is of people lining up to see a slogan. More likely, it's just the backup from the courthouse door, where security screening proceeds at the pace of molasses on a cold stone slab.
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