Joe Gersten is still down under, right?
I'll hire my pal David Markus to tie up the feds, and my biggest concern in the morning will be whether to go fishing or diving.
Speaking of David, he writes in his blog today that Judge Sydney Thomas of the 9th Circuit is being vetted by the White House for Justice Stevens seat. I find it hard to believe the WH believes they can get someone from the 9th Circuit on the Court. They'd have a better chance with whomever is the Judge at the Hialeah Branch Court.
Here's my take for whatever it is worth- Now is the time for Obama to get his "controversial" pick on the court. Now is the time to take a risk, as the Republicans see this appointment as a replacement for Stevens, leaving Republican appointee Justice Kennedy as the swing vote. This pick by the WH will not change the balance of the court; the next pick will. If per chance one of the court's conservative justices decides to retire, that is when the right will go nuts and will try and force the WH into picking another conservative justice. So now is not the time to avoid a confirmation battle by picking a safe choice.
Most of the current members of the Pittsburgh Steelers remain free of indictment, but that could change in a hurry. Some storied franchise, huh? Go Fins, and re-sign Jason Taylor please.
5 comments:
My number? $14,200.
its because you have no practice and are a fraud
Under the federal Adam Walsh Act, states have to force people convicted of non-sexual crimes, such as false imprisonment, register as sex offenders. If states don't add these crimes to their list of sex crimes, they will lose 10% of federal crime-fighting grant money.
Some states like Georgia and Wisconsin are already registering convicts of the specified non-sexual crimes as sex offenders and the registries keep growing.
See the article here:
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=476264
as linked from here:
http://massprivatei.blogspot.com/
He was enjoying his life down under as a barrister last time Carmel Cafiero interviewed him on TV.
From: Carlos J. Martinez
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 7:57 AM
To: All Users
Subject: LEGISLATIVE ALERT - CRITICAL BUDGET ITEM
Good afternoon.
This email is a follow up to our face to face meetings. By now, I hope you have had an opportunity to read the Miami Herald editorial opposing privatization of our office. The battle is not yet over. The privatization proposal is much more than a rumor. It is an open secret. Last week, I was in Tallahassee meeting with legislators, FPDA, and lobbyists regarding the proposal being pushed by some Miami lawyers to cut our funding so they can be paid for handling the third degree felonies assigned to our office. I am in Tallahassee this week.
The proposal seeks to privatize a substantial amount of our felony work and pay a private law firm to do that work, transferring a disproportionate amount of our current funds to do so.
This privatization proposal is the biggest threat the office has ever faced. If approved, it would result in massive layoffs, between 100 and 240 employees, depending on how much money is taken out of our budget. While I do not want to alarm you, it is important that you have the facts.
The lobbyists for the Private Defenders’ Clinic have been trying to convince Representative David Rivera to file a last-minute proposal during budget negotiations. We have been fighting to prevent that from happening, and if it happens, from being approved. The Florida Bar, Florida Public Defender Association and Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers are actively lobbying against the proposal. The Dade County Bar Association, Florida Public Defender Association, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers-Miami have also unanimously passed resolutions opposing the proposal.
I met with Representative Rivera and explained why it’s a bad idea for our employees, clients, residents and the court system:
· The government bailout of private lawyers will not save one cent of taxpayer money.
· It’s a bad deal for taxpayers. It’s a waste of money.
· It’s bad public policy to have no bid contracts.
· Don’t fix what is not broken.
· We do it cheaper - $125-150 per case vs. $300-700 - with better quality.
· Cutting our budget would adversely impact our ability to provide quality representation in more serious felony cases.
· It will require massive layoffs.
Right now, Representative Rivera is the key person on this issue. Many of you live in the Representative’s current or possibly future district (zip codes 33014, 33015, 33016, 33018, 33030, 33031, 33032, 33033, 33034, 33035, 33157, 33166, 33170, 33175, 33176, 33177, 33178, 33182, 33183, 33184, 33185, 33186, 33187, 33189, 33190, 33193, 33194).
IF YOU THINK THE PRIVATIZATION PROPOSAL AND RELATED BUDGET CUT AFFECTS YOU AND WISH TO CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE RIVERA (850-488-7897) OR YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE OR SENATOR TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION, PLEASE DO NOT USE STATE RESOURCES (TELEPHONE, COMPUTER, EMAIL, ETC.) TO CONTACT THEM.
If you plan to call, know that personal stories are the most effective. Do not expect to speak to the legislator when you call. You can inform staff about your position.
Some tips if you decide to contact a legislator:
1. Keep the message short and to the point.
2. Start with your position (“I’m against” or “I’m in favor” of cutting the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s office budget to enrich private lawyers).
3. State your personal situation.
4. Ask staff to inform your legislator that you want the legislator to fight for your position.
5. Be polite; do not argue.
Thanks,
Carlos
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