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.

Thursday, December 05, 2013

NELSON MANDELA HAS DIED

Nelson Mandela died. In terms of character, he ranks with the greatest of leaders from the 20th Century. 

FSU QB James Winston. In terms of character he fits right in with collegiate football athletes. 

State Attorney Will Meggs had a press conference to announce that his office would not be filing sexual battery charges against James Winston.  His snickering, joking press conference ranks right up there with the most insensitive performance a public official has ever done in regards to a victim of sexual assault. 

Manny Crespo Jr., was elected president of the Cuban American Bar Association in what was whispered the closest vote ever. The winning margin may have been less than 30 votes out of 700 cast. Somewhere in heaven, his father has a big smile on his face. He would have been very proud. 

Joan Leonard: several alert readers also reminded us that Judge Joan Leonard also started in county court, went to circuit court, and then the federal bench. The grand slam would have to be starting as a traffic magistrate, then county court, then circuit, then 3rd DCA/Federal Bench. 

17 comments:

Fake Captain said...

A few corrections Rumpole:
Mandela died today so he's one of the great men of the 21st century.

The vote for Crespo was less than 26 votes, NOT 30. sheesh, who does your fact checking?

Anonymous said...

What about Daniel TK Hurley? He was a county judge before any of them were even lawyers (1975-77). And he has been a fine federal district judge for two decades. Sheesh -- do any of you really practice in federal court?

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...


Perhaps Mandela's greatest achievement was forming the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A man that had spent nearly three decades in prison was willing to forgive those responsible for the national atrocities committed by those in power. He saw it as the only way that his country could successfully get through the post apartheid era.

A truly great man.

Anonymous said...


Agree with you Rumpole. Meggs display at the press conference today was embarrassing.

And Mandela was a great man for the ages. 8:36 is just an ass.

Anonymous said...


"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

RIP Nelson Mandela

Anonymous said...

Well said.

MC Waste Services, Inc said...

gayles to federal bench

Dan said...

RIP Nelson Mandela

Anonymous said...

From the Wash Post on this heroic, great, color-blind pacifist of a man:

A photograph that captured the symbolism of the last gasp of the white militants — published on front pages around the world — depicted a wounded, khaki-clad white farmer pleading for mercy as a young black homeland soldier hovered over him with a rifle. The young man executed the farmer on the spot.

Two months later Mandela was elected president. It took a few days to count the ballots, and to pass time he invited small groups of foreign correspondents into a hotel suite where he conducted interviews. During my session, I asked about that young black soldier. The day of the incident, candidate Mandela had condemned the shooting and said that the rule of law must prevail. Now that he was about to become president, I asked, would he bring that soldier to justice?

Mandela gave me a cold stare. “Why is it that the Western press would focus so much on that one case when so many thousands of blacks have been the victims of so much political violence for so many years?”

Anonymous said...

Nelson Mandela was truly one of the greatest man on Earth!

Anonymous said...

Facdl list serve blow up:

Tea party vs. democrats.

Read all about it!

Juan Gonzalez said...

Whatever accolades are given Mandela on the occasion of his death will never be enough to truly state how great he was and how incredibly great his deeds. The fact that South Africa didn't turn into one of histories biggest bloodbath is achievement enough but he went further. Where there was hatred he brought love where there was injury and offense he brought forgiveness. He is beloved and admired by people who suffered some of the greatest crimes and those who he deposed from power. He made his homeland and the world a better place and saved millions of people from gruesome death. I'm sure god is really proud of the performance of his son Nelson.

Anonymous said...

Not a Mandela fan. He praised Castro and Arafat. He caused a black boyc0tt of Miami. He was anti-Cuban. Adios Nelson.

Anonymous said...

3:11 is an idiot. Cuba has needed a Cuban Mandela for decades but has produced noone with enough balls to be one.

Rumpole said...

He praised Castro and was anti-cuban? Isn't Castro Cuban? Wasn't he the leader of Cuba when Mandela praised him?
Oh... I see.... He praised the wrong Cuban.
Don't get me wrong- Castro is a criminal and a thug. But Castro was speaking out against Apartheid and for Mandela when no US president would. I have no love for Castro. But I give Mandela a pass for praising a man who supported him for the 27 years he was rotting in a prison. And most importantly Mandela was no Castro when he came into power. He was not a communist.

Anonymous said...

I love when the cubans complain about Castro. He's really popular in Cuba and the cubans that hate him didn't have the muster to revolt and take their country back. They get special immigration status here but then travel back and forth without fear. Fraudsters!

Anonymous said...

Actually, the closest margin in a CABA presidential election was when Tony Castro was elected by 23 votes. I think that it was 2004 or 2005.