Famed South Florida Prosecutor Dick Gregorie is retiring from the US Attorneys Office this week after a career in prosecuting that began in the early 1970's.
While Mr. Gregorie spent most of his career with the Feds, he did a two year stint at the Dade State Attorneys Office where Janet Reno hired him because the Republican fed administration didn't want him. As we recall Mr. Gregorie's exposure to the sharp elbows of REGJB trials was a bit of an eye opener, and he didn't do as well as he was used to in the federal trials in the cultured courtrooms where the ceilings are twice as high. But then Bill Clinton was elected POTUS and Gregorie was no longer persona non grata at the US Attorneys and he was back where he belonged.
As this Herald article points out, Gregorie prosecuted Pablo Escobar, Manuel Noriega, and a score of other drug and money laundering cases (including an unfortunate couple of cases against Miami Defense attorneys gone bad). As Jose Quinon points out in the article, while Dick Gregorie was a formidable opponent, he never forgot his obligations as a prosecutor. He was honest and a man of his word.
We congratulate Dick Gregorie on a career that made a difference in Miami, (having made the pages of this blog his career is now complete) and we wish him well on the next chapter of his life.
When you see something that is not right, not fair, find a way to get in the way and cause trouble. Congressman John Lewis
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Wednesday, May 23, 2018
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20 comments:
the trialmaster took Mr. Gregorie down in federal court many moons ago,
Weaver is a sycophant.
I remember when he came over to the SAO.
I hope he enjoys his retirement.
From the Daily Business Review: (on the Judge Stephen Millan story)
Members of Miami-Dade’s black bar association want Circuit Judge Stephen Millan thrown off the bench for using racial slurs to describe defendants and others who appeared in his courtroom.
The Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association also called for an inquiry into the judge’s rulings and issued a statement late Tuesday suggesting Millan was unfit for the judiciary.
“We fear that his judgment has been clouded and biased based upon his appalling racist statements,” the group wrote.
The release followed the judge’s admission he used a derogatory term, “moolie,” for a black defendant and later called a black family and witnesses “thugs.”
“A judge who refers to people as ‘moolies’ or ‘thugs’ has no place on the bench,” the association wrote in a statement.
“Moolie,” a Sicilian term derived from the Italian word for eggplant, is a racial slur for people with dark skin. But Millan used the word while scheduling a hearing in October 2016, according to an unnamed defense attorney who reported the judge for ethics violations.
That same attorney claimed the judge used demeaning language again about a year later during in-chambers discussion. During that meeting, the judge asked the bailiff to return to the courtroom and retrieve his wallet because he didn’t “trust it in there with those thugs,” according to the notice of formal charges against Millan. The only people in the courtroom at the time were court employees, corrections officers, the defendant, and the defendant’s family and friends.
Now, the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association wants the Supreme Court to put an end to Millan’s judicial career—a harsher penalty than the 30-day suspension, public reprimand and $5,000 fine investigators recommended.
“We’ve said it time and time again that the bench should reflect the community in which it serves,” said bar President Trelvis D. Ferguson, a partner at Cole, Scott & Kissane’s Miami office. “There is a danger of having persons who are making decisions not understand or relate to the people who come in front of them… The actions and the words of this judge are a real-time display of what we warned about.”
Millan did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Miami-Dade Circuit Court spokeswoman Eunice Sigler declined to comment and referred all inquiries to the JQC.
Millan serves in the Miami-Dade’s children’s court division, according to the Eleventh Circuit’s website. He rose to the bench after winning election in 2014 for a six-year term that started in January 2015. He admitted to the charges as part of a stipulation with the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates ethics complaints against judges.
The Florida Supreme Court has the final say on judicial discipline and can accept or reject the JQC’s recommendation.
The Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Bar Association argued the community expects better from those in public service.
“We cannot rightly refer to that recommendation as a ‘punishment’ without sounding sarcastic,” the bar association wrote. “It is unreasonable to see how any person of color can stand before this judge and expect to receive a fair hearing knowing how he feels and thinks.”
JQC assistant general counsel Alexander J. Williams declined to comment on the bar’s criticism of the recommended discipline.
“It wouldn’t be prudent to comment on a pending matter,” he wrote Wednesday in an email to the Daily Business Review.
Meanwhile, the bar association said Milan needs to go.
“We’ve always heard rumors and whispers about this sort of thing coming from the bench. It’s shameful to have to deal with the knowledge that it’s not just rumors and whispers,” Randolph said. “We hope that when the Supreme Court hears from the people of Miami-Dade County, they will make a decision about this judge that is fair to the people of Miami-Dade County.”
Cap Out .......
I had a couple State cases with Richard Gregorie and he was as honorable as can be...and a good guy. Happy retirement
Did rump ever go toe to toe with dick the legend?
Dick has Noriega's hat in his office...what memorabilia does rump have that even comes close?
This conduct is outrageous. I was the PD in his court when he was trying a manslaughter case involving some heavy machinery. He had a hearing where he clearly lied to protect himself and his bailiff. Not sure how this was not reported to the JQC. He ended up having to grant a mistrial. Coincidentally I was transferred to DelPino where the case was tried months later. Incredibly, there was Millan watching the trial and engaging with the State and the family of the victim throughout the trial. I couldn't believe it. Bizarre to say the least.
Dick was a nice guy but wasn't used to the shock of the even playing field in state court and the fairness to both sides of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure so we taught him through acquittals.
That's totally inappropriate. It's lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!
Gregorie is vastly overrated. Like Pat Sullivan another lifer as a AUSA. When Dick came to the REG Building he got his wings clipped. Could not carry the briefcase of Eddie O"Donnell. Terry McWilliams, or Ed Carhardt.
My client was charged with aggravated battery w/ a deadly weapon in Judge Millian's division. Case lasted around 18 months. I was advocating for PTI. Judge Millian bent over backwards in pushing the prosecutor to offer PTI, including offering to speak to the victim. PTI was finally achieved. My client was African American. The victim was white. Do actions speak louder than words?
Pro tip for defense attys: anonymous attacks in response to a retirement post are super lame.
Your comments betray your own jealousy and inadequacy.
Lets not move on so fast from Steve Millan.
I will never forgive him for making me wait forever day after day in his la la land while he dragged his feet.
Totally incompetent to be a judge.
Richard Gregorie is one of the greats.
I believe it was the lovely Andrea Cunill in the manslaughter case for the defense. I'd like to file her briefs.
Kenny W loves his Tretorns!!! So Euro.
Yes, actions do speak louder than words.
Judge Millan has always been fair and willing to stay longer in court to finish a hearing. He always has been very friendly and respectful to everyone in his court. I for one forgive him for those unfortunate comments. They are more a product of where he grew up and hearing people in his neighborhood speak in those terms than any deep core prejudice. Give the guy a break. He has a wife and five or six kids to support. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
"Do actions speak louder than words?" They used to, now, we live in a post-truth world. We'd rather have a smart racist asshole with tight lips than a decent fellow who runs his mouth off.
Dick Gregorie was an honest dedicated public servant, whose word was good and who always did his best. I honor his service and wish him the best in his next chapter.
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