When we last left the young circuit judge Liz Scherer, she was calling balls and strikes like any good republican Judge...and having presided over the horrific Parkland School Shooting penalty phase of the case, she hugged the prosecutors when they lost their quest to have the defendant executed.
Umpires hug ballplayers all the time after a called strike three. Right? No one witnessing the sentencing would have had ANY inkling that this young judge was just itching to make a name for herself by condemning the defendant to death.
But the jury saw it differently, and as we correctly predicted that day, the State of Florida lawmakers leapt into action virtually outlawing jury recommendations in death penalty cases. "While we have the greatest legal system in the world, it only works and justice is only done when juries do what they are told and vote guilty and for death. Only then can we look a defendant in the eye and tell him or her that they have had a trial by a jury of their peers...who hates them and what they did." Etc.
Now comes along Randy Tundidor who has a rule 3 motion to vacate a murder case in front of our unbiased balls and strikes calling, lawyer hugging Judge. And he files a motion to recuse her because he doesn't feel comfortable with judges who hug lawyers. And who can blame him? On the first day of law school we were told to avoid Broward Judges who hug prosecutors...no easy task north of the border.
Judge Scherer does what any good republican judge is told to do...she denies the defendant's motion and the case makes it way to the Florida Supreme Court, who, in an uncommon fit of rationality, issues this opinion, with this highlight below:
Judge Scherer left the bench and, while still in her judicial robe, exchanged hugs with the victims’ families and - 3 - members of the prosecution team, one of whom was Assistant State Attorney Steven Klinger, who is also the prosecutor in Tundidor’s case. Tundidor also alleged that while off the record at a status hearing in Tundidor’s case on November 4, 2022, Judge Scherer “sympathetically” asked ASA Klinger how he was doing. According to Tundidor, “Klinger responded to the effect that ‘words cannot describe’ how he felt” and that “he was doing better than his mother,” “ ‘who follows the news.’ ”
Broward is such a warm and fuzzy place. Judges are just so caring and sweet- as long as you're a prosecutor or a victim. Everyone else? Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here.
Meanwhile watch these pages for a Go Fund Me for Klinger's Mom. She's suffering, poor soul.
sc2022-1732 by Anonymous PbHV4H on Scribd
28 comments:
Damn, so what impact on Cruz trial if any at all? None right? They pled and asked for life, so what prejudice. Is there even an appeal going on, or just jqc complaints?
I abhor everything about Scherer but I am going to come to her defense. She presided over one of the most emotionally devastating cases in the history of South Florida. Multiple Parents were grieving over the senseless loss of their young ones. Was Scherer biased towards the prosecution or, simply, over a lengthy and excruciating trial, acting like a genuine human being and demonstrating inevitable compassion for her fellow human beings? Was she merely giving a hug for people that really needed them? In that her role was limited to just officiating, did her hugs really cause a problem? Is a judge supposed to unreasonably suppress their humanity ? The great judge "William Thomas" cried when imposing the death penalty...does that mean he needs to recuse himself due to his inability to suppress his humanity? I prefer the judges that wear their emotions on their sleeve as opposed to ones that act like robots.
OMG never hire 12:35 if that's the best they can do.
To 12:35 PM:
THE CAPTAIN RETORTS:
I understand that you want to have an intellectual/emotional discussion on the issue. I have no problem with that. Unlike most, I am not one of those nasty persons that simply sends ad hominem attacks to someone who posts something I don't agree with. That is why I refrain from Facebook and other social media sites.
You must not have watched much of the trial. When each and every victim took the stand to testify during the victim impact portion, just before sentencing, Judge Scherer made it a point to state, from the bench, that she understood their grief, admired their courage in coming here today, and was very personable with each family member.
Then, of course, after sentencing, she jumped off the bench to hug each and every family members that stood in line for said hug.
But, it was the hugging of the prosecution team that the Florida Supreme Court found even more objectionable. And not only was it that she hugged at least three ASAs. One of the ASAs just happens to be assigned to the Randy Tundidor case which is the subject of the Florida Supreme Court opinion.
You can debate whether it was appropriate to get into the shouting match with the lead APD that devolved into "no, you did it"; no, "YOU did it". Or whether Scherer went overboard when she directed two defense attorneys to go "sit in the corner".
But, the hugging of the prosecutors, there is no debate there. That was way over the line. IMHO, Scherer should be removed from the criminal division and assigned to anything but criminal. But until that happens, there will be more and more of these Motions To Recuse her.
Captain Out .......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com
Amen Cap!
Rumpole, did judge Scherer ever hug any defense attorneys before or after she hugged the prosecutors??
Let me get this straight. A defendant is sentenced to multiple life prison sentences. And a prosecutor says “words cannot describe how (bad) I feel? “. Because a jury did its job. He didn’t lose. The defendant pled. It was all about how long he would live and how he would die. And the prosecutor and his mother are so upset because of the verdict.
There’s a whole lot wrong here folks.
I never have judge try to hug me. Judges curse at me. One threw a water bottle at me. No judge ever try to hug me. If dat happened I vould quvit de law.
I’ve had judges hit on me. More than you would think in this era of # metoo. One went from county to circuit a few years ago and I went to his second investiture just to walk by his skanky ass and tell him congrats in front of his wife while I wore a smoking hot short skirt and tight blouse.
But no judge has ever hugged me after verdict - win or lose. And when I win (which is a lot like you Rumpole) many judges , especially some of the new Cuban latinas are downright rude to me. Nothing they hate more than some gringa lawyer who dresses better than they do , coming in to their court and winning a case.
The hug to the losing side lost me forever. That woman has no business being a judge. I was a judge for many years and she makes all of us, present and past judges look bad.
God I miss Alex Michaels.
Anyone watch the great series "Slow Horses" and think Gary Oldman is channeling Alex Michaels?
God I miss Alex Michaels. Anyone watch the great series"Slow Horses" and think Gary Oldman
is channeling Alex.
Could you imagine an umpire or referee hugging the loosing side’s couch after a game?
She is totally unqualified to be a judge. Her daddy's political connections got her to the bench. She is but one of the many incompetent judges in Broward that wear the black robes, because they never could make a dime in private practice.
Hot PD, you have been on this blog for over 15 years. You have about 3 years left before you begin to date men who have only money to offer…in other words, overweight, 65 year old, thrice divorced dudes who are happy to take a decent looking older woman to a nice dinner in their semi-fancy expensive car.
Why would you be mean to the judge’s wife anyway. If you don’t like him, fine. But what did she do to you?
I was NOT mean to her. I didn’t even speak with her. I just walked the line and when my turn came up I shook his hand and looked him in the eyes and said “you so deserve this the way you treat everyone so fairly and decently “ and when I saw him go pale I walked away and never spoke to him again. Fucking creep.
Fine - I was only kidding - you are the hottest.
Hot PD, maybe I'm oblivious, but everything you describe -- dressing nicely and going to his investiture, congratulating him, and telling him “you so deserve this the way you treat everyone so fairly and decently" - seems very nice and cordial. Could you please help me understand the zinger?
12.09: As always, when a woman comments and and a man doesn't agree, you respond with sexual insults. Truly disgusting. Disagree like a person, not like a teenager on a street corner who has had no opportunity to know better.
Wow this is more than I’ve posted in three years. The zinger was looking him in the eyes and telling him what a great person he was and how much he deserved the appointment when we both knew he tried to groom me and that I know he had done it to other women and that he was a total creep and on the day everyone was saying great things about him I wanted him to know there was one person who knew the truth. Who knows how many women thus creep has taken advantage of in his current position of power.
@319
Hot PD's comment opened with "I've had judges hit on me." Not to mention that her(?) name is HOT PD!!! For heaven's sake, she says that she "wore a smoking hot short skirt and tight blouse." The comment invited discussion of Hot PD's sexuality.
Don't be a clown.
Every single PD client should have his case removed from this judge after her outburst.
She already cannot hear cases involving hollywood cops.
The outburst, of course, was premised on her inability to discern the difference between an English speaker using "you" in place of "one", which likely requires an IQ of about 105.
The APD said something, in the context of victim families addressing the court, like "I can take criticism of myself, but when you talk about my children...."
And the judge exploded, "I said something about your children?! I didnt know you had children!" etc.
The APD used the same phrasing again, talking about the inappropriateness of invoking "your children", meaning "one's children". The judge again exploded, "MY children! Youre excused from court! etc etc"
She's simply not a smart woman.
3:19 - I was just busting her balls. Chill - her name is "Hot PD". And she is obviously quite smart and witty - true hotness!
No judge is grooming any pd in the building. I've seen them all and I can promise you it ain't happening.
This week, Miami’s legal community lost two wonderful members to Cancer — Joanna Alemany & Eric Padron. Both died way too young. May they rest in peace. They will both be missed.
What 4:48 said. She has no place on the bench.
You haven’t paid attention then. At least one judge openly brags about his extramarital affair with a PD when he thinks he’s in the right company to do so.
I didn't know Ms. Alemany but Eric Padron was a former ASA and prominent defense attorney that was always a gentleman to deal with. I am sad that we lost another fellow attorney...life can be cruel, relish the day since tomorrow is never assured !
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