BUDGET CUTS AND A GERSTEIN EMAIL

LEST WE FORGET

The Herald reports HERE about the State budget cuts that will be further affecting the Public Defenders and Prosecutors offices across this state. This remains an ongoing shame. The Vox Populi demands tough sentences in criminal cases and yet the Politicians balance the budget on the backs of everyone in the criminal justice system. We have written about this more times than we care to remember, and what happens? Nothing.


We’ll take our split out of MNF last night. Win with the Bengals, loss with the 49’ers not covering, and move on to next week. Dan Lurvey was a late addition to the suicide pool with a pick of the Bengals, as was 52nd Street Irvin, who liked the 49’ers who squeaked out a win. Sunday is week two, and we expect the contestants to start dropping like jurrors subject to premeptive challenges.

We received this email about an old post about Richard Gerstein. It is not likely to be read by many people at this point, but it addressed an interesting issue so we re-print it below. Richard Gerstein was, to say the least, a controversial figure in this town. Beloved. Hated. Suspected of many things. We seem to remember something from Janet Reno talking about when Gerstein hired her. Reno asked Gerstein why he wanted to hire her when – we believe it was her father- was a journalist in Miami and was highly critical of Gerstein. It was to Richard Gerstein's credit that he saw Reno's potential and started her off in a career of prosecution that would take her to the top of her profession.

In any event, our building is named after this man, and it might just benefit the new lawyers to learn a little about our legacy, should they care to spend a career here labouring for justice.


“JHQUINN” wrote:

I stumbled on this blog when doing a search for Joe Gersten who's office was across the street from my restaurant in Coral Gables and who I didn't like at the time. Now I find myself taking his side against the Reno coalition. Having left Miami in '90 I find a lot of these little anecdotes fascinating. Somebody should write a book about Miami in the 90s.As to Gerstein, before I knew the difference between left and right I worked a little on his campaign for gov, probably about '75. I held a fund raiser for him at my home and there was a wise guy there who slipped me two one hundred dollar bills. I stuck them in Gerstein's jacket pocket. A few minutes later he came back to me and handed me the money. he didn't say anything but I knew he didn't want to take any cash.Later we 'suffered' thru election night results in a room at the Dupont Plaze, the results are well known. I can't even remember who won that year.


Rumpole says: Have at it. Budget cuts and Gerstein turns down 2 C notes.

See You In Court, where we rarely get offered cash, and just as rarely turn it down.