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.

Friday, November 07, 2025

CHASING SHADOWS

 This NY times article about a senate investigation of federal judges who responded to a NY Times inquiry about the Supreme Court's shadow docket caught our attention. 

The Republicans are going after federal judges who had the temerity to criticize the nine members of the highest court in the land. Impeachments may follow. 

Why did this catch our attention? Because of the renewed grumbling at 1350 NW 12th avenue about your humble blogger. 

"Something should be done"; "file a bar complaint"; "have you read what he wrote in the comments about our office?"

The third comment irks us the most. WE DO NOT WRITE THE COMMENTS, GENIUS. Others do. You might want to thank us for letting you know how lowly your office is viewed. 

Back to the federal judges, who we now, uncharacteristically find ourselves sympathizing with.  Fear not, denizens of courtrooms with ultra-high ceilings, we feel your pain. And we (you members of the judiciary and us- your blogger) are in good company.  Forty-six different aliases were used by commentators /authors of the federalist papers. And if Publius was good enough for Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, then Rumpole suits us just fine. There is a long tradition of using pen-names to spark discussions about issues, The practice pre-dates the republic. So to you ASAs grumbling about us: as James Madison would say: stuff it!

And if you would like to learn more about the Supreme Court's shadow docket, then our own modern-day Federalist Judge Milton Hirsch will be giving a CLE zoom lecture about this very topic. His latest constitutional calendar on Milton's Paradise Lost...Guy de Maupassant... Ernie Banks...Mark Twain...Ulysses Grant, had this missive about an upcoming CLE. 

On an unrelated note: Although the Supreme Court normally rises on or before the July 4 holiday and doesn't reconvene till the first Monday in October, this past summer saw a torrent of path-breaking opinions (and "shadow docket" orders without opinions).  I'm doing a one-hour Zoom CLE on those cases at lunchtime next Thursday, Nov. 13.  If you need an hour of CLE, you can get it painlessly from the safety, comfort, and convenience of your own chair and computer.  Here's the link: https://mbba.wildapricot.org/event-6409682


So there you have it. A defense of pseudonyms. 


A Pennsylvania Farmer 


(the pseudonym of federalist John Dickinson - one of our favourite Founding Father). 



16 comments:

Sir Wilfred said...

When you retire the blog, may I suggest that you continue to keep your identity a secret. It would be more fun if not intriguing that way. Also you would avoid the slings and arrows of outrageous anonymous comments . Continue to be Mark Twain not Samuel Clemens

Anonymous said...

Wasn’t the pen name Pro Publius ?

Rumpole said...

I kinda have a plan. It involves retiring from the bar so I don’t have to answer complaints. But you know what Mike Tyson said. Everyone has a plan until they get punched. We shall see. My inclination is to do some sort of reveal. But maybe not.

Anonymous said...

A Bar complaint on a an anonymous blog?

Anonymous said...

Does Mike Catalano still practice? I never see him anymore? He is truly one of the GREATS.

Anonymous said...

SAO is butt hurt? 😢

Anonymous said...

Don't do it. We didn't need to know who deep throat was until decades after Watergate.

Anonymous said...

I think you have to keep the blog anonymous when you hand it off it at all possible. For the reasons you state, a Justice Building Blog run by a publicly unmasked lawyer would not be the same product and is very unlikely to live up to the legacy of what you built. Hopefully some good Publix’s-minded soul will

Anonymous said...

Publius minded soul will reach out to you.

Anonymous said...

👍 whatever SAO. So sorry the truth hurts.

Anonymous said...

Rump never answer to no one!

Anonymous said...

Well the ASA’s at 1350 NW 12 AVE MUST HAVE FAILED CONSTITUTIONAL LAW!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the Academy at 1350 NW 12th Ave, has omitted The Constitution of The United States from its “smart justice” curriculum. I humbly suggest a refresher course.

The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)
Amendment 1: Guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.
Amendment 2: Protects the right to keep and bear arms.
Amendment 3: Prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes.
Amendment 4: Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires a warrant based on probable cause.
Amendment 5: Outlines rights in criminal cases, including grand jury indictment, protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and guarantees due process and just compensation for private property taken for public use.
Amendment 6: Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and the right to a lawyer.
Amendment 7: Guarantees the right to a jury trial in certain civil cases.
Amendment 8: Prohibits excessive bail and fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishments.
Amendment 9: States that the enumeration of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that other rights that are not specifically listed are not also protected.
Amendment 10: Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

Anonymous said...

More fun left unsaid, Phil.

Anonymous said...

Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts...perhaps the fear of a loss of power.

Anonymous said...

Jason Pizzo for Governor