JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL RICHARD E GERSTEIN JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE BUILDING RUMOR, HUMOR, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT AND BETWEEN THE JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT STAFF, CLERKS, COURT REPORTERS, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO LABOR IN THE WORLD OF MIAMI'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE. POST YOUR COMMENTS, OR SEND RUMPOLE A PRIVATE EMAIL AT HOWARDROARK21@GMAIL.COM. Winner of the prestigious Cushing Left Anterior Descending Artery Award.

Friday, April 30, 2010

FIRDAY ELECTION FINAL

RUMPOLE UPDATE: JOHNSON RETIRES AT 11:59!!!!!!! Rodriguez-Chomat is a judge.
(we told you there would be a surprise.)

BROWARD CRAZINESS CONTINUES: SEIDMAN SWITCHES FROM LEBOW TO PERLMAN- ALEMAN GONE FOREVER!! Perlman now has opposition from "six shooter" Seidman.


THE CAPTAIN REPORTS
:


ELECTION CENTRAL ……

THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED & WE HAVE OUR WINNERS:

These lucky winners have been RE-ELECTED to a six year term on the Circuit Court bench and an annual salary of $145,000. They are:



Group 03 John Schlesinger
Group 10 Scott Bernstein
Group 12 Bertila Soto
Group 20 John Thornton, Jr.
Group 26 Scott Silverman
Group 28 Jennifer Bailey
Group 30 Rosa Rodriguez
Group 32 Barbara Areces
Group 34 Gill Freeman
Group 40 William Thomas
Group 52 Michael Genden
Group 59 Nushin Sayfie
Group 73 Julio Jimenez
Group 74 George Sarduy


Congratulations are in order to Milt Hirsch who has been elected, without opposition. Milt will earn the title Circuit Court Judge on January 3, 2011.

Our contested elections:

Group 39

UPDATE - UPDATE - THANK YOU TO OUR POSTERS

Judge Johnson withdrew his qualifying papers. Therefore, in a matters of minutes, Rodriguez-Chomat, is now Circuit Court Judge-Elect.


Judge William Johnson drew an opponent, (as we reported here FIRST yesterday). He is Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat. Rodriguez Chomat was born in Havana, Cuba in 1945 and he is 65 years old. If he wins, he will be a one term Judge; (unless they change the age limit). Jorge served in the Florida House, winning a seat in 1994 over Matilde Aguirre. He won 51% of that vote (3,928 to 3,731). He was re-elected to the House in 1996 without opposition.

In the Spring of 1998, while in Tallahassee during the legislative session, Rodriguez-Chomat became famous for picking a fight on the House floor. On April 13, 1998, Chomat scuffled with Rep. Carlos Valdes. Chomat approached Valdes on the House floor, “started insulting him, then grabbed his tie and the scuffle was on”. The debate that led to the fight was over whether to give people vouchers to send their children to private schools. Valdes supported the plan and Chomat opposed it.

That public “Tussle in Tally” may have led to Rodriguez-Chomat losing his House seat as he went down in defeat in the Republican primary in 1998 to Gaston Cantens with Cantens garnering 52% of the vote (2,592 to 2,370).

As I reported yesterday, Rodriguez-Chomat has been a member of The Florida Bar for 35 years.

Judge William Johnson sits in the Juvenile Division. He is 62 years old; so this will be his last term if he is elected. He was a Judge of the Compensation Claims Court for 20 years, from 1977-1997. He was then appointed to the Circuit Court bench by Governor “Walkin” Lawton Chiles. He won a full term in 1998 when he ran unopposed. He was re-elected in 2004, again without opposition. This will be his first contested election.

GROUP 45 This race pits Incumbent Judge Peter Adrien against challenger Samantha Ruiz Cohen.

GROUP 62 This race has two newcomers vying for the six year seat as the result of the retirement of Judge Paul Siegel. Monica Gordo will face Robert Kuntz on August 24, 2010.

IN COUNTY COURT:

These lucky winners have been RE-ELECTED to a six year term on the County Court bench and an annual salary of $137,000. They are:

Group 05 Fred Seraphin
Group 15 Judy Rubenstein
Group 20 Beth Bloom

Group 23 Carroll Kelly
Group 31 Lisa Walsh
Group 34 Rodney Smith
Group 35 Wendell Graham

Our contested elections:

GROUP 07 Incumbent Judge Edward Newman faces challenger Manuel Alvarez

GROUP 11 Incumbent Judge Flora Seff faces challenger Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson

AND NORTH OF THE BORDER …..


UPDATE - UPDATE - AND CORRECTION

Lee Jay Seidman pulled an 11:59 am on Sandy and she now has opposition. So, we now have 11 contested Circuit Court races and Sandy will be working the Borscht Belt all summer long (from Century Village in Deerfield to Century Village in Pembroke Pines).


At last count, there are 10 Incumbent Circuit Court Judges that will face opposition. In “Milt Hirsch” fashion, Sandra “Sandy” Perlman gets elected to a Circuit Court seat without opposition when Incumbent Judge Cheryl Aleman disappears and does not file for re-election. Perlman, a PD, had several earlier face-offs with Aleman. First, during a First Degree Murder trial when Perlman moved to recuse her. Second, after Aleman tried to hold Perlman in Contempt of Court. And finally, they squared off before the JQC. Looks like Perlman has won Round Four without throwing a punch. Congrats to Sandy.

Also in Circuit Court, County Judge Lee Jay Seidman has filed today against Circuit Court Judge Susan Lebow. That makes it a three-way race with Jill Rafilovich joining the party.

In County Court, there will be a total of nine contested elections. Five Incumbents face opposition and two of the races have three candidates.

GOOD LUCK TO THEM ALL.

CAPTAIN OUT ……..

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

heard that johnson retired leaving Rodriguez-Chomat as the winner of the circuit seat

Anonymous said...

FYI> Judge William Johnson withdrew from the race and retired at 1159am! Judge Rodriguez-Chomat in one fell swoop!! WOW

Batman said...

That was a smart move by Johnson. If he lost he could not sit as a retired judge. It also could have severely impacted his retirement benefits. It is too bad he did not make that decision yesterday so other candidates could have had a shot at the seat.

Anonymous said...

KABLAMMY KABLOOEY
IM A WINNER WITH SARUDY!!!!

MILT said...

MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT MILT

Anonymous said...

Lisa Walsh is a hottie!

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

Hey Rumpole ...

Did Lee Jay Seidman pull a "Lori Schwartz Feiler" here.

Didn't she drop out of her County Court race and file at the last minute for a Circuit Court seat - only to lose - but then - by virtue of her "retirement" from the County Court - even though the voters threw her out - she still was eligible to sit as a "retired" Judge.

And she did, for many years, until becoming a "day-trader" out in Colorado.

Did I get those facts about right ???

Cap Out ...

Anonymous said...

All you judges who took our money and did not get opposition, take a page from De la O and give all the money back. No pro-rated crap. Send it all back.

Batman said...

Actually Cap you are wrong. Feiler filed well in advance for Circuit Court. It was Platzer who jumped in at 11:59 and beat her.

Batman said...

Cap-

Also the rules changed after several years and Feiler became ineligible to sit. That is when she left and decided to spend most of her time in Colorado.

Anonymous said...

Now I dislike Seidman even more (something I didn't think possible). Sickening. Lebow, whom Broward desperately needs to replace, can continue dumping cases with impunity. Unreal.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

1994:

Circuit: 11 Group: 67

Loree Schwartz Feiler 58,911 (45%)
Victoria Platzer 70,614 (55%)

Cap Out ...

Anonymous said...

And Platzer has been a fine judge and Loree was a nightmare.

Loree was told about two years ago that because of a statute change, she could not work as a retired judge.

The voters got that one right.

Judge Chomat said...

That crazy old coot is going to be able to fry people. Run for the hills!!

Anonymous said...

That's just bull. A few names that are Spanish jump into the race and scare the crap out of good Judge's.

I wish Johnson would have hinted to De la O, he was leaving, I mean Miguel has a huge bank roll already.

Oh, well...

Anonymous said...

Big news:

Bertie Soto is giving up her division to be the big honcho and someone needs to handle her division. They asked for circuit volunteers and no one stood up.

They could not find a circuit judge so, guess what? One of the following could be full time acting circuit:

Mean Joe Fernandez (anything to get him out of kounty kourt.
Rude and Pushy Vickie Brennan
or
Really nice Darryn Gayles

Can you ever remember them taking a Kounty Kourt Judge and making him or her a full time division Circuit Judge. (Drug court is different)

One little problem, no matter what, an acting circuit judge cannot handle a murder one with the chair. (Well, actually, it is a stainless steel table with a big needle....)

Judicial Shumie Time said...

This needs to be said.

Johnson took the ULTIMATE SHUMIE TIME.

There. I said it.

Now I feel much better.

Anonymous said...

5:19

You sir, are an idiot. Judge Arzola just went from county to circuit.

Anonymous said...

Loree was a great judge. She had her moods and tempers, but she had no problems knowing and following the law, which is what we need in a judge. A nice judge who gives you the shaft coated in vaseline is much worse than one who has a bad temper but doesn't shaft you.

Anonymous said...

It’s a sad day for Miami justice when, Milt Hirsch, an attorney who told his client to flee the country to avoid trial and then lied about it in court when his client came back, becomes judge. But, Milt may not make it to January if The Fla. Bar sanctions him, as it should. He has a VERY serious complaint against him right now in the Tallahassee office – far from Hirsch’s safety net here in Miami.

Anonymous said...

Johnson's withdrawal was not filed in time thus he is still an active candidate and will be running a campaign

Anonymous said...

Actually, Loree could be a bit testy on the bench, but she was an excellent County Court Judge before the loss.

BTDT

Toy Story said...

Utterly fascinating.

Weird to see Johnson go though, but with his health, maybe its for the better.

Anonymous said...

judge milton

please suprise me and be humble on the bench.

Anonymous said...

the florida bar is a joke,,,relax milt...you're ok

Fake Chief Judge Joel Brown said...

I shall assign Milt to Juvenile Delinquency division.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 8:35, I’ve been following that case. Judge Thornton has before him a motion finding Milt in criminal contempt of a court order filed last August sealing documents. Seems like he’s in some more hot water. Let’s see if Thornton protects his soon-to-be colleague. I’m surprised this story is so hush-hush. Is everyone afraid of the truth about Uncle Miltie?

Anonymous said...

put milton in probate where he cant hurt anyone. this mans ego gets in his way at every turn.

Anonymous said...

There was a very interesting article in Sundays Washington Post, (DC) involving the AMA taking a stance about anesthesiologists participating in death penalty injections. The AMA is proposing revoking the credentials of any anesthesiologist who participates in a death penalty "process." Some opponents of participation argue that to do so would violate the Hypocratic Oath; first do no
harm. Proponents argue that participation keeps prison guards from causing undue suffereing in the process. While an anethesiologist can practice medicine without the credentialing, hospitals generelly require the credentials. Hence participation would limit the general practice of an anesthesiologist. I would imagine enforcement to be an issue as most states with death penalties prohibit the release of the names of those who "do the deed." However, an interesting debate is taking place in the medical profession about their degree of participation in the legal systems process of death by lethal injection.