HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY TO US

 It all started sixteen years ago today in 2005. Just a neophyte blogger, who was a superb writer and was and is a successful criminal defense lawyer who decided to blog on one of the most fascinating subjects we could imagine: the stories and people of the REGJB. 

Here is our welcome post from November 16, 2005:

WELCOME POST
Welcome to the Justice Building Blog.
My Name is Horace Rumpole.
We seek comments, rumors, and stories on any and all Miami Justice Building habituates, Judges, Prosecutors, Attorneys, and defendants. While we (the royal we) will not be libelous, and we will not pick on those not able to defend themselves [ insert your favorite judge here] , we love a good story about a Judge or lawyer putting his or her foot in their mouth. A juicy rumor that is not too harmful will also be posted.

The writing at first was a bit awkward; it took time for us to find our groove. We were surprised along the way as well. For example the blog became a place to mourn friends who departed. Family members wrote us, telling us they took comfort in the many memories posted about their loved ones. 

We've scooped the Herald from time to time, although we are most certainly not well trained reporters. We skewered arrogant and mean Broward Judges, and took pleasure doing so. Still do.  We've taken down a judge, shocked at the level of racism that populated his language and chambers. 

Along the way we became a small part of the Miami Legal Community, known simply as "The Blog". "Did you see what is on the blog today?" became a refrain we heard countless times in the halls of the REGJB. And that made us proud. 

But mostly we have had a whole lot of fun and enjoyment writing about the people and clients who populate a building that has been a central figure in our life. 

This is our 4,558th Post! Thank you dear readers for logging on and reading. 

 H, Rumpole, Esq., Blog Proprietor. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUMPOLE

It’s been two years since our humble blog opened with this on November 15, 2005 :

Welcome to the Justice Building Blog.
My Name is Horace Rumpole.
We seek comments, rumors, and stories on any and all Miami Justice Building habituates, Judges, Prosecutors, Attorneys, and defendants. While we (the royal we) will not be libelous, and we will not pick on those not able to defend themselves [ insert your favorite judge here] , we love a good story about a Judge or lawyer putting his or her foot in their mouth. A juicy rumor that is not too harmful will also be posted.As you can see in my profile, I have assumed the identity of that famed English Barrister Rumpole of the Bailey. The names have indeed been changed to protect - not the innocent- but those of us who still need to go to court from time to time to get our clients a bond.


Two years of laughs, and tears, and typos, and picking on our dear robed readers.

Regrets: we have a few, but then again, too few to mention. Actually only one- that several attorneys and one in particular have had to suffer the wrath of unfairly and wrongly being labeled Rumpole. The simple truth is that there is not one shred of evidence as to who we actually are, and to the extent our existence has caused any individual a problem, and unfortunately it has, we sincerely apologize. We never meant our enjoyment to come at anyone’s expense.

Triumphs: We think there were several. We brought the horrible treatment of Dade lawyers by Broward Judges to the table for discussion, and we think things have changed. We served as an on-line gathering place when we lost our dear friend Judge Manny Crespo. Readers posted comments for days, and we remain very proud that we could provide that for our friends in the Justice Building, and our friend Judge Crespo. Tragedy struck again with the death of Judge Henry Leyte Vidal, and again we gathered together as a community of lawyers, judges, clerks, and others and remembered our friend who had passed on.

We were very proud to promote Sy Gaer’s birthday party at Tobacco Road, which we think deep down many of knew was a chance so say “thank you Sy for being who you are” because we knew the time to say it was running out. And of course we again opened our blog to the wonderful remembrances of Sy when he left us earlier this year.

The most surprising post that we are proud of is the discourse between two legal giants in the Miami criminal law community: Roy Black and Abe Laeser as they wrote about their famous courtroom battle in our post entitled the Case That Made Miami Burn.

We didn’t take down a chief judge like the Broward Blog, but then again, we like Joe Farina and we don’t want to see him going anywhere.

We have raged against the unfairness of how Judge Gerry Klein was unceremoniously dumped after 50 years of service to this community, and we have reveled in pointing out the daily absurdities judges come up with. No motions for continuance at soundings being the most famous of the ridiculous rules we have railed against.

Along the way we have picked up a cast of characters, From The Captain to Batman and all the famous “fakes” who post.

From our famous Sunday morning football picks (and we have had the most surprising run of good luck these past two years. We challenge any football tout to pick games like we do, on the record and in public, and match our winning percentage these past two years.) to our political Friday posts, it has been amazing two years for us. We shall continue on this long strange journey for as long as there is breath in our lungs, passion in our heart, and a modicum of mediocre writing talent to keep our dear readers reading.

See You In Court. We’re the ones with the birthday cake.