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.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

CALENDARS AND FLYNN AND WHY TOUCHLESS MAKES US ANGRY

DOM is in the failing, Amazon-owned and biased  Washington Post with this Op-ed piece on why Judge Sullivan should dismiss the General Flynn case. Former Federal Judge and former John Gotti prosecutor John Gleeson has been appointed by Judge Sullivan to oppose the government's motion to dismiss. Gleeson was one of the most respected, intelligent, thoughtful and fair judges the federal bench has seen over the last few decades. 

Secret Message: Somewhere in this post is a snippet from a 1970's Ricardo Montablan commercial. Find it and win valuable prizes. 

REGJB CALENDARS
The county court calendar system, evolved from an inmates driving the bus scenario where county court judges agreed to set all of their cases, hearings, and trials in the morning so the misdemeanor practitioners could get back to their office in the afternoons to see clients (plus a lot of county judges were scratch golfers back in the 70's and 80's and that takes daily practice). So like Ebony and Ivory, the judges and lawyers worked side-by-side in perfect harmony. 

But things have changed. We cannot safely stream hundreds of defendants into the building every morning. Their cases need to be spaced out. Judges need to start setting calendars at 2,3 and 4pm and alloiwng defendants and lawyers to appeal by Zoom to resolve minor issues without coming to court. As one judge recently told us, the big issue in taking pleas by Zoom is...fingerprints. Beam me up Scotty and take my prints. 

In Circuit court we reccomend a transition to the federal system. Not every case needs a hearing. Lawyers will have to file motions, try and work it out with the state, and let the judge rule on the pleadings. Motions for continuances and to waive cost of supervision fees and motions to travel can be done in writing without a court appearance. The new normal is less people in court. As a side note, other than being obstreperous  and contumaceous, why do prosectors oppose motions to travel? If the defendant was going to flee he wouldn't alert everyone and ask permission. And it's not like New York or Los Angeles is Tehran or North Korea where there is no extradition. 

TOUCHLESS
Are you as fed up as we are with touchless ads? Who wants to buy a car with a touchless experience? We want to touch the car, sit in the car, feel the rich corinthian leather. 
Currently we are seeing ads for touchless pizza delivery, touchless grocery shopping (no squeezing the mellons) and touchless ordering on the internet (duh!). 
We get there is a health crisis. Stop it. The first law firm that advertises touchless consultations will experience our wrath. 

22 comments:

Loyal Robed Reader said...

Montalban = Corianthian Leather

What do I win?

Anonymous said...

corinthian leather.

Anonymous said...

Corinthian leather. That's a line that I will never forget. I still see him saying it in the commercial. Don't worry about the prizes, rekindling the memory or Ricardo Montalban marveling at Chrysler's Corinthian leather is the greatest reward.

Anonymous said...

"rich Corinthian leather"

Anonymous said...

"Rich corinthian leather"

Anonymous said...

Rich Corinthian leather
Sir Wilfred

Anonymous said...

Doesn't something just strike you wrong as you pen: "Former Federal Judge and former John Gotti prosecutor John Gleeson has been appointed by Judge Sullivan to oppose the government's motion to dismiss. Gleeson was one of the most respected, intelligent, thoughtful and fair judges the federal bench has seen over the last few decades." So, if he is so fair, etc., why is he being directed by the presumably fair judge to OPPOSE rather than evaluate and comment on the proper disposition of the motion.

DSW (Not the shoe store) said...

"We want to touch the car, sit in the car, feel the rich corinthian leather." Say it like Ricardo with the double rr's

Anonymous said...

"In Circuit court we reccomend [sic] a transition to the federal system. Not every case needs a hearing."

Smartest thing Rumpole has said. Trouble is, if you get rid of the hearings, JUDGES WILL HAVE TO READ WHAT WAS FILED!?! Oh, the horror.

Anonymous said...

cordoba

Anonymous said...

Oh that rich corinthian leather

Anonymous said...


Answer is "rich Corinthian leather". I think that's the same leather they use in my Hyundai Santa Fe.

Anonymous said...

The first commercial used the term “soft”. It was then changed to “fine”. Only later did he use the term rich.

https://www.libertyleathergoods.com/corinthian-leather/

Anonymous said...

The hay in Corinth must be full of essential nutrients and the hides of the cows that eat it especially supple.

Anonymous said...

Why is there no ....
FAKE REAL LOYAL ROBED READER?

Anonymous said...

Shouldn’t they lower Judges salaries during their time off away from court? What? Are they working from home for more than an hour a day and most days nothing? That money could be used to help the poor and starving.

Which Judge will announce first that they are donating there salary to charity?

Anonymous said...

I had a trial against Richard Sharpstein years ago - his closing was so good. He pretended to be a used car salesman selling a car - and compared it the DUI officer explaining the FSEs to the jury and responding to his questions during cross - it was so, so good. At one point, he said - "and look at that rich Corinthian leather"..."yeah, but I just asked if the car was ever in an accident"..."and the tires! go ahead and kick the tires baby!", on and on. Isi Reyes was the judge, the entire courtroom was smiling and laughing - including the prosecutors and jury. So good.

the trialmaster said...

I was lucky enough to appear before Judge Gleeson on both civil and criminal cases in the EDNY. Without a doubt the best federal judge I have ever seen. He knew the cases better than the lawyers. He did not tolerate fools who were not prepared. He had absolutely no ego, never wore a robe except in jury trials. Was courteous to all counsel. Absolutely the best to review and hopefully reject the dismissal. Barr should be impeached. He is the Orange conman's Roy Cohen. The only local judge to rival Gleeson is Judge Hanzman.

Anonymous said...

Pop quiz: Who said, when asked if he was going to leave the administration, said: "I’m still enjoying what I’m doing, there’s still work to be done. I’m still the President’s wing-man, so I’m there with my boy. So we’ll see."

Anonymous said...

4:07, the reason is obvious. There are already two sides advocating dismissal: the government and the defendant. The judge wants to hear the opposing argument. You do realize we have an adversarial system, right? Judge Sullivan doesn't need Gleeson to tell him how to rule, that's Sullivan's job as the judge. He wants Gleeson to marshall the opposing arguments.

Anonymous said...

What if the judges here were to appoint outside counsel to oppose nolle prosses, state-requested dismissals and state-agreed motions to withdraw pleas? It makes no sense to appoint Gleeson. If the government and the defense agree on something,great! More time for the judges to play golf or do whatever they do in their free time.

Anonymous said...

Would the FBI have charged Ricardo Montalban with false statements for falsely claiming that Newarkian leather was Corinthian?