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.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

PRISONERS DILLEMA PART 2 APPEARING IN BROWARD

Want to know what's good about being in a Broward court before a Broward Judge? .....after more than thirty-five years of practice when we think of something we will let you know. 

Here is Broward Judge Merrillee Ehrlich having a total meltdown during bond hearings with a woman, in a misdemeanor case, and just to show that Broward Judges don't discriminate against the handicapped when they abuse and humiliate defendants- this defendant was in a wheel-chair.  Perhaps some Broward Bar organization will give Judge Ehrlich an award for berating and abusing all defendants on an equal basis. Who knows?  It's Broweird after all. 

Here are the highlights:


2:37: Yells at defendant who responds to question not to talk.
3:04: Yells at lawyer to keep quiet defendant

3:53: Yells at defendant- "I'm not here to talk to you about breathing treatment."

Reflect on that for a moment. This is a misdemeanor case. The defendant is obviously not well. She's in a wheel chair. We learned later that she had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in fact died within a few days of being released. The defendant indicates that she needs treatment to breathe. Not for pain. But to perform the basic function all humans need to perform to live. And the response of a member of the Broward Judiciary was that she didn't want to talk about it.  Yes, this is the Broward Judiciary on full display for the world to see. They abuse defendants and lawyers all the time. However most of them have enough self control not to do it on video in this fashion. 

4:10:  "I’m not going to spend all day with her interrupting me." 
4:50: Judge yells again
5:55 : "You’ve already said too much."
6:10  Judge Throws a fit and waves arms: "Don’t even say yes..." 

6:35: And here's what a kind and decent judge says to a handicapped person in a wheel chair that they've just ordered to go to pre-trial services: "Arrange for someone to carry you if you can’t get there."

Yes, that's what you want in a Judge. Someone who demonstrates caring and concern for the handicapped. 

Here is the video with Judge Merrillee Ehrlich in all her Broward glory. 






After this became public the good judge decided to hang up her robes and she quit. Good riddance.

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey MILLENNIAL ME and SIR KENNETH - you never gave me any recommendations for an exceptional dinner, hotel, etc for my San Francisco trip this coming Tuesday.

Do you not like Seven Hills for Italian? Stay at the St. Regis? Oysters?

Please let me know your thoughts - unless you usually stay in Oakland ...

Anonymous said...

She didn't quit. She put her retirement papers in 2 weeks ago and was set to retire effective June 30th. However, when this video came out, Chief Judge Tuter told her not to bother coming back.

Anonymous said...

As a political consultant I read, research and collect information about potential candidates. With information I learned about a judge I was guided to rules of judicial conduct. It seems some local judges are not following the rules and protect each other. I read a rule about how a judge shall avoid the appearance of impropriety in all of their activities and act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the judiciary. I read the test for appearance of impropriety is whether the conduct would create in reasonable minds, with knowledge of all the relevant circumstances that a reasonable inquiry would disclose, a perception that the judge's ability to carry out judicial responsibilities with competence is impaired. I apply what I read to my research about a judge abusing pain medication and alcohol and it confirms what I suspect. I go on to read another rule that says a judge who receives information or has knowledge that substantial likelihood exists that another judge has committed a violation of the code shall take appropriate action. With information that other judges have known about the impairment of the judge and done nothing my suspicion is complete about how noting is done and how others have protected an impaired judge. What should I do. Wait until the next election cycle to use the information or do my civic duty by reporting the information.

Anonymous said...

I'm a regular in Broward so I do have a familiarity. That being said, I don't understand the culture there since this "oppressive judge thing" is so common place there. Aleman, O'Connor, McCarthy. etc. I've practiced all over the State and this issue is distinguish-ably prevalent there.

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

She did not quit. Judge Ehrlich announced her retirement date of June 30, 2018 more than a month ago to the Broward County Women’s Lawyer Association luncheon. She filed the paperwork for this two weeks ago. After all the press over the past two days, According to Rafael Olmeda at the Sun Sentinel, chief judge Jack Tuter, has told the judge not to bother coming back to work on Monday.

“In light of recent events we have decided Judge Ehrlich will be told not to return to the courthouse as her retirement is effective June 30,” Tuter said. “I will be working this weekend to find a substitute to cover Judge Ehrlich’s division.”
Read more at https://southfloridacorruption.com/blog/2018/04/22/judge-merrilee-ehrlich-update/

We are the one that posted the video on your counterpart in Broward, for Howard Finkelstein to see. We also did the judge Lazarus video two months ago there. He can no longer hear criminal cases because of it. Fight The Power!

Anonymous said...

Wicked witch of the west ?

Millennial Me said...

Who is the jamoke who is going to san Francisco and cannot figure out a good place to eat? Get your head out of your tuchus you jabone. I'm new to the blog, but I do not understand this obsession with Sir Kenneth. It's like the Shumie thing that Rumpole mercifully ended.
You need a place to eat? Someone with your limited knowledge? Go to pei wei, or Olive Garden and get the endless bread basket and salad bowl and I'm sure you will be happy. Idiot.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...


The Rules of Professional Conduct are clear for all lawyers. They state (using the key word SHALL):

RULE 4-8.3 REPORTING PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT

(a) Reporting Misconduct of Other Lawyers. A lawyer who knows that another lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a substantial question as to that lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects shall inform the appropriate professional authority.

(b) Reporting Misconduct of Judges. A lawyer who knows that a judge has committed a violation of applicable rules of judicial conduct that raises a substantial question as to the judge's fitness for office shall inform the appropriate authority.

COMMENT

Self-regulation of the legal profession requires that members of the profession initiate disciplinary investigation when they know of a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Lawyers have a similar obligation with respect to judicial misconduct. An apparently isolated violation may indicate a pattern of misconduct that only a disciplinary investigation can uncover. Reporting a violation is especially important where the victim is unlikely to discover the offense

The term "substantial" refers to the seriousness of the possible offense and not the quantum of evidence of which the lawyer is aware.

Anonymous said...

Wait.

Endless bread basket??

Anonymous said...

They need to play this video at every single meeting of the judges in Miami-Dade County and all over the state. Judges should be on notice that this could be them and they need to learn to measure their words and their actions with much more care. Judges in Miami and we know who they are, whether they are active or standing in for the day should fear this being one of them. We all have seen judges act just as bad as Ehrlich if not worse.

Let's also have a conversation about what happens when lawyers report judges for this conduct. They are stigmatized. And until there is relief from being labeled a "snitch" and having adverse rulings just because you fulfilled your ethical duties, people aren't going to report judges behaving this badly.

Its very easy to talk about the "duty to report" but its not so easy when you are essentially punished for it by being black listed.

Anonymous said...

3:08 has hit the nail on the head. Why do so many judges there adopt the screaming asshole persona when they get on the bench? On the other hand, the good ones are as good as they come.

Kissimmee Kid said...

Sure, blame the judge. So she's an ass, she still released her. How 'bout the cops. They are the real villains. All these MAGA jerks and their cop worshiping.

This case is bad police work. In Canada, police are instructed, "to use physical force only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient to obtain public co-operation to an extent necessary to secure observance of law or to restore order, and to use only the minimum degree of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective." In Florida, our cops take black people to jail for nonsense.

'Twas the cops that killed this lady, not the judge who was rude WHEN SHE LET HER OUT OF JAIL!!

Anonymous said...

The video looks like it could be a Saturday Night Live skit with Dana Carver as the Judge.

It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic and affected the lives of actual people and resulted in such dire consequences.

Wonderful that she was asked to leave. Good call. At least some might get the message.

Anonymous said...

I'm a dade lawyer practicing family and appear before Ehrlich on a regular basis. She is just plain ole nasty to just about everyone in her court. Just rude and obnoxious. No business being on the bench. Thank God she is leaving. I went to mediation on a case in front of her and the opposing attorney and I agreed to basically settle the matter so that we would never have to appear in front of her for a trial. Worst of the worst. Good riddance.

Anonymous said...

Millennial Me epic smack down of retired jamoke above. Kenn in crossfire catches shrapnel.

Unknown said...

A message for the mediator. Please be advised of this. On the JAAB blog in Broward we have a big problem with a person commenting under our name because they allow anon posts and require no email to post. His name is Alan Masler and he owns the website fukthiscourt.com. A real piece of work. So just to let you know we don't post anon. We always use our name and logo if we can upload it. If it's not our email address, it's not us. We also have no problem with our address being published if that helps. Thank you. Administrator, South Florida Corruption.

Anonymous said...

i have had cases in front o her too. i had a ho hum reaction to the video. She treated my client much worse than she treated this lady. She is just a mean, nasty person.

Anonymous said...

I’m a MAGA guy and don’t worship cops. There credibility is to be judged like any other witness.

Please don’t paint half the American population as cop worshippers bc we happen to be republican. Makes you sound really ignorant. Which I hope your not, at least for your clients sake.

Anonymous said...

12:09 bravo
DV cases where the “victim” Doesn’t want to prosecute such a waste of time and money.

Anonymous said...

Dade lawyers are a bunch of posers. You’ll be hard pressed to find a bigger asshole on the bench than Pedro Echarte. But nobody reports him to the JQC out of fear of retribution. Echarte is much worse than Ehrlich.

Anonymous said...

It’s a Nova law thing in Broward. The judges and lawyers who practice there are almost all Nova grads. Nova is a bottom-tier law school. And you wonder why the judges are so stupid? And they are territorial because anyone from another county is not “one of them.” I have had judges from Broward tell me that when they see a “Miam-ah” lawyer appear before them, they think “what, a Broward (Nova) lawyer wasn’t good enough for you?”

Anonymous said...

8:23, did you mean “their”? “MAGA” by using proper use of the English language. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Echarte follows the law and makes sure the lawyers are prepared when they are in front of him. You must not have been prepared when you went in front of him.

Anonymous said...

KENNY ... you let me down. Leaving now for SF. Probably get stuck eating at Benu. Thanks for nothing.

Anonymous said...

What a bitch. She treated other defendants the same. What law firm would hire such a bitch?

Rumpole said...

You can criticize a judge. I will not post comments that references a Judge's spouse even if you are saying they are a good person. Leave the people out of court out of the comment and I'll publish it.

Unknown said...

Have you heard?

Help on the way to Broward. FSC Chief Justice coming to Broward Thursday to talk to ALL Broward Judges. We don't think he's coming here to pass out awards. Would just love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting.

The Letter:
From Chief Judge Jack Tuter to ALL judges;

Judges the Chief Justice will be here THURSDAY APRIL 26 to meet with our Judges.

The meeting will be at 1215 in courtroom 15150.

The meeting is mandatory for all judges unless you are out of town or excused by your admin judge.

The meeting should be approximately 30 minutes

Thanks much for attending
JT


Don't know if you allow links but here's our Twitter for a pic of the letter:
https://twitter.com/sflcorruption/status/988881977469173760

BTW, that video is getting about 300+ views per hour.

Millennial Me said...

Dear San Fran no one can stand you
and you have no idea where to eat
here's a thought
keep your mouth shut
and go to Pizza Hut.

Anonymous said...

7:48 - thanks for catching my misuse of there v their. Damn you autocorrect !!!!! 😜


Rumpole said...

NOPE - you're almost there. I won't print a comment calling a judge a prick. Although truth could be a defense...develop a sophisticated vocabulary please.

Anonymous said...

Pedro is the best. You must be a shit lawyer.

Anonymous said...

Try House of Nanking in San Francisco.

Anonymous said...

Pedro is brutally tough for sure but only in that he expects you to be absolutely prepared and professional. But he follows the law and pays attention. I'll take him over stupid/lazy all day.

Anonymous said...

Get the Black stuff off the icon. Its been there for over 2 years. Enough is enough

Kissimmee Kid said...

Dear Monday, April 23, 2018 8:32:00 PM;

If you support Trump, you are an ignorant racist who hates freedom. You are deplorable, and I could care less what you think.

As proof of your unquenchable stupidity, you don't even know the difference between "their" and "there." MAGA? It is better than it ever was before, moron.

Love,

the "Kid"

Peter "Camacho" Adrian said...

I don't think the video was that bad.

Anonymous said...

Echarte is NOTHING like Ehrlich .... NOTHING

Anonymous said...

Hey MM and SIR KENNETH

Wound up go to Yank Sing for Dim Sum and then Seven Hills for Italian. Delicious.

I figured it out myself with the help of the concierge at St Regis. Nice pool and gym too. Upset that SFMOMA was closed on Wednesday. You didn’t let me know that Millennial Me?

Going to Austin in two weeks. Uchi?

Anonymous said...

Kissimmee kid:

amazing post!

Anonymous said...

Kissimmee is the trash of central Florida