RUMPOLE ENDORSES JUDGE LEIFMAN

Today, our favourite Federal Blogger David O Markus will stand in front of a Jury North Of The Border and address them for the last time on behalf of a client that has put her faith, her hope, her future, in his capable hands.

Every lawyer handles a closing argument differently. Some lawyers methodically take the jury through the case, witness by witness, highlighting the strong pieces of evidence, ignoring the holes in their case.

Other lawyers opt for the dramatic plea.

Mr. Markus doesn’t need our advice. His client has chosen her lawyer wisely.

We just wish them both well today.

RUMPOLE ENDORSES JUDGE STEVE LEIFMAN

The term vengeance is synonymous with revenge.

The candidacy Of Juan F. Gonzalez is a candidacy vengeance, racism, and hate.

Fired by Judge Leifman after a string of complaints and bizarre behavior, Gonzalez found solace in the arms of Juan D’Arce, who having been rebuffed in his attempt to shake down Judge Leifman for money, was looking for someone, anyone (with a hispanic last name) , to challenge Judge Leifman. He found his warm body in Gonzalez.

The sad fact is that in a sense D’Arce has already won. His search for a candidate was not a search for a qualified jurist; it was not a search for a lawyer who, by virtue of experience and qualifications would add to the county court bench and this community; it was a search for a warm body to make Judge Leifman miserable.

By any stretch of the imagination, Juan F. Gonzalez is not qualified to be a Judge.

He has done nothing of note in an undistinguishable legal career. This would not even be a contest (Think Ali over Quarry) were it not for one lamentable fact; Gonzalez has a name that makes him immediately viable. He could be a cantaloupe named Gonzalez, and he would still mount a viable challenge. His candidacy is a walking, breathing advertisement for merit retention of Judges (which we do not favour, but this is a wakeup call to strongly consider it.)

The sad fact is that those who vote for Gonzalez without knowing him, may someday walk into a courtroom and need a jurist with the intelligence, experience, and dedication of Judge Steve Leifman. We have represented enough people to know that when they walk into a courtroom for a trial, they don’t ask the ethnicity of the Judge, they ask us “is he fair?” and “will he do the right thing?”

Knowing the bizzare behavior of Gonzalez, his penchant for screaming at un-represented defendants, his delusional references to his part in the holy trinity, the answer with him is a resounding, unconditional NO.


That question is easily answered with Judge Leifman. Beyond his qualities as a Judge, is the extra dedication to our community that he has shown in addressing the problem of mental illness in criminal law.

In the words of Ted Kennedy eulogizing his late brother Bobby,
Judge Leifman is “a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it…”

Folks, this contest is a no-brainer. If our community cannot step up here and do the right thing, then we are in serious trouble.

RUMPOLE ENDORSES JUDGE LEIFMAN FOR RETENTION/RE-ELECTION.

See You In Court.