Tuesday, January 06, 2009

ATTORNEY GENERAL GRIFFIN BELL DEAD AT 90

UPDATE: TRESPASS AFTER WARNING: SENATE REFUSES TO SEAT BURRIS AS MEDIA CIRCUS LOOKS ON. CLICK HERE. 


Griffin Bell, who served as U.S. Attorney General from 1976-1979 in the Carter administration, and was the dean of Georgia lawyers, died Monday at age 90.   Judge Bell, who served on the old Fifth Circuit Court of appeals by virtue of an appointment from President John Kennedy was a man ahead of his times. He was an avowed anti-segregationist and upon appointment as Attorney General he restored the professionalism of the department, making decisions without regard to politics even when they did not sit well with the White House. 

Rumpole notes: You just don't meet that many people named Griffin these days.  And Gentlemen who are lawyers like Griffin Bell don't come around but once in a generation or so. 


Rumors abound of State Attorney layoffs due to budget cuts. We well know the SAO's propensity to deliver bad news around the holidays. They seem to, dare we say, revel in it. 

The Broward SAO believes "Attorney-Client Privilege" means lawyers get preferential access to the Broward County Jail. And only that. Listening to phone calls between a lawyer and his client is AOK by Mike Satz and company. Lucky for us, Judge Lebow disagreed. Read all about on the Broward Blog here. 


Did anyone else find it a bit strange that yesterday the Herald ran a front page local section article memorializing Stuart Mishkin when he died several months ago ? 

Stuart worked more than 30 years in the REGJB. Not us. We are well beyond 20 but we are working on an exit  strategy. You can bet on that. Hawaii here we come. 

TEN BEST MOVIES?
Some guy named Stanley Fish has posted in the Times here his list of the 10 best movies. Double Indemnity is on the list. No argument there. Ditto Raging Bull, Vertigo, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  But the man lost all credibility when he included, we kid you not, Groundhog Day.    His Bio says that Fish is a Professor of Law at FIU in Miami.  That doesn't say much for the Law School. 

First of all Stanley, you don't have Casablanca on there. It's a perfect movie. And you left off The Godfather. And The Hustler. Really Stanley, stick to teaching torts. 

In our humble opinion, a great little movie, well done all around, humorous and yet touching on deep philosophical issues,  is Woody Allen's Crimes And Misdemeanors. It's worth another look if you haven't seen it in a while. 

Well, we survived Monday. See You In Court. 

22 comments:

  1. Rump, as many readers remember two favorite blog characters- Alan and Chris- left for a Department of Energy Blog in DC a few years ago, where they are known as Harry and Saul- two beloved Department of Energy employees.

    However, with the down turn in the economy, and the fall in energy prices, the Dept of Energy is suffering. Saul retired, and there is not much money to run the blog. So our question is - can we return as Chris and Alan the Weather Guyz?

    Today in Miami it will be a high of 81 and a low of 70. It will be partly Sunny. The extended outlook includes some possible rain and a cold front by Wednesday with lows in the High 60's. The Cold front with lows dipping into the high 50's with last through the weekend.

    Can we have the gig? We need the job.

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  2. I wouldn't be surprised that the SAO is considering layoffs. There is no budget and they have hired too many employees. In the old times, one or two prosecutors would handle county court calendars. Now, you see 4 to 6 ASA's in misdemeanor court. Now imafine half of those ASA's getting laid off and going private all at the same time to compete for the scarce dollars in defendants' budgets!

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  3. This just in- Obama Taps Labarga as Special Mid-East Envoy to Gaza. Details to follow.

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  4. Rump Rump- Fake Blecher is all over the Ft Meyers Blog (ts one of the few that will let him make comments) claiming that he made this blog and he can break it. He wrote that unless you give him posting privileges like the Captain, he will- quoting him quoting Robert Deniro:

    "I will take him down. I will take him down to Chinatown."

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  5. Now that cost of prosecution fees go directly back to the State Attorney's coffers, I'm surprised an enterprising defense attorney hasn't filed suit. It certainly gives the appearance of an incentive to file charges since "no action = no money".

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  6. Rumor has it that Labarga will replace Bill Richardson as Obama's choice for Commerce Secretary. Plus Labarga is rumored to be at the top of Obama's list of prospective Supreme Court picks.

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  7. Ned? Ned Ryerson? Lemme guess, you sell life insurance...Bingo!

    I can't believe u hated on Groundhog Day!

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  8. I didn't say I didn't like Groundhog day. It was amusing. It had a point. Thousands of movies do. It is NOT by any rational analysis, one of the 10 best US movies ever made. Maybe it breaks the top 500. Maybe.

    Remember the 1973 movie with Jack Lemmon Save the Tiger? Now that is an overlooked and oft forgotten great movie. A top 100 for sure.

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  9. Who's making Obama's cabinet appointments?

    Al Davis?

    Panetta for CIA - what a joke.

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  10. Why was the back entrance closed yesterday?

    Who will Antoine Walker hire to defend his DUI charge?

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  11. The back entrance was closed for a shot period of time to shut down the metal detectors so the staff could assist a visitor who was bringing in a gatling gun. During that time an elderly woman was seen with nail clippers and she was thrown to ground and the are was shut down for security reasons.

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  12. Oy. Top Ten ever? That concept alone is ridiculous. Agree with you Rump on your additional choices, but disagree with you on Groundhog Day -- that film is a deep philosophical meditation on man's search for meaning, dressed in the strict genre conventions of modern romantic comedy.

    It's "No Exit" with jokes (and Andy McDowell).

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  13. What a dumb comment to say that the SAO would revel in letting prosecutors go. It means a greater work load for everyone at the office and a bigger chance that criminals will not be successfully prosecuted. Yeah, I'm sure Rundle is eagerly awaiting budget cuts so she can fire line prosecutors.

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  14. rumpole

    Bennett brummer has moved his office from the Brummer building into his headquarters in downtown. He is a paid consultant for the dade county public defenders office. Carlos Martinez released a statement today saying that "... brummer was, and still is, the cornerstone of our office. His advice to me over the last weeks has been priceless. I cherish Bennett and he me." This whole thing is strange.

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  15. It just appears to me that the SAO seems to fire people around Christmas based on last year and this year.

    Can someone send me a copy of the Carlos Martinez email? Thanks.

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  16. Rumpole, at Tuesday, January 06, 2009 10:02:00 AM

    SPELL CHECK BABY!

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  17. Godfather I and II are top TWO ever.

    Period.

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  18. MSNBC REPORTS lawyer who received money for production of Shumie Time, the TV series from Fox, invested it with Madoff while he was waiting to build the production team, and lost everything. Now Fox is suing him, he is losing the production deal, and its a big disaster.

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  19. Rumpole:

    The Building Manager has informed me that the metal detector at the north entrance was broken for most of Monday and Tuesday. It has been repaired. The north entrance is back to normal.

    If there is a future problem and you have to enter through the south (main) entrance, the manager indicated to me that attorneys should show their bar card and you should get priority (although I admit that it would be a challenge just getting to the front of the line).

    Happy New Year to all.

    Rick Freedman
    FACDL

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  20. THE Shumie Time- Madoff issue is not exactly correct Rump. Like all sensational charges, there is some truth and some falsehood to these rumors. I would ask that you remove the comment until I can properly respond, which my attorneys will not let me do now. However, I did NOT lose my production deal which by the way is with Fox-Searchlight, not Fox.

    Thanks.

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  21. Stanley Fish does not “teach Torts.”

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  22. Stanley Fish is not some guy who teaches Torts. Stanley does not Teach Torts.

    Try Google. Or try reading the article.

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