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 22, 2016

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 2016- WHO YA GONNA VOTE FOR?

Early voting has started for the judicial elections. 
People are talking. 
There is a buzz...oh wait, that's the Judge Stan Blake Memorial WiFi which still doesn't work a damn (Blake was instrumental in getting the first wi-fi system installed, which was powered by several hamsters kept on a wheel in the back of the clerk's office.)

Anyway, people are talking and now there is a cottage industry analyzing our local elections. Soon there will be segment on Morning Joe: "Coming up next, a local law professor takes a look at the county court judicial races in Miami-Dade County. Mika, we have some close races in Miami, and the Zika virus outbreak isn't helping turnout..." 

Well until that occurs, we do have in fact a local law professor who has invested a significant amount of time going on campaign websites, poking around court, observing courtroom demeanor, and he has posted his recommendations on his blog which we are linking to. 

UM Law Professor Michael Froomkin County Court recommendations. 

UM Law Professor Michael Froomkin Circuit Court recommendations. 

Judges Bloch, Newman, Graham, Sarduy and Luck get the nod from the Prof. 

See You In Court with the "Kiss Me I voted Today" sticker. 


25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man, I am having trouble on the Bloch race. As I see it:

A ton of people hate Bloch because he was apparently a major ass hole before he went on the bench. But, he is passable on the bench. I would vote for him...but...

That fucking lawsuit really pissed me off.

The opponent has no reputation, seems capable of doing the job, so I kind of feel like voting for her because of the suit.

But....

I really hate that Bloch drew opposition becausd he pissed off one lawyer. I just don't see it as a good thing to allow some fucker to knock judges off because he has a personal vendetta. And, I am not impressed by the choice of candidate or how she has run. The ads for her firm that have been around for a year or more are thinly disguised campaign ads that seem to circumvent the financing rules.

I think I have it now...gotta hold my nose and vote Bloch. Fuck.

Anonymous said...

Get a grip guy. Has it ever occurred that the opponent actually wanted to run. And please one guy with a vendetta can't win the election. He has supported candidates in the past and acted as a bully and his candidate list the election.

Anonymous said...

Okay, 9:06 here again - I forgot the Fucking Walsh endorsement. Fuck fuck fuck. Just drove past a sign with a picture of John Walsh that eclipses the picture of Bloch. I hate it. In fact, I hate it so much that this is pushing me back to the other side. I figure that if I vote for La Rubia, I won't have to remember voting for Bloch and Walsh, politics be damned.

I am going to vote for La Rubia.

Anonymous said...

Voted for del rey.

Dont like bloch because he is worth 37 million bucks and somehow has the balls to accept campaign donations. Cheap ass.

Dont like the fact that he was the county attorney on the phone every time objecting to fees for defense lawyers. Sometimes advocating that lawyers on serious felonies get paid less than county bus drivers. And no, I was not one of those lawyers. I was an ASA at the time and always remember thinking "this guy is ridiculous."

Dont like the fact that he filed this bullshit lawsuit, which is merely a way for Bloch to get around the judicial canon that requires that you not smear your opponent with gossip, speculation and the like. He

My model judges are/were judges like Stan Blake, Peter Lopez, Scott Silverman, Roberto Pineiro. If Bloch acted like those judges, hed have my vote.

Anonymous said...

9:06, Del Rey's law office signs and billboards have been around for many years.

Anonymous said...

La Rubia is my vote. She has less money

Anonymous said...

La Rubia may own some no-tell motels, but at least she's not going around suing other candidates to get them off the ballot. Bloch has no balls. He is the same way on the bench. I'm gonna vote for la Rubia.

Anonymous said...

New article in the Herald calling Judge Brennan a window basher. She must be moved out of criminal. PDs already filing motions to recuse her from their clients' cases. She can be moved to Family to take over dear departed judge Blake's division. He's retiring next week. What's taking so long here. Is Soto on vacation or something?

Anonymous said...

She would last five minutes in the family division. If you piss off lawyers in the family division, which im sure she will, they go to bernstein and complain. And bernstein will actually do something about it. She also doesnt have the heart or compassion to be in the family division.

Miami loves Milena said...

I think it's Shumie time for Seraphin. Have you seen the latest Nova poll? He's down 4 points and early voting has started.

Anonymous said...

F___! I early voted for Bloch against my better judgement! Now he pulls this crap! If you gotta sue to keep your seat...

Anonymous said...

Where is the Nova poll?

Anonymous said...

Del Rey vs. Bloch:

"I have to get off the bench to make my nail appointment" vs. "I'm a insufferable little man"

Seriously people, vote NEITHER.

Anonymous said...

So those of you voting for La Rubia have no concerns about the falsification of her credentials and no qualms about the circumstances of her firing at the State Attorney's Office and no curiosity about the number and nature of her horrible client reviews? I'm not a fan of Bloch -- don't like the lawsuit, the Walsh endorsement, the asking for contributions when he has millions -- but at least he's honest and competent. For me, it's an easy decision to vote Bloch.

Anonymous said...

What is the Nova poll? and where is it?

Anonymous said...

Based on my interactions with him while he was a county attorney, Bloch wasn't honest or, in my opinion, ethical. I would have happily supported his opposition if it wasn't Del Rey. Nothing about her is good. Thankfully I live in Broward, so I won't be forced to vote for either. And I certainly won't be writing out a check.

Anonymous said...

Broward County Circuit Judge Matthew Destry's new campaign video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wQg8MVwL2Q

Anonymous said...

Agree wholeheartedly

Anonymous said...

A better writer than Rumpole? DOM covering passing of attorney Jay Hogan on his blog. Attorney and former reporter Robert Kuntz commenting :

Kuntz on Jay Hogan:

I was a reporter then and covered Court Broom from void dire to the verdict.

Jay Hogan was just amazing to me. Tall, long elegant hands, big-toothed smile -- and that unlit cigar that I don't think they'd let you walk around with in the courthouse these days. He was a consummate gentleman of the old school. He was totally at ease in the well of that imposing Central Courtroom and when he was up, every eye in the enormous place was on him. Judge Gonzalez didn't exactly defer to Hogan, but Hogan very certainly had the run of the place.

Ray Takiff, lead prosecution witness and literal bag man, had been all bombast and swagger (at least as much as he was capable of while claiming to be so debilitated with a heart condition that Judge Gonzalez reduced his testimony to half days). Hogan on cross was understated, leonine, and he stalked Takiff from the start. He built Takiff up, asking about some of his exploits. (Takiff told a story about walking through a police line of a surrounded house, saying he would speak with "his client," and get him to surrender. Takiff said he then got into the house, handed the barricaded STRANGER a business card and got the case on the spot. True? Who knew? But Takiff told it like it was.)

Then Hogan smoothly went in for the kill.

I won't recall verbatim after all these years, but there was a moment. Takiff had claimed that, if not for being barred from taking the case (since he was by then in the secret employ of the government), he'd have walked General Noriega, who had been tried in that same courtroom. Part of what Hogan asked went something like:

". . . and you'd have gotten him off?"
"Yes."
"You'd would have WON that trial?"
"Yes."
"There wasn't anyone better than you?"
"No one."
"You would have saved the guy?"
"I would have."
"It would have been the case of a lifetime, right?"
[Starting to break] "Yes."
"But instead, all you are now is a rat?"
[In tears] "Yes. I'm a rat."
"You're not a lawyer anymore, you're just a rat?"
[More tears] "Yes. Yes. I'm a rat"

Anyway, that's how I remember it more than 20 years later. But I'll bet, if you pull up the transcript, it was even better than that

Anonymous said...

Blah blah. The complaints against Bloch (probably written by the same one person) are ridiculous.

1. You're complaining that Bloch objected to fees and costs as a county attorney? Seriously? Don't you think that was part of his job? (no, I don't like the county's position on attorneys fees, but wouldn't expect their lawyers to shirk their responsibilities)

2. You're complaining that Bloch is taking campaign contributions? Are you kidding me? The reality is that if Bloch didn't take donations and simply paid for everything himself people would bitch that he was "buying" the election.

3. You're upset by the lawsuit? Nonsense. It was filed by real lawyers for a real reason. Bloch didn't need to file a suit to get the information out.............it already was. Plus, his supporters could've pushed it with the Herald any time they wanted. The suit is legit.

The choice is pretty simple. A woman who has accomplished nothing as a lawyer, who broke her commitment to the SAO after a month because the job was too tough for her (you've got to be kidding me) and blamed the office for not explaining to her that she'd actually have to work, and lied about her credentials

vs.

A good judge and better person (if you knew him personally, you'd agree).

Easy choice.

BTDT

Anonymous said...

What about Rosie Aponte? How is she even allowed to run for judge? Will the jqc even allow her to become a judge if she wins? Never seen anyone less competent or less qualified to be running for judge.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Bloch's smart, dedicated, and experienced. What kind of judge do you think you'll get in Del Rey?

Anonymous said...

In Broward voted for Abbe for judge and Williams for State Attorney. Both have run weak campaigns I have not seen any billboards, lawn signs, bumper stickers ect....

Anonymous said...

When he drew negative comments on the blog, I read Jason Bloch's judicial application (a public record). I would think that the reason he was assigned to criminal was because he would have had to conflict out of many civil cases, due to his involvement with them while at the county attorney's office. In fact, the breadth of his experience in that office, with increasing responsibility over his 20 years there, is extremely impressive. Because he did appeals, too, he also has an understanding of the need to object, preserve error, and --- importantly, --- let the lawyers make a record. All priceless skills for any trial judge. In his application, Bloch made a point of his involvement in the criminal defense lawyers' claims for fees matters, no doubt in part in recognition that Gov Scott makes all appointments from the ranks of prosecutors, if he possibly can.
I don't think that filing suit against La Rubia (love that nickname!) was a great idea, but I credit(?) Joe Geller with that idea. I agree that the photo with John Walsh was a bad idea, too. But the opposition --- set up in the first place by one pissed-off lawyer --- is so much worse, in terms of her lack of relevant experience (no jury trials in family cases, for one thing, that I had no difficulty at all in both writing him a check or 2, and in early voting yesterday.
Please --- whoever you prefer --- VOTE! Today, 8/25, you can vote until 7 pm at many convenient voting locations.

Anonymous said...

You watch, Brennan will be back in January.
Please Berdie, NO MORE BRENNAN in criminal.