It was 2008 (many of the Judges reading this were in high school) and we had just set the courthouse on fire with a secret, free-wheeling blog, where we knew too much and said too little about who we were. We came across this New Times article from that time period and thought we would share it with our newer readers.
New Times article Rumpole Ruffles The Courts.
All these years later, we are still doing our best to ruffle.
You know what mostly didn't exist in 2008?
Social Media. At least the term.
Twitter was an experiment.
We may be wrong, but no one ever heard of Instagram in 2008. My Space was the rage.
In 2008, pompous robe wearers were our juiciest targets. Still are. The only difference was back then their dirty laundry was not blogged about. No body dared say out loud what we wrote. That defendants were excessively punished simply for electing a trial instead of rolling over and fetching at the State's behest. That Broward Judges were rude, mean, nasty, belligerent, and demeaning to lawyers from Dade County.
No one wrote about the ones who wandered in at 11 and left at 2 pm and berated lawyers for not being ready when they just took up space and swilled cafe con leche while eating pastelitos and avoiding real work.
Then we came along and changed all that. And we learned somethings along the way. And we were humbled to serve and announce the departures of friends and colleagues, from the REGJB, from work, and from these earthly bounds. People congregated online to wish friends goodbye, or to remember a colleague. It is still the most serious and difficult service we provide.
Within weeks we were confronted by the type of ethical conundrums that are taught to journalism majors. We had info, scoops, and what obligations did we have to source our stories like Woodward and Bernstein and Ovalle?
Somethings have changed, but there is not a week that goes by where we are not confronted with an email or pending comment that requires thought and introspection. Mostly we have gotten it right and write. And sometimes we have gotten it wrong, but the difference is we admit our mistakes, unlike ... well if you read the blog, then you know who.
K
In answer to our question this past weekend about the origins and etymology of the use of K as an abbreviation for the prosecution/state- an alert reader sent us this:
Anonymous said...K is for King because, back in the old times, the king was the state.
KNP = State nolle prosse. Still in use.
R&R K = Reset and renotify State = Continuance charged to the state.
9 comments:
Rumpole. I have but one word (well actually four) to say to you:
FAFO
Keep on blogging.
“Captain Al” was a brand new ASA in my courtroom in the early 1990’s. He was a gem of a young man. He had served our country honorably and was so proud to be starting his career as a prosecutor for Janet Reno. He had incredible integrity, had compassion for all and had such enthusiasm when being sworn in. Way too young. He, along with Caleb Friedman and Robert Segall … all my young brand new prosecutors in 1991 … gone to heaven way too soon. God bless them and their loving families.
Jonathan T. Colby
As to judges not much has changed. Still lazy and holier than thou. Only thing different is that they now ride their high horses on Zoom...
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
AND YET ANOTHER JUDGE IS RETIRING .......
Today, Judge Alan Fine, currently assigned to the Complex Civil Litigation Division, announced his retirement from the bench effective February 15, 2023. Judge Fine had just been re-elected in 2020 and he had four years remaining in his current term. Now our favorite Governor, Ron DeSantis, will name Fine's replacement.
Judge Fine was first appointed to the bench by Gov Rick Scott in 2012. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2020. He spent time in the juvenile dependency division and criminal division before transferring to civil court and then to the complex civil division. He had a long and distinguished career after graduating from law school at the University of Florida. We have a close personal connection to Judge Fine, but cannot reveal it here, unfortunately.
Judge Fine has decided to open up an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR for short) firm focusing on private judging arbitration and mediation. Most attorneys are unaware of the fact that both sides can agree to be bound and move a case from the courthouse to a private judge. Using this method allows for a much quicker resolution of pending matters.
Best of luck to Judge Fine.
CAPTAIN OUT .......
Most lawyers know what ADR stands for and what it is Captain Obvious.
Thank you Rumpy for the service that you have provided to our unique little community. You have changed it for the better. Much better. Hip, hip, hooray to you! Cheers!
Was very impressed with Judge Fine. Right out of central casting. Good luck to him. He was one of the few current Judges who was wise and did the right thing. A tremendous loss to a very weak bench. But we still have Judge Hanzman.
Was very impressed with Judge Fine. Right out of central casting. Good luck to him. He was one of the few current Judges who was wise and did the right thing. A tremendous loss to a very weak bench. But we still have Judge Hanzman.
I am sorry to hear that Judge Fine is resigning to set up a private judge/ADR firm. I am utterly opposed to mediation, as in my viewv it has been a tool to enrich lawyers who are either uninterested in the hard work of actual practice, or unable to do it. I have never had a mediation (with one possible exception, former judge Amy Dean, also a sad loss to the bench) which was well handled by the mediator.
Private judging is an attractive concept, until one has to consider the costs. And it can't be used for criminal cases.
And I don't get J Fine's timing: he just got the best assignment ever, to Complex Litigation, and he bails??
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