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.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

A LITTLE TRIVIA

UPDATE- THE QUIZ IS COMPLETE. Some of our readers have extensive knowledge and in a few cases they provided correct answers we were not thinking about when we wrote the quiz, including Jack Blumenfeld who added a third Dade Judge- Judge Dekle,  who unbeknownst to us went from the circuit bench to The Supreme Court.  There were also more Judges who started their career as law enforcement officers then we were aware of. '

One reader who didn't answer any questions grumbled that they were all common knowledge for an old-guy. There is a bit of controversy over a few of the answers including who prosecuted Jim Morrison from The Doors for obscenity. We always thought it was Al Sepe, but Ellen Morphonious has been added to the list, along with the great trial lawyer- the late Terry McWilliams. 

Only one reader knew Judge Ben Willard was the subject of a plaque on a small obelisk outside of the REGJB. 

The biggest controversy, as detailed below, is the correct answer to who was the first female Judge in Miami. We have always thought it was Mattie Belle Davis, but some comments listed Ruth Sutton who was a justice of the peace in the 1950's. 



A little REGJB trivia for some summer time diversion.

True or False?

A) A judge once tried and sentenced to death a defendant in the murder of a police officer within 40 days of the arrest.  T- Manuel Valle by Judge Morphonious. 

A1-Bonus Q- the conviction and sentence were obviously vacated. What new judge assigned to the case heard it and later sentenced Valle to death? A sentence that was carried out a few years ago. 

B) A County Judge used to keep a miniature electric chair on their bench.
FALSE. Trick question. It was a circuit judge who did it. Judge Morphionous. 

C) Dade County has never had an Asian-American Judge
False . Dominic Koo.  County Court. Quite a character.
There is a story about Judge Koo that probably has some truth to it. Over a weekend he was stopped for a traffic infraction in Miami Beach. The officer asked Koo what he did for a living and Koo truthfully responded that he was a Judge. The story goes that the officer responded something along the lines of "Miami doesn't have any chink Judges". And that Monday the officer, on an un-related case was subpoenaed to appear before Judge Koo. We should not forget that it was not that long ago that it was common to see signs in Miami Beach that said "No blacks or jews served here." 

D) A Dade Judge was a holocaust survivor.
Judge Frederick Barad, who once called a client "a no-good-nick", and had a noticeable German Czech/Slavic accent, was indeed a survivor of the holocaust. 

E)  The Dade State Attorneys Office officially investigated the Watergate Burglaries.
This is true and the investigation was carried out by famed Miami Dade State Attorneys Office Chief Investigator Martin Dardis. Dardis is a name that unfortunately too few people remember. He was one of the very best.

F) A Police Officer in Miami was a serial killer.
True. Sweetwater Police Officer Manuel Pardo.

G) There was once a murder in the REGJB.
False to the best of our knowledge. Lots of other crimes and assignations have occurred in our wonderful home away from home, but not murder most foul (although birds have been killed, so there has been murder most fowl). 

H) The current PDs office used to be part of a hospital.
This is false. Although Cedars-Sinai (now part of UM) was a hospital right across the street from the current PDs office, the office used to be the HQ of the Miami-Dade Police Department. The SAO was on floors 6 and 9 of the REGJB, and the PDs were on 7 (or was it 8?).

I) There was a football field named after a Dade Judge.
False (as far as we know). But there were/are the Arthur Snyder tennis courts in North Miami.


J) An MDPD Homicide Sergeant was convicted of murdering his wife in Miami.
TRUE.  Sgt Ted MacArthur  killed his lovely wife Pilar who was a popular Dade Correctional Officer. Ed O'Donnell Sr for the defense. Reid Ruben and Susan Dannelly  for the prosecution. 
MacArthur had an affair with a Miami Herald reporter at the time he killed his wife. He also had recently increased the amount of life insurance on her to almost a half a million dollars. MacArthur shot Pilar in the head, probably while she was sleeping, and then claimed she was playing with his gun and placed it to her head pretending to being held hostage by someone and pulled the trigger not knowing the gun was loaded. The forensics said otherwise. MacArthur was so sure of his acquittal he held a press conference predicting his quick acquittal. This is something Rumpole generally avoids having his clients do. 

K) A member of the Miami Dolphins perfect season team was prosecuted and convicted of cocaine trafficking.
TRUE. Mercury Morris. When he was sentenced, Judge Morphonious, who was required to impose a fifteen year minimum mandatory sentence, said "Sorry Merc."
George Yoss led the prosecution. The  conviction was overturned by the 3rd DCA. 

L) A former Dade State Attorney (not ASA) was once prosecuted by the office he/she ran.
TRUE. Richard E Gerstein who had retired and was in private practice  and an attorney/friend were prosecuted in the some-day-to-be Richard E Gerstein Justice Building for actions relating to their stop for a possible DUI, which included swilling mouth wash after the stop. The case was dismissed when "somehow" the discovery the state had filed and provided was not in the court file. WOW! Imagine that. Some clerk some where somehow neglected to clock in discovery that was filed. Oh well. You can beat the rap but not the ride. 

QUESTIONS

M) Which former Dade Judge represented a Florida Supreme Court Justice who was charged with drug trafficking?
We think this was Al Sepe when he was in private practice but now we are not so sure. 

N) Which former Dade Judges prosecuted Jim Morrison  of The Doors.
Al Sepe. Ellen Morphinious. Also Dade ASA Terry McWilliams who did not become a judge but was one of the finest trial lawyers in Florida. 

O) Name any Dade Judge who became a member of the Florida Supreme Court (we can think of two). Judge Luck was the most recent one.  The great Jack Blumefeld writes in the comments section that Hal Dekle is also a correct answer. We did not know that one. We were thinking of Gerald Kogan who has a Miami-FACDL award named after him and is one of the all time great people you could ever have a cup of coffee with. 

P) Name at least two Dade Judges who became a Judge on television.
This one was easy. Marilyn Millian, along with Alex Ferrer and Karen Mills Francis. David Young and Cristina Perreya-Shuminer round out the ones we are aware of. 

Q) Name at least two Dade Judges (current or former) who were police officers before going to law school. Ivan Fernandez is one. Alex Ferrer is another. And the late great Stan Goldstein was a motorcycle cop before becoming a lawyer, judge and then founding the First in the Nation drug court.  And of course Izzy Reyes, now in private practice, was a great homicide detective before becoming a lawyer and judge. The Great Ed Cowart and Arthur Maginnis who was one of the nicest men you will ever meet were also law enforcement officers. Add Calvin Mapp and Victoria Platzer and that exhausts our knowledge of former judges who were law enforcement officers. 

R) Name the former PD who ran for Senate in Florida (not state senate, but the Senate in DC).
Hugh Rodham, who's sister you may have heard of. Her first name is Hillary. Hugh's brother Tony, who also worked at the PDs just recently passed away. 

S) Name at least two former County Court Judges who made it to the Federal Bench.
There are lots of Judges who are in this category, including Judge Beth Bloom, Federico Moreno, Cecilia Altonaga, Joan Leonard (who we missed but a reader did not) and recently Rodney Smith, to name a few. Also Darren Gayles we believe.

T) Name one criminal defense attorney who without becoming a county or circuit judge was named to the 3rd DCA.
Phil Hubbard. 

U) Name the first female Judge in Dade County.
We think the correct answer Mattie Belle Davis.  However this is not without controversy. We have always believed it was Judge Davis, who was a complete Floridian. But some have answered "Ruth Sutton" who was a justice of the peace in the 1950's and was not-as is still a common practice- a lawyer. When the judicial system changed there are contentions she was grand-mothered in as a County Court Judge but of this we are not certain. 

V) Name at least one judge who was a professional athlete before becoming a Judge.
Ed Newman who was NOT on the 72 undefeated Dolphins, but does have a Super Bowl ring from the 73 Dolphins. 

W) Name the Judge who has a plaque located outside but nearby the REGJB.
ONLY ONE PERSON GOT THIS RIGHT- BEN WILLARD CONGRATS TO WHOMEVER ANSWERED THIS CORRECTLY. The inscription states (this from memory) "A man of the people, a man of the law." But it might also say something about "nature". Maybe someone can look. The obelisk is just in front of the parking lot across from the REGJB.

X) Name the Broward Judge who presided over the State criminal trial of a Dade Judge. Name the Dade Judge as well.
Apparently there are two correct answers to this. Our answer was Judge Daniel Futch, from Broward- a more ornery Judge you will never run across. The defendant was Howie "The Mouse" Gross, a Dade Circuit Judge who before Courtbroom, was accused of selling his robes.  Dade ASA Larry Levecchio for the prosecution. 

More Recently, Broward Judge Robert Lee presided over the trial of Dade Judge Reggie Richardson. Jayne Weintraub for the defense. 
Both Lee and Gross were acquitted at their respective trials. 

Y) Name the only Dade Circuit Judge currently sitting as a circuit Judge in another county.
Judge Lauren Levy Miller nee____ was a Circuit Judge in Dade County. She found love on vacation with a Dr who practiced in Collier County and she left the bench in Miami, only to snag an appointment in Collier County. 

HERE'S A BETTER BONUS QUESTION: NAME A FORMER DADE CHIEF JUDGE WHO LEFT THE BENCH TO TRAVEL (TO AFRICA WE BELIEVE) RETURNED AND WAS RE-APPOINTED. 
CREDIT TO PHIL MANIATTY FOR RESPONDING QUICKLY WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER- JOE FARINA. 

Z) Name the judicial candidate who ran for Judge multiple times whose name began with a "Z".
This question may not have been artfully written. While it is true Judge Zilber ran (and won), the question asks for a "judicial candidate" who ran multiple times, indicating they never won. The answer we were looking for was ALBERT ZEMLOCK who used to put up "Z" signs everywhere. He never won. 


53 comments:

Anonymous said...

All True or False answers are TRUE except for A); C); & G).
O) Luck
P)Marilyn Millian & Alex Ferrer
Q)Alex Ferrer
R) Hugh Rotham
S)Moreno & Cecilia Altonoga
T) Juan Ramirez
U) Adele Faste
V)Ed Newman
W)Manny Crespo
X)Zlock & Phil Davis

Abe Laeser said...

I guess I am much too old to play.
This is not history, but daily common knowledge -- way, way back when...

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For Z. You mean first name or last name? Zemlock ran for Judge multiple times. Roy the bondsman is his son.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For U, was Mattie Belle Davis the first female judge?

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For V, Byron Wizard White. You didn’t say Dade. Ha ha. Ed Newman might have been who you were thinking about.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For S, Rodney Smith and Fred Moreno.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For R, HUGHEY. While you are mentioning Hugh Rodman it would be nice if you posted something about his brother Tony. Tony was one of the nicest guys I ever knew. He was at one time married to Nicole Boxer (Sen. Boxer’s daughter). Tony was process server to many of our criminal defense firms a long time ago. Tony passed away on June 7th. He was only 64 years old.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For Q, Izzy Reyes and Ivan Fernandez come to mind. And for P, Marilyn Milian is most famous as she replaced Judge Wopner on the People’s Court. I think Karen Mills Francis too. Trying to answer without google. So may be wrong.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

For O, the Kogie Gerald Kogan. And did Al Sepe prosecute Jim Morrison? Just a guess.

Anonymous said...

All are true except A;C;G;
O-Luck;
P)Marilyn Millian and Alex Ferrer;
Q) Alex Ferrer;
R)Hugh Rotham
S)Moreno & Altonaga;
T)Juan Ramirez

Anonymous said...

(B) Ellen Morphonios
(F) David Middleton a Miami-Dade Police Warrants Detective was sentenced to death in 1997 for several homicides. He is incorrectly identified as a Miami Police Officer in the book Beware of the Cable Guy.
(J) MDPD Homicide Detective Ted MacArthur was convicted in 1993 of 1st degree murder of his wife, Pilar, a Miami-Dade Corrections Officer

Anonymous said...

(C) is false. In the 70s/80s we had Judge Dominic Koo, a Chinese-American, sitting on the Dade County Court. Only true RGB veterans would remember. Good judge. Gone but not forgotten.

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

7:38 and 11:36. RODHAM. NOT ROTHAM. He kind of has a famous sister. She ran for President of the United States. First name Hillary.

Anonymous said...

F. Manuel Pardo. Cop in Sweetwater.

Anonymous said...

P- David Young and Christina Pereya-Shuminer.

Anonymous said...

Was Manny Valle tried the second time by Judge Jorgenson?

Anonymous said...

H) The current PDs office used to be part of a hospital. - False. It was the Miami Police Department Building.

Anonymous said...

Z) Name the judicial candidate who ran for Judge multiple times whose name began with a "Z".
Zilber

Phil Maniatty said...

D-True-Judge Fred Barad
E-True-Chief Investigator Martin Dardis was involved in the Watergate investigation. My memory is not 100% on this, but I think some Watergate $$ was laundered through a Miami bank.
K-True-Mercury Morris

Q- Ed Cowart & Arthur Maginnis
T-Dan Pearson
X-Broward Judge Dan Futch presiding-Judge Howard Gross, defendant
Y-Lauren Levy Miller

Anonymous said...

O-Kogan and Luck
Q--Israel Reyes, Victoria Platzer and Alex Ferrer

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

Zilber. You’re kidding right. Zilber ran once and won. Zemlock ran multiple times and lost every time.

Anonymous said...

O) Name any Dade Judge who became a member of the Florida Supreme Court (we can think of two).

Gerald Kogan, Robert Luck.

P) Name at least two Dade Judges who became a Judge on television.
This one was easy. Marilyn Millian, along with Alex Ferrer and Karen Mills Francis.

David Young and Cristina Pereira Shuminer too.

Q) Name at least two Dade Judges (current or former) who were police officers before going to law school.

Calvin Mapp, Alex Ferrer. Victoria Platzer, Ivan Fernandez

R) Name the former PD who ran for Senate in Florida (not state senate, but the Senate in DC).

Hugh Rodham.

T) Name one criminal defense attorney who without becoming a county or circuit judge was named to the 3rd DCA.

Phil Hubbart

U) Name the first female Judge in Dade County.

Mattie Belle Davis

V) Name at least one judge who was a professional athlete before becoming a Judge.

Ed Newman

W) Name the Judge who has a plaque located outside but nearby the REGJB.

Ben C. Willard

Anonymous said...


Q) Name at least two Dade Judges (current or former) who were police officers before going to law school.
Ivan Fernandez and Jorge Cueto and Izzy Reyes

Anonymous said...

Y) Name the only Dade Circuit Judge currently sitting as a circuit Judge in another county.
Lauren Levy Miller

Anonymous said...

T) Name one criminal defense attorney who without becoming a county or circuit judge was named to the 3rd DCA.
Phil Hubbard

Anonymous said...

Now prosecutor VOn Zamfpt defended Valle after the orginal PD was due to get married and was unavailable because of his honeymoon.

the trialmaster said...

Q. Stan Goldstein was a Judge who was a former Police Officer. He was a great defense lawyer and Judge. Loved the guy

Anonymous said...

S) Hon. Rudy Ruiz also started in county court on Miami Beach, a.k.a. PIP Lawsuit Central.

Anonymous said...

U: Ruth Sutton. She was a Justice of the Peace and then, I think, got grandfathered in to becoming a county court judge even though she was not a lawyer.

the trialmaster said...

Judge Koo hated smokers and would cook his lunch on his wong in his chambers every day.

Jack Blumenfeld said...

D)I'm not sure Barad survived the Holocaust, but, I believe he was Hungarian and had been a Freedom Fighter against the Soviets. When he was a Metropolitan Court Judge (traffic mostly) on the anniversary of his naturalization, to celebrate, he dismissed all the cases on his calendar- a lot of pissed of cops;

H) The PD's office was not only the HQ for the Public Safety Dept.(now MDPD) but also housed, communications, crime lab, property room, homicide, robbery, the training bureau, and Station 2 (Now called Northside);

N- Ellen Morphonius along with the late Terry McWilliams;

o) Hal Dekle was a Circuit Court Judge (sore me in as an
ASA)

Q) Also, Stan Goldstein, Jim Jorgenson

U) Not sure who came first, but, Ruth Sutton was a Justice of the Peace in Coral Gables.

Anonymous said...

Who can forget one of the nastiest Judges to serve- James Rainwater.

Anonymous said...

2:40 p.m. Fred Barad was Czech.

Anonymous said...

Name the former private attorney who became a PD whose mother was murdered by a female clerk of the court----Hint; he was quite the character..

CAPTAIN JUSTICE said...

Ok. Rumpie. What’s say you on the first female Judge in Dade County.

Here is what I found on the Internet. :

Dixie L. Herlong Chastain: First female appointed as a judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Dade County, Judge Chastain was appointed to the bench in the late 1950s and served as a juvenile court judge until her retirement in 1979 at age 70

Mattie Belle Davis was the first woman judge of Metropolitan Court of Dade County, Florida. She was judge of that court from 1959 to 1965.

Edith Atkinson was the first female judge (juvenile court) in Dade County, Florida, from 1924 to 1932.

Anonymous said...

X - Broward judge Robert Lee presided over the 2nd trial of Dade Judge Reggie Richardson. He was acquitted. Jayne Weintraub represented him.

Anonymous said...

4:38, James Rainwater ordered a father to pay a certain amount of child support arrearages and the man said "But I don't have that kind of money. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip!" to which Rainwater replied: "But I can always put the turnip in jail!"

Kissimmee Kid said...

Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris (born January 5, 1947) is a former American football running back and kick returner. He played for seven years, primarily for the Miami Dolphins in the American Football League (AFL), then in the American Football Conference following the 1969 merger with the National Football League (NFL).

Morris played in 3 Super Bowls, winning 2, and was selected to three Pro Bowls.

In 1982, Morris was convicted of felony drug trafficking charges. After three and a half years in prison, he was released after a plea agreement in which he pleaded no contest to cocaine conspiracy charges.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Joan Lenard from County Court to Federal Court.

Rumpole said...

Yes I forgot. But I amended the post and included her. Well done.

Phil Maniatty said...

I believe the answer to your bonus question is Joe Farina.

Rumpole said...

I believe you are correct sir.

Anonymous said...

Former Chief judge who left and was reappointed-Joe Farina.

Rumpole said...

No. Trivia questions do not address old scandalous issues of people who have passed away who may or may not have had affairs.
Can someone explain to me why so many people who read this blog go out of their way to try and post scandalous comments about dead people who cannot defend their reputations? Its bizarre and cruel. I won't be a part of it, so stop trying.

Anonymous said...

I remember the Mercury Morris trial.

Seth Sklarey said...

Arthur England and Rosemary Barkett were also on the Florida Supreme Court and formerly served at the Justice Building.
Alan Schwartz participated in some Supreme Court decisions but was never officially a member.

First Meyerson as a Deputy Sheriff on under Tal Buchanan on the road patrol, and served as a Constable on Miami Beach.
Ellen Morphonios wasn't a college graduate but she did go to U of Miami Law School after serving as secretary to Ben Cohen who represented the S & G Syndicate.

Seth Sklarey said...

Murray Z. Klein finally won for County Court in 1984 after running 18 times.
P.R man Gerald Schwartz who represented Giselle Cardonne-Dienstag, who Klein defeated groused that the only reason he won because the voters got confused and thought they were voting for one of the 3 incumbent Judge Kleins.
Murray retorted that it didn't help him the other 17 times he ran.

Seth Sklarey said...

Correction: Art England did not serve locally and Justice Barkett served on the 15th Circuit in West Palm Beach.

Anonymous said...

Rump, you missed Judge Cueto on question Q as a former cop turned Judge.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mr.Rump, I would like to provide additional information for item F regarding the serial killer. David Middleton was a MDPD Warrants Detective who was very friendly with (now retired or passed), MDPD command staff. He was well liked and provided pressure cleaning, painting and general maintenance to a large number of MDPD command staff. His first crime was a molestation charge in MDC while employed as a Detective. He received a sentence which was considered lenient and approved by MDPD and SAO. Eventually he was fired. Jeff Kaye wrote a book entitled Beware of the Cable Man and has admitted that he was mistaken when referring to Middleton as a Miami Officer. His book is being updated and released as a second edition. Movie rights have also been sold. This is a link (which may need to be copied) from a LEO Affair thread. Middleton is on death row in Nevada where several of his homicides were committed. The actual number of killings in MDC and Nevada remains unknown.

http://forums.leoaffairs.com/showthread.php?685136-One-of-MDPDs-Greatest-from-MDPD-to-Serial-Killer

James H Woodard said...

Concerning:
G) There was once a murder in the REGJB.
Had you said, "There once a murderer that worked in the REGJB" the answer would have been true, at least one, a court clerk that was dating a well known private criminal defense attorney. Reportedly, he said he was unable to marry her due to his obligations to his elderly mother. To resolve that conflict, she killed the mother on her lunch break and then returned to the clerk's office. Might have worked, if she wasn't covered in blood.
James Woodard

James H Woodard said...

Disregard previous comment. It looks like it was covered.

Anonymous said...

Jerry Mosca. Quite a guy. Ended up committing suicide and was found in his car parked at the 3d DCA.