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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.

Friday, April 29, 2016

JUDGE SAYFIE HAS AN OPPONENT


THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

BREAKING NEWS ..... JUDGE NUSHIN SAYFIE HAS DRAWN OPPOSITION .....

UPDATED BELOW

In a stunning move, Judge Nushin Sayfie, Chief Administrative Judge of the Criminal Division, has drawn an opponent.  Judge Sayfie is running for reelection in Group 59 of the Circuit Court.

Her opponent is attorney ROSY APONTE, who has been a member of The Florida Bar for, hold your breath, a whopping seven years.  Ms. Aponte maintains a law office in the City of Doral.  Ms. Aponte filed to run against Judge Sayfie earlier today.

Judge Sayfie began her career with the Public Defender's Office and worked for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit PD from 1994-1999 and from 2001-2007. She also spent two years with the PD in the Second Circuit from 1999-2001. Judge Sayfie became a Circuit Court Judge in 2007.  She was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist in 2007 and ran unopposed in 2010.

Judge Sayfie has currently raised $54,000 and loaned her campaign a total of $5,000.

We know nothing about her opponent.

UPDATE:

If Aponte decides to leave Group 59 and jump into another race, here are the Incumbents currently running unopposed. One of them may end up having a long, hot summer filled with shaking lots of hands:

John Schlesinger - $61,000**; $100,000***
Rudy Ruiz - $118,000; $3,500
Scott Bernstein - $76,000; $50,000
Bertila Soto - $108,000; $2,000
John Thornton - $189,000; $100,000
Jennifer Bailey - $156,000; $5,000
Rosa Rodriguez - $89,000; $0.00
Barbara Areces - $64,000; $10,000
David Young * - $222,000; $250
William Thomas - $188,000; $500
Milton Hirsch - $174,000; $100,000
Samantha Ruiz Cohen - $111,000; $25,000
Monica Gordo - $144,000; $0.00
Jorge Sarduy - $105,000; $500
*former judge with no current opposition
**the first number represents the amount raised
***the second number represents the amount the candidate loaned to their campaign

If Judge Sayfie is lucky enough to have Ms. Aponte move to another Group, I'm thinking that Scott Bernstein is shaking in his boots right about now.

COUNTY COURT .... GROUPS 15 & 35

The latest on Group 35 is that Judge Wendell Graham is down to one opponent; Antonio "Tony" Jimenez.  That's because his other opponent, patent attorney Ruben Alcoba, has jumped into the Group 15 race against Linda Luce and Eleane Sosa-Bruzon.

CAPTAIN OUT .....
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Judge Sayfie is one of the best judges in our circuit. It's disgusting that some seven year lawyer should even be allowed to run against her, let alone anyone else. The community needs to rally around Judge Sayfie to ensure her reelection to the bench. We have enough unqualified judges. Let's not lose a good one.

Anonymous said...

Everyone has the right to run for office, as long as they meet the minimum requirements. If Ms. Aponte feels she can defeat Judge Sayfie, then she should run - see Mavel Ruiz v Fleir Lobree.

Anonymous said...

What a joke. Sayfie is one of the brightest and best Judges in South Florida. I hope her opponent loses big time. Time to rally the troops for Sayfie

Anonymous said...

What does aponte practice. Surely it won't qualify her to replace Sayfie

No vote for Rosy Aponte

Anonymous said...

Somebody predicted many years ago that these types of challenges would occur as a matter of course. He was derided, called a bigot and it was said that it was all "sour grapes". How right he was and how wrong you all were.

Anonymous said...

Yet another example of the lack of integrity in our profession. She saw a person named Nushin Sayfie and made a naive decision based on no research or reason. I'm not saying that judges should not be elected. We've seen great examples (Peter Adrien) of why judicial elections are necessary. But this is ridiculous. Just wait til this neophyte finds out that Sayfie will out raise her at least two to one. Just wait til she sees that Sayfie will run a smart and economically effective campaign with all the power her friends and ex-husband will put forward. If this girl stays in the race, she will be humiliated and likely vilified in the legal community. Yes, I am a Sayfie supporter but more than that, I am a proponent of doing the right thing for the right reason. Am I alone?

Anonymous said...

Dude, we all get cases dismissed. Thanks for enlightening me about FSU. The thing is, we don't advertise all our results. Show some humility. We get it, you practice at a high level. So does a lot of this list serve. But we all don't share every case we work on..

Anonymous said...

She is place holding and will hop into David's circuit race. This sh*t is starting to get good!!

By the way, why do you sit and pick apart the fact that she has 7 years in the bar? Why weren't you saying this when Rudy got appointed??? Talk about a double standard !!

Anonymous said...

So if the "Hispanic name" is victorious I have to be respectful? Plllllleeeeaaase !!!!

Rumpole said...

You want to see your comment? Don't curse me.

Anonymous said...

Rudy is a great judge w/ a great rep. No one has heard of Rosy. He earned it. What has she done? No one knows her and she's running against the best.

Anonymous said...

Nushin was not Rosy's original target. She ended up picking this race because Nushin had not done a lot of fundraising yet. Nushin now will out-raise Rosy big time and kick her butt.

Anonymous said...

Not this Rosy Aponte? http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/wf/kgrg-7qvkfj/$file/lincolnorder.pdf

Rumpole said...

Your comment about a candidate and being barred in bankruptcy court and all other issues was fine but for the allegation of an affair which I wont print

Anonymous said...

I am curious as to why Antonio Jiminez chose Wendell Graham's seat to challenge. I have known Judge Graham for 30 years, and I am proud to consider him a friend. He is a kind, decent, humble man who has the temperament and maturity to be an excellent judge. His judicial record is unblemished. He is well-regarded by his peers. He works hard. So why that seat????

Is it because Judge Graham seems vulnerable because 1) he is black and blacks are perceived as politically weak against a Hispanic and 2) he did not file for reelection until the last minute, creating a perception that he is not prepared to fight for his seat? Perhaps this is a clever political calculation-clever, but deeply cynical and morally repugnant. Why run against a good judge simply because the ethnic politics of our community favors you? I am tired of judicial races that are more about ethnicity than qualifications and experience.

I do not know Antonio personally. I know he did not complete three years as an ASA, so he either broke his commitment to the State Attorney or was fired. Either scenario requires explanation. Antonio, what qualities and experience from your brief legal career will you bring to the bench?

I may be completely wrong about my assessment of this race. So I am calling you out Antonio. Please explain your decision to run against Judge Graham to the readers of this blog.

David S, Markus

Anonymous said...

Young and Bernstein both should get opposition. Neither could make a living in private practice. Both will get opposition, I guarantee it.This will be fun to watch those two try to continue to drink at the public trough.

Anonymous said...

You know what, David S. Markus? Your post makes me want to vote for Antonio. No judge is entitled to his or her seat. If you want to be a judge, be ready for an election every now and then. If you want to be judge, don't assume the seat is yours "just because." Judge Graham might be a good judge, but if he cared about the job so much, why did he wait so long to file for the position? He's been a judge long enough to know how things work here, so he should have been ready for the challenge. I'm not in favor of Antonio, and am not against Wendell, I'm just annoyed by people like Markus, who are offended that someone throws his/her name in for consideration. Being a judge is the result of an election (or appointment, followed by election), not by coronation.

Anonymous said...

Go Sayfie. You can do it.

Anonymous said...

Jimenez has been moving around various races as various candidates jumped in and out and settled on Graham because he had not filed.

Anonymous said...

This may have to do with the unfortunate attitude some of the judges have against the lawyers and even other judges. There are too many women on the bench they act like the courts are a sorority. Enough is enough. Sayfie and others need to settle down and humble.

By the way the apponment process is as dirty and political as the election process.

Anonymous said...

Yep. I said it.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

This is stupid. She has no ability just like all the morons trying to be elected this year. Get a grip. She is beatable and it's called democracy.

Anonymous said...

When all the judges were WASP no one talk crap. Now you cry. Black's want diversity, but it means only appoint a black.

How about qualified?

The great black lawyers make too much to waste time on being judge. The white are now out numbered. We just need to look for qualified. That answers our problems. Stop being racial.

Anonymous said...

What's the story with Denise Scaziany and her church? Told she speaks in tongues and throws up. Anyone? Sounds crazy.

Anonymous said...

It's not Denise Scanziani. That's goes to a weird church. She is Catholic. You are confusing the person. The one who goes to a strange church is now a sitting judge. She beat Pando and her name starts with a D

Anonymous said...

3:03, you are correct. No one is "entitled to their seat. You want your seat, understand that every 6 years the public, and fellow lawyers, can fuck with you and make you work for it, regardless of whether you are doing a good job. Today we have too many lawyers out there struggling to get that $750 down, $250 a month (but not every month) fee, so $140,000 a year for saying "defense continuance granted," or "withhold court costs" looks great.

But we as lawyers, and the public, are entitled to have good judges that are qualified. The question of what makes Antonio qualified (other than being a lawyer for more than 5 years) is not something to get angry about. We should demand that judges have more than just a good last name and 5 years and 1 day in practice. Unfortunately, in Miami, we use judicial elections as a game where we play on how stupid the public is. I would respect Antonio more if he just said "I'm running against Graham because my last name is Jimenez and that's how things work here." Is there another reason?

Is Rosa Rodriguez a better judge than Wendell Graham, Antonio Jimenez?

Anonymous said...

You guys keep talking about the wrong Antonio Jimenez. The guy who was fired by the SAO was S. Antonio Jimenez. The guy running is Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez. Let's get the facts straight here. Check it out, Rump.

Anonymous said...

How much does David O. Markus hate that there is a David S. Markus out there practicing criminal law. He must cringe every time he sees that guy or his name posted.

Anonymous said...

Ridiculous. When WASP were the only people elected a number of the were terrible. Blacks weren't elected nor Hispanics. Stop being racist about how the pendulum swings. In a few years another group will start replacing as well.

Now let's focus on replacing Maria Korvick, Gissella Cardonne and Jose Rodriguez. Three path setters who stink. Agree?

Anonymous said...

Jimenez website says he only takes cases in Miami, went to Stetson Law School (Tannenbaum should like this), has a Masters degree from an on line college and was in the Navy for 5 years. http://www.jimenezlegal.com/

Anonymous said...

Get elected with better odds.

It is easier to beat newly appointed judges.

Running against a judge who was elected in a contested election will not lose. Running against former elected popular candidates is crazy. Emphasis on popular. Yolly is not popular.

Running for judge today requires a personality. Most of the candidates lack this. This a personable candidate can win even a 4 person race.

Unknown said...

This is S. Antonio Jimenez writing to clarify the Anonymous post above.

To clear the air once and for all, and with no intent to slander Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez running for judgeship in Miami-Dade County, I (S. Antonio Jimenez)was not fired from the SAO. To the contrary I left the SAO after completing my 3 year commitment, unlike many/most in my 2003 class of incoming prosecutors and unlike Ms. Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez who was fired. I left in good standing. If you do your homework I'm sure you will see who was who and who was fired from the SAO. I was long gone when Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez was let go by the SAO. I'm sure the Miami Herald article is still out there somewhere and you can see where they clarified his name after I contacted the Miami Herald upon receiving emails and messages from friends asking me what happened. This was not the first time Mr. Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez and I have been confused for each other.
Antonio Jimenez is a common name in Miami, FL. However, I felt compelled to clarify the Anonymous post above which wrongfully identified me (S. Antonio Jimenez) as the one who was fired (Antonio Gonzalo Jimenez). Sorry Tony Gonzalo Jimenez but I had to set this straight for everyone, once again!

Anonymous said...

Rosy Aponte, who is currently the subject of investigation by The Florida Bar, is the long time cohort of the self proclaimed king of foreclosure defense, John Ruiz, who has himself spent the batter part of the last five years mired in a myriad of cases consisting of foreclosures, repossessions, and attempts to collect debts related to his la ley "empire". Ms. Aponte luckily managed to avoid payment of her debts through a discharge she obtained in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Interestedly, Ms. Aponte's complete ineptitude has been highlighted recently by the Hon. A J Cristol who barred her from practicing before the United States Bankruptcy Court as a result of her confession that she had no clue what she was doing in a contested chapter 7 case. Ms. Aponte's stellar representation resulted in the debtor and multiple family members of the debtor, including his elderly mother being held in contempt of court, faced with incarceration and substantially sanctioned. Unbowed, in yet another case pending before the Hon. Laurel Isicoff, Ms. Aponte was ordered to show cause and sanctioned as a result of filing an unsuspecting alleged debtor in bankruptcy without ever having met her client. Her excuse was simple, someone in her office used her credentials . It is a sad day when a distinguished, hardworking and well respected jurist is challenged by a puppet who sole qualification is a hispanic last name.

Anonymous said...

Please see my response below. Thank you.
S. Antonio Jimenez, ESQ.

Anonymous said...

What law prohibits running against a sitting judge? I've looked, can't find it. You want to earn $140,000/year for a part-time job and a title? Get to work!