The headline, which really writes itself, is "Will Thomas Collapsed!" but that would be somewhat disingenuous and unfair to the good Judge who otherwise seems to be in fine health.
Like the new phone book, the Dolphin September-December swoon, and Judge Thomas denying a motion to continue, somethings never change, and that includes the changing of Judges. When the music stops, here's what we know via an email from Judge Sayfie:
In a nutshell, the changes will be as follows:1. Division 8, currently Judge Thomas, will be collapsed, once he is transferred to civil. This will likely take place sometime in January. His caseload will be evenly divided by the COC among the other 20 remaining regular divisions.2. The 2 ROC divisions will be combined into one. Judge Rodriguez-Chomat will be presiding over the division. The current combined caseload is 369. This will likely take place during late January.3. Judge Mindy Glazer will be coming over to REG and be the presiding bond hearing division judge. This should occur no later than February 2, 2015.4. Judge Fleur Lobree (Division 3) will be replaced by Judge Diane Ward and the division will be relocated to Courtroom 4-8.5. Judges Gordo (2), Hendon (4), Ruiz-Cohen (6), Sanchez-Llorens (18), Rebull (19) & Fajardo (20) will be transferring out of the criminal division. Replacement judges TBA. Locations TBA.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.Nushin G. Sayfie, Circuit Court JudgeAdministrative Judge of the Criminal Division
Here's the way we envision our opening statement, sometime in January 2015 (remember our admonition to never set a case for trial for the first week of the new year): "May it please the TBA, counsel for the state, ladies and gentlemen of the jury...."
See You In Court.
More fun at the 3rd DCA:
ReplyDelete1. Milton Hirsch reversed for not granting a JAO on a criminal mischief conviction where there was absolutely no evidence the guy did it. Campbell v. State, 3D12-1522. That's a first for Milton.
2. Leslie Rottenberg (yes, spelled right) did it again. She had no problem with saying that a juror on a L & L case could be fair where the fucking juror was a victim of an L & L. Defense counsel used his or her last preempt and sure enough, Leslie had no problem with the lawyer being stuck with a juror who is married to a State Attorney's Office employee. Leslie, have you no shame? Suarez and Logue must have been sleeping that day. Gonzalez v. State, 3D13-1620.
ReplyDeleteTransferred judges;
Gordo- no friend to the defense but always pleasant and professional
Hendon-consummate gentleman, a terrible loss for the building
Ruiz-Cohen- like Gordo, strict yet nice
Sanchez-Llorens- Thank God, how ironic she's going to civil..Can she even be civil?
Rebull- eh
Fajardo- has some issues but those are easily identifiable landmines. I do fine with her and will miss her.
All in all, I think the REG building has had decent benches.
I guess some of the newly elected Judges will be assigned to criminal or the Juvenile with some of the Juvenile judges moving to other divisions. In terms of the way judges lean in a case losing Rebull, Gordo and Lobree wont hurt much. Sanchez-Llorens will screw up any division she is sent to and hopefully she will be assigned to the dependency division in Juvenile. I saw Fajardo over in family as a fillin and maybe she is going over there for a few years. Hendon is a good guy and has a good heart so losing him will hurt some.
ReplyDeleteThank heavens that Judge Ward is headed back to criminal. Terrible in civil.
ReplyDeleteHendon and Thomas are a huge loss. Fajardo and Ruiz-Cohen lesser losses and the rest is good riddance. Rebull and the Recently departed Miller are a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteHendon and Thomas are a huge loss. Fajardo and Ruiz-Cohen lesser losses and the rest is good riddance. Rebull and the Recently departed Miller are a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteWhy can they not all simply be nice and fair. Is this asking too much?
ReplyDeletePolite, nice, fair. Please!!!!
Let's pray Ward stays in criminal. She's the worst judge at 73 W. Flagler! She makes Hogan-Scola seem easy peasy.
ReplyDeleteWard's too sharp for the slackers and skeezy/sleazys who try to pull fast ones. Great trial judge, great to talk to off the bench and doesnt take any BS.
ReplyDeleteIt's so annoying when these criminal judges with little civil experience transfer to 73 W. Flagler. For the first few weeks they run their motion calendars like a fucking arraignment docket. Civil lawyers (who host judicial fundraisers and write big checks and walk the jurist around their big firms) do not take kindly to this.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance to Rebull. Don't come back.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the civil paper pushers are criticizing judge ward. She's actually a great judge. I'd be snippy too if I had to deal with all the whining, slacking and sleaziness that goes on over there.
ReplyDeleteWhere has the niceness gone? Really, why can't judges be nice?
ReplyDelete@12:01, civil lawyers are not real lawyers...how is that complicated Motion to Compel hearing working for you? The best part is when a civil lawyer uses the label "trial lawyer." A PD/ASA practicing under 3 years has way more trials than a civil "trial lawyer" that has been practicing for 10 years. Everybody knows a criminal lawyer is a trial lawyer, and a civil lawyer is just a paper pusher! Get a life 12:01.
ReplyDeleteTakes 20 Judges to do what Thomas has done.
ReplyDeleteRumor is that Hanzman is coming to REG. crimal lawyers may want to look at some of his appellate opinions.
ReplyDeleteHahaha. I was an REG attorney and left awhile ago to go to civil world. You guys are 100% right. Only real trial lawyers are criminal lawyers. However, the paper pushing is somehow more stressful. Go figure.......
ReplyDeleteJudge ward is one of the rare few judges on the bench who was a fabulous trial lawyer with at least 150 jury trials under her belt. Imagine what it must be like to preside over the bickering bullshit in civil where most lawyers would rather die than get up in front of a jury. Jason Grey
ReplyDelete"You tainted law enforcement, tainted the Florida Bar ........"
ReplyDeleteHere it comes, 3.
Ward is a very difficult individual. Terrible temperament. She is an easy target next election cycle.
ReplyDeleteHanzman is smart and cool but, do not come into his courtroom unprepared.
There will be blue skies
ReplyDeleteAbove the green and verdant plain
Churns will swell with fresh butter
There will be an abundance of sweet grain
And we will rise from our sleep
We won't have time to choose what things we'll keep
And rivers will all turn to blood
Frogs will fall from the sky
And the plague will rage
Through the countryside
I've practiced a bit in both REG and 73. Judge Ward might be a great judge at REG where, on most days, she listens to the same BS sounding calendar over and over and over and over again. Every now and then, a criminal trial or motion to suppress.
ReplyDeleteThe issues at 73 are much more varied and, often times, more complex. She has no clue what is going on and, what's worse, she lacks the patience to sit and listen. Instead, she gets angry and is unnecessarily mean and rude.
Thankfully, REG seems to want her back. Everyone wins.
Richard Hersch is coming to MJB.
ReplyDeleteShould be interesting.
I say bullshit on the last comment 10:54. I have appeared in front of Judge Ward many times in civil. I have won and lost but always got a fair shake. Just be prepared and honest with her.
ReplyDeleteI was before Hanzman on a dependency>criminal investigation and I found him to be a very good judge. He would be an asset to the REG
ReplyDeleteJudge Ward is an outstanding judge, who really adds to the civil bench. She reads everything, understands the issues, listens to arguments, and rules. She actually looks through files and manages her caseload, unheard of at 73. Thank God there is at least one judge coming who will balance the loss of some fine judges.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ward was just a lawyer, she was always the first to complain whenever a member of the Bench did not pay her, what she thought was proper respect. As a judge, she was fine for a couple of years. Now she's become a bitchy, bad-mannered, dried-up, rude and inconsiderate judge. The very thing she used to complain about. Talk about a hypocrite. She's going down hard next election.
ReplyDelete1700: First, she won't be up for election again. Secondly, I do not know what you do or have done in her presence, but I have never found her "bitchy, bad-mannered, dried-up, rude, or inconsiderate . . ." either at 73 or REG. She doesn't suffer fools or lack of preparedness well, but why should that be a problem or why should she?
ReplyDeleteThere are several no-nonsense judges in both buildings. The lawyers know who those judges are. Judge Ward is not one of those judges. She's just plain rude.
ReplyDeleteTake Judge Lopez, for example. Always thoughtful, always informed, and always polite. He makes smart decisions -- nicely.
There is no county court rotation. It's a myth. There should be a rotation.
ReplyDelete