Fresh off the heels of becoming the number one blogging villain by virtue of our attack on the world's greatest human being, curer of covid, jumper and tumbler extraordinaire (and quitter) Simone Biles (see yesterday's post for which the World Court is investigating us for Human Rights violations) , the Miami Dade Public Defenders have stuck it to Regional Counsel and the defense bar by TERMINATING their ability to use the PD video conferencing facilities to speak with their clients.
Gone are the heady days of cooperation when attorneys, PDs, Regional Counsel (counselites?) lawyers, and private attorneys could coast into lot 26, stroll down a few blocks, and hop into the PDs office and confer with their client's via video. Less traffic on the roads. Less carbon emissions and a partial end to global warming; communications at the speed light, less crowding at the jails, better client communications- let's all sing Kumbaya!
Alas, all good things must come to an end. Guideline deviations for drug addiction; that weird trial prep program Chief Judge Farina installed that lasted all of two weeks; back-up court; that hot dog vendor on the corner that kept a couple of cold ones on ice for jury deliberations that ran late- all gone. And now the PDs have pulled the plug on the use of their plush offices for video conferences with their clients.
From an email from some PD chief ( as Judge Moreno used to say when he was in circuit court: "too many chiefs, not enough Indians" - but now of course he would say 'Native Americans' ) :
Last April, to provide Regional Counsel (RC3) and private defense attorneys (PAs) [Rumpole notes- if we are going full acronym, shouldn't it be PDAs? or is that too much like PDs?] the ability to conduct in-custody client video interviews, we implemented a process through which PAs and RC3 could schedule and conduct video interviews of their in-custody clients through the PD’s office and use office video equipment. Although providing this service increased the workload of PD support staff at a time when we had fewer staff, the Public Defender felt it was critically important that incarcerated individuals not represented by our office had a way to be interviewed by their attorneys during the Covid pandemic. Since MDCR is providing the option of conducting video interviews via MDCR’s “PTDC Video Visitation Center” (Visitation Center), and because we are trying to reduce the number of people entering our office to guard against Covid, we are suspending the use of our office for PA and RC3 in-custody video client interviews effective August 16, 2021.
MDCR has indicated to us that you can register to use the Visitation Center and schedule appointments through this MDCR website link: https://www8.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1479236266010643.
The hours of operation for the Visitation Center are Monday through Friday, from 8 A.M. until 2 P.M. There is no fee for the use of the Visitation Center.
For additional information, contact the Visitation Center at 786-263-4118.
Thank you.
Richard M. De Maria
Executive Chief Assistant Public Defender for Administration
Oh this is going to be good. Just register with Miami Dade Corrections. What could be easier?
"Hi, I'd like to schedule a video conference"
"Welcome to Miami Dade Corrections, please listen closely as our menu has recently changed.... if you'd like to hear our address, press 1... (several minutes later) if you'd like to report an inmate being sick, press 87; ... (several minutes later) if you'd like to report your client being beaten senseless by a corrections officer press 145... (several minutes later) if you'd like to schedule a video conference please register on the web at www.miamidade....
'click' "
Deep breath
"Hi I'd like to schedule a video conference"
"Have you listened to our options at the start of this call?"
"Yes but when it got to the website I was discon...."
"Please hold....'click' "
[Defense attorney gets in car and drives to jail]
"Hi I'd like to schedule a video conference"
"Sure but you have to call to set it up"
"I did but I got disconnected"
"Well, let me give you the number....hang on a moment....(take a phone call) "Pizza? I thought we were doing tacos. No? Ok, how about burgers? Well, I do not want Pizza...hang on there is an emergency on four.....hello? Yeah, what's the problem? Well just lock him in his cell, duh.....hello? Yeah I'm back. How about Chinese? Ok, great, the honey chicken, and two egg rolls. Thanks. Sir- can you have a seat over there? We have shift change and count for the next two hours and when we are done I will gladly assist you."
Yeah, this is going to work out great.
