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.

Monday, August 08, 2011

COURT REPORTER CRISIS?

UPDATE: DOW TANKS: By 1pm Monday the DOW was down 323 points, the NASDAQ down almost a 100 points. All morning long we have been flooded with emails from concerned readers asking us what to do.
Rumpole says: The time to sell has passed. You should have been selling into the strong market this spring and early summer and buying some puts on the Market preparing for the big fall we kept telling you was coming. You want to make money in the stock market? Follow our two simple rules: 1) Buy on weakness; 2) Sell into strength.
In short, do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

In the week after September 11, 2001, when the markets fell on the attack on our country, we asked our self one simple question: Do we believe in the USA? We decided we did and bought big. Large buys of GE, CISCO, and Home Depot. Some options on Halliburton and Schlumberger- long calls that paid off nicely.

Same question today: Do you believe in America? If you do, start buying. Ford is a good buy here, so is Apple and Home Depot. There are excellent mid-cap energy stocks that have no debt, loads of cash, and are making money. Snap those up now! For smaller investors locate a good mutual fund and you will find this an excellent opportunity to pick up a great fund for cheap. Then sit back, and when the market rebounds, and it will, your portfolio will be up big. However, then comes an even more difficult move- sell on strength. As hard as it is to buy when everyone else is panicking and selling, it is even harder to sell when your stocks are soaring every day. Why? Greed, pure and simple. But as we said, the key to making money in life is determining what the crowd is doing and then doing the opposite. Trust us, it works.


Three felony courtrooms in our beloved REGJB have joined all of the County Court courtrooms and "gone digital" meaning your favourite, reliable, friendly court reporter has been replaced by a technician who listens to the courtroom chatter and tries to make sure the in court contraption is working properly.

Q: What does this mean for court reporters?
A: If you are just asking this question now and you are a court reporter then you had better have your mortgage paid off because you are way behind the curve.

The horse has left the barn.

Replacing well trained professional court reporters with a machine and a tech is simply a money saving move. If you look around lately (the debt ceiling fiasco for instance) governments are not spending more money. Using technology to save money in in vogue.

Put another way: Spring for an extra cup of Starbucks for your favourite court reporter because they are being kicked to the curb in a not too gentle manner.

Spare us your arguments. Yes court reporters do it better (no funny comments please).
Yes there have been and will continue to be technical screw ups and testimony will be lost.
But let us tell you what will NOT happen:
What will NOT happen is that when some technician forgets to boot the blasted machine losing a days worth of testimony, the chief judges and court administrators will come crawling back to the court reporters. That will NOT happen.

Why? Because the savings in money is worth more (to the bureaucrats that be) than the problems of any trial being screwed up.

So get used to electronic transcription. And in 50 or 60 years we will be replacing Judges with robots who, having instantaneous access to 500 years of recorded legal history will be making split second decisions that will do away with the need for appellate courts. All in the name of technology saving money.

No more court reporters in court: a bad thing.
No more judges in court: not a bad thing.

See, everything evens out in the end.

See you in court and remember, that microphone hanging over your head is hot.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course, it's not as important as your beloved video games or your juvenile moronic shoomie shit, but under the Twitter line to the left on this Blog's home page is a referral to the Miami New Times cover story on Elroy Phillips, an innocent man doing heavy time, who was framed by the cops and sits in a Federal prison with no relief in sight. Come on Rump, get off your ass and get involved in this horrible miscarriage of justice that stains all of us in South Florida. The question is, does anybody care?

Anonymous said...

I love angry gurl.

Anonymous said...

"[I]n 50 or 60 years we will be replacing Judges with robots who, having instantaneous access to 500 years of recorded legal history...."

In 50 years?! Have you seen IBM'S Watson?

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202481662966&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1

Anonymous said...

I'm a little behind, but I am referring to a comment by Anonymous on Saturday, July 30, 2011 6:50:00 PM that "Laeser takes over at OCC" - what is OCC?

Anonymous said...

Try to order an older tape from Kounty Kourt. They changed software and lost years of tapes.

Here we go again.

Brynn Dockstader said...

Thanks for your kind words about court reporters. We all appreciate the generous support.

As far as statistics, I believe Dade Co. has three homicides to retry because they were tried with a digital recorder.

I believe Hillsborough Co. had numerous homicide trials to retry because of digital recroding.

And those are just two counties that I am aware of.

That's all I am going to say.

Anonymous said...

why do readers have a problem with shumie comments/shumie time?

smoke em if you got em said...

It's MACANUDO MONDAY at Two Dudes Cigar Store!!! Can't wait to stop by and put a big one in my mouth.

Anonymous said...

At least when court reporters change software we make sure we can still produce the record. The record gets produced on time no matter what the conditions. That's a professional.

So county court changed software and didn't think ahead whether they'd be able to produce transcripts from archived digital recordings?

Just one more example of not thinking things through thoroughly.

Anonymous said...

Alaska, New Mexico and other states went digital and then brought back in the court reporters. I could get all the statistics from NCRA.

It's a pretty bold statement to say once court reporters were gone that they would never be brought back.

Anonymous said...

Two Guys Cigar Emporium Rule #1: NEVER Chat and Cut

Fake Sigmund Freud said...

De shumie comments signify a yearing to return to the craddle or perhaps the womb. To go back to a simpler time ven life vas about playing hookey and having fun. Dis person or persons shows a markedly over developed Id and a depressed super ego. With consisten psychotherapy dis person can achieve breakthroughs and acheive a balance in life they now do not have. I voood expect de shumie people have frequent colorless dreams in vich dey are often scared and being chased. Dey must also vet de bed more often den vood be expected for deir age. Der use of cigars to satisfy an oral fixation is entirely expected.

Anonymous said...

How many female court reporters have been banged by attorneys over the years? anyone care to guess? and who is the best looking court reporter to ever grace the building?

Anonymous said...

Freud was a coke addict, you know.

But even he said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Anonymous said...

Do like they do in civil and in family. If you want a court reporter, bring one. Until then, rely on the electronic versions, which are really not that bad.

99% of the time, you dont need your blabbing transcribed. And 99.99% of the time you dont need it transcribed by a human and an electronic version will do.

As far as lost transcripts, we've all heard stories of court reporters that have lost data and transcripts. Just goes along with the territory and by the way, the court system is BROKE, so I'd rather see the funds used for something else. (like fixing the escalator)

Anonymous said...

A former New York City police officer has been sentenced to one year in jail after being convicted of official misconduct but acquitted of raping a woman.

Kenneth Moreno was sentenced Monday. He and another officer, Franklin Mata, who was awaiting sentencing, challenged their misdemeanor convictions for repeatedly returning to the accuser's apartment while keeping dispatchers in the dark.

The two were summoned to help the drunken woman get out of a taxi in December 2008.

The woman told jurors she passed out and awoke to being raped in her bed. Moreno said he snuggled with her, but they didn't have sex. The other officer said he was snoozing on her sofa.

NYY cop "snuggles" with a drunk he took out of a taxi and doesnt tell dispatch. Really, he snuggled with her. If he wasnt a cop he'd be in for rape. Just look who heads sex batt here in miami; she'd probably be asking to make him a predator. But I guess since the defendant is a cop, its ok to "snuggle" with strange drunk women at their home. Karma will get this pig. Hopefully he is married and his wife takes half of his whopping salary. If he was a poor minority, snuggling witha drunk woman at home, he's get life.

maybe snuggles the cop can tour the schools and tell children its ok to go into drunk womens houes and snuggle with them. the law seems to find it ok.

I hope this pervert gets his just due

Rumpole said...

318 just barely squeaked by my standards. I think its more appropriate to note that there have been many romances between ct reporters and attys especially in the 70's and 80's when ct reporting my more exlcusively the domain of females and many of those were young and single. Suffice to say there have been many beautiful court reporters to grace our courtrooms.

I also think the idea of bringing your own ct reporter to crim court is a class Aone idea.

Anonymous said...

Best looking court reporter=Miriam Bosch, but imagine taking her back to her house after a date and finding her father waiting for you at the doorway with a bazooka in his hands. Miriam was really pretty though.

Anonymous said...

shumie comments were mildy amusing 3 years ago. your now kind of the like the guy who tells the same bad joke every week. get some new material. google some jokes if you cant think of any. maybe even try and get a date.

rump, there are programs that will automatically remove posts with "shumie" in them. they are simply not funny. you may be laughing in your little apartment typing thr same post daily, but rest assured we are laughing at you. I wish I knew who you were so i could laugh at you in person. but alas, losers like you like to hide behind their PC screen and sign in anonymous for fear their loserness will be exposed.

fear not, millions of d-bags exist just like you. its the age of the computer. keep up the original and funny jokes

Anonymous said...

anyone recall the greek twin sisters who were court reporters in the 80s? Billy and Bobby?

Anonymous said...

Forgot one other comment-

Rump, you have standards?

Ok, I'm kidding, but I'm surprised that "banged" even is a blip on your radar.

Kissimmee Kid said...

I left town and headed to Brevard where I watched court waiting for my hearing. (They don't have public courtrooms for civil cases, just criminal court. Local Rule.) I saw a very skilled attorney gaming their electronic system. Things he wanted on the record went right into the microphone. When he made his JOA argument, the argument he made to the judge was right into the mic, then he said, "let me list the six other reasons an aquittal should be granted," turned and walked to the table to get his notes, talking lower and lower as he walked.


We spoke outside. This lawyer knows how hard-nosed the 5th is on preserving error. The transcript will read, "the six other reasons are . . .INAUDIBLE.

This, my friends is our future. Reversals due to inadequate record.

Anonymous said...

To 4:36 pm, there have been romances between attorneys and court reporters and there have been plenty of plain ol' "bangings".

smoke em if you got em said...

MACANUDO MONDAY MADNESS IN full swing at the greatest little cigar shop east of the Mississippi (and east of the Rockies for that matter).

Come by now. Open till midnight for all your cigar needs.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys!

It's about the qualifications. Next time you are with your court reporter, ask them how many national certificates they hold? RPR? RMR? CRR? Or RDR?

I know we are easily taken in by what our eyes see, but the more enduring qualities will be the record. Our record goes to the courts of appeal and the Florida Supreme Court and we have to remember that.

I'm so glad that I'm too old to be considered in that category.

Grove Isle Guy said...

For me, the 70's and early 80's are a blur of hot, tanned lithe court reporters that I had at the Mutiny. Long coke fueled nights, licking 1000 bottles of champagne (back when a thousand bucks was real money) off their tight little stomachs; lost weekends where I was barely able to pull myself together sunday night for court on Monday. Pick up a new trafficking case by Thursday, spread the word for the Mutiny at Friday night and blow another 20 grand over the weekend doing the same thing, but with a different little honey/court reporter. Oh the occasional hot clerk, new PD, ambitious law student made the cut for the debauchery, but fishing in the court reporter pond was EXTREMELY rewarding.

Rumpole said...

For those who asked, I can't really say where I spent my holiday but I will say this- you can't find a better meal than at Patina in LA. And tell Rene Rumpole sent you.

the trialmaster said...

The trialmaster prefers Spargo in Beverly Hills. and there are some great Ethopian restruants in "Little Ethopia" The London hotel off Sunset has a great restruant as well and the roof top lunch and view is second to none.

Anonymous said...

Grove Isle Guy-- My memory of the eighties are fuzzy from coke fueled nights but I don't recall any court reporters at the Mutiny. The only women I remember were the beautiful hostess and the beautiful latin wives/mistresses girlfriends of the big shot dealers. We had it all thanks to Columbians.....money, the flash, the women, cars, boats, summer homes, the women-- [definitely worth repeating] Then came along a man named Max Mermelstein who fucked everything up. Rat Fink.

-Sincerely The Family of Fabio Ochoa Vásquez Wrongly Imprisoned Since 2003

Anonymous said...

ah the Muntiny, Grove Isles, Menege
DS

Anonymous said...

Cats, Regine's, Biscayne Baby, Menage, Cricket Club....fueled by blow, drinks, ludes and pre-aids joy.

Anonymous said...

Who remembers the mirror top tables for doing lines? Mutiny was the BEST time of my young Coconut Grove life - had a GREAT wild time - used to call in late flying home on private jets to and from the Bahamas and SA - or offshore fishing - never got into the "coke scene" but knew it was there.

@10:40--The Ochaos have only themselves to blame for allowing a white boy into the orgainization.

Anonymous said...

"It is madness of folly to expect mercy from those who refuse to do justice" ~Thomas Paine~
1776

Anonymous said...

@12:10-- Excuse me? The Ochoas were to blame? Get your head out of your ass. The blame lies with the justice system. Max 'the snitch' Mermelstein smuggler for the cartel was allowed to go free and keep his drug profits for having snitched on Noriega. He was protected for two years under the special protected witness program. Who said crime does not pay? Just watch out, the government doesn't like competition. They are now looting through "asset forfeiture" between 1 to 2 billion dollars from innocent victims of their raids per year. All it takes for a raid is the mere accusation and your valuable possessions are gone. The mandatory sentencing was really introduced to give the Feds leverage to force reluctant criminals to snitch and it has been working. People are being convicted on the word of these snitches, without any real evidence, example-- Fabio Ochao--who sits in jail for a crime he did not do.

--Sincerely The Family of Fabio Ochoa Vásquez Wrongly Imprisoned Since 2003

Anonymous said...

@8:49--
5. Turnberry Club
4. Jockey Club
3. Plam Bay Club
2. Cricket Club
1. Mutiny

Dinner at Arturo's, Forge, Joe's

@3:18-- Yup.

the trialmaster said...

Honey for the Bear, Jamestown Club, The Lady Bug, and Salsolido, The Bobby Dykes bar, and of course the Taurus, The Widow McCoy and on it goes.

Anonymous said...

God rest her soul, but Joycee Waxx used to make my knees buckle every time I saw her.

Rumpole said...

Rest in Peace, A hottie and a sweetie.

Anonymous said...

@4:41- No.5 and No. 4- switch'em.

Back then everyone had their hand out wanting more and everyone had their heads buried in the sand.

Anonymous said...

Hi, this is a court reporter from the '70s/'80s...those were the days. Considering I started reporting at 18, for me it was like others' college days (daze). Makes me want to break out in song...Those Were The Days, My Friend...can you guess who?

Unknown said...

Thanks for your type words about court reporters. We all be grateful for the generous support.

Florida Court Reporter

Unknown said...

For those who asked, I can't really say where I spent my holiday but I will say this- you can't find a better meal than at Patina in LA. And tell Rene Rumpole sent you.

Court Reporters Located In Manila Philippines

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing the blog on court reporters, found it really helpful as we are the Palm Beach located court reporters