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, June 25, 2020

MR 5000

UPDATE: Soto puts on the brakes! Because she is intelligent, thoughtful and respects science, Chief Judge Soto moved the Miami Courts back to phase one on Thursday because of the expanding virus numbers in South Florida. Phase One means that the courts will remain open only electronically via Zoom and otherwise will remain closed to in person attendance, so as to stop the spread of the virus. This is what real leaders do. They assess the situation and make a decision that is best for the people they serve. Well done Judge Soto. Well done indeed. 

We give credit where credit is due. In a triumph of ignorance over reason; passion over science; MAGA over medicine; and the Third Amendment's clear right not to follow medical advice, Governor  "Fire Fauci" DeSantis has achieved the landmark goal of over 5,000 Floridians newly infected with Covid-19 in one day. That's more than the average attendance of a Marlin's game in August. That's as many people as who attended the Trump rally in Oklahoma. 

What it is, is a tragedy of epic proportions. Healthy people are going to die. Some people, with their view that they have the absolute right as an American not to wear a mask have brought this on themselves. Others, who believe in science and social distancing have gotten infected and are going to die because of the idiot yahoos who reject science and reason and medicine in favor of QAnon conspiracies. You have the right to be stupid, kill yourself and die. You do not have the right to be stupid and get someone else sick and cause them to die. 

For those of you who believe in MAGA, that America is the first, best, and greatest ever, here is something to think about. Well over 100,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Thailand, has a population of almost 70 million people. 3,157 Thai citizens have contracted Covid-19 and 57 have died.  57 deaths- was a bad hour at the height of the crisis in New York. But hey, MAGA baby. 


REGJB Trivia: 
Name the first female judge to sit in the REGJB. 

24 comments:

Phil Maniatty said...

First REG woman judge might have been Mattie Belle Davis.

David E. said...

How about writing something about Judge Soto’s Monday administrative order transitioning us to Phase 2, making an explicit factual finding that we have met the benchmark of improved COVID-19 health conditions in the past 14 days?

https://www.jud11.flcourts.org/docs/1-20-12-Courthouse%20Phase%202%20-Covid-19-CONFORMED.pdf





Anonymous said...

Mattie Belle Davis

Anonymous said...

Judge Loree Schwartz Feiler?

First woman Judge at the Justice Building?

Did I win ?? What was the prize? Meatballs at Prime Italian?

Anonymous said...

Let's lock everybody down until after the election.

Anonymous said...

MAGA is not responsible for the COVID spike. It is a collective failure of our community. The biggest spike in Florida is Miami Dade which is overwhelmingly anti-MAGA. How do you explain that? Is the Miami spike due entirely to that one MAGA guy who parks his jeep at the Starbucks on us1?

But here you are spewing partisan lies. Its us v them. MAGA is responsible! Its the Republicans!

Pathetic scapegoating. Totally divisive. And most importantly, you are simply not telling the truth.

You are an anti-intellectual.

We are all in this together. We have to come together for self sacrifice. MAGA and BLM together. Trump and biden. The rumpoles out there hand in hand with the few gentleman left.

Anonymous said...

Judge Rhea Pincus Grossman?

the trialmaster said...

Mattie Belle Davis. Never was a lawyer but got in because she interned in her husband's law office. Sat in Kounty Kourt. Did alot of DUI's. Blue hair but a nice a lady and a trail blazer for females.

the trialmaster said...

Mattie Belle Davis. Never was a lawyer but got in because she interned in her husband's law office. Sat in Kounty Kourt. Did alot of DUI's. Blue hair but a nice a lady and a trail blazer for females.

Theodore Mastos said...

I believe the first female judge was Mattie Bell Davis.

Anonymous said...

Mattie Belle Davis or Ruth Sutton

Anonymous said...

Close the State until after the elections!

Theodore Mastos said...

Mattie Bell Davis

Rumpole said...

Pretty Sure the answer is Mattie Bell Davis, especially since Ted agrees with me. if he reads this I would love Ted to write something about what he remembers about her. A little before my time.

Anonymous said...

9:55
Miami Dade's Cuban Americans and Venezuelan Americans are fully MAGA adherence

Theodore Mastos said...

I believe Mattie Bell Davis was a lawyer, Ruth Sutton was the woman who succeeded her husband who was a Justice of the Peace. When he died she replaced him. When the Florida Constitution did away with the Justice of the Peace system all those who had been Justices of the Peace were grandfathered in as County Court judges. That is how Ruth Sutton became a County Court Judge. She had the best Mango tree in South Florida.

Mattie Bell Davis was a champion for the County Court judiciary. She somehow had the ear of Governor Ruben Askew and worked tirelessly for improved salaries for the judges. County judges were making $32,000 back in the 70's. She was a great lady and an early pioneer for women in the law. Back in that era there were only a few woman lawyers working in the State Attorney's Office. One of them was the mother of David Markus who looked at me as some green kid from Wisconsin who needed a Jewish mother. She was my mentor in those early years.

Anonymous said...

This whole Trump experiment was a wacky disaster. Can't wait for some other knucklehead to suggest a "business" man for president. Now that we see the results of just 3 1/2 years of this presidency, I have a suggestion for a Biden campaign slogan. Make America great again!

Anonymous said...

Wow. Do any former assistant public defenders have a chance with Desantis?? It seems every single judicial appointment is a former assistant state attorney. :-(

Anonymous said...

Definitely Mattie Belle Davis. She was like one’s grandmother, never hurt your client if you lost at trial.

REAL FORMER JUDGE said...

I love Judge Ted Mastos. Everyone loves him. He has always been a kind man and very generous with his friendship.

When I was first appointed as a young Judge, Ted was the one with a huge smile and helped me navigate for the first time in the Justice Building. As a Judge, he was then a defense attorney. He represented a true loser in a jury trial.

I have NEVER seen any lawyer do a greater Voir Dire than he did. The prospective jurors LOVED him and attached to his charisma.

I was impressed. His client walked out of the courthouse a free man.

Very few lawyers have what Judge Mastos has. Sy Gaer had “it.” Richard Sharpstein had “it.”

God bless you Judge Mastos - and thank you for your kindness. It has never been forgotten.

Anonymous said...

Mattie Belle Davis did not go to law school but was admitted to the Bar from her experience working with her husband in the law office. Back then in Florida you could be admitted to the bar that way. There are some states like Vermont and California that still allow you to intern with a lawyer and if you pass the bar exam, you are in. That's the reason the California bar exam is notoriously difficult.

David S. Markus said...

Ted's mention of my mom brought a smile to my She was an ASA in 1973. There were only 3 women in the office at that time-mom, Barbara Schwartz (who became an AUSA for many years) and one other who I cannot recall. Janet Reno was my mother's intern.
I was in high school, but I already wanted to be a prosecutor. I thought it was the coolest job on earth. She taught me how a prosecutor could make a difference in someone's life (both victim and defendant) and how important it was to exercise that power wisely. Mom would bring the files home and I would look through them and we would discuss the cases and argue about them. Mom would talk about the lawyers she interacted with and it was interesting to meet them years later when I became a prosecutor, and to see if my view of them matched hers. She always talked about "Ted" with a big smile on her face.
I also learned how difficult it was for women in the legal profession not so long ago. Mom graduated UM law school in 1955 at the top of her class and was on law review, but could not find a job because she was a woman. She pursued other interests and returned to the law in 1973 to work in the State Attorney's Office. Life had gotten better for women in the law, but they were not treated as equals. Male lawyers would ask her why she was working at all since she had a husband. Judges and lawyers who did not know her personally assumed she was a secretary. She was once held in contempt for wearing pants to court. But mom loved the job, and she passed on that love to me. Mom was so proud that I chose to follow in her footsteps. I have been on the defense side for 39 years, but I still think of myself as a ex-prosecutor more than a defense attorney.

Anonymous said...

@David Marcus:

Wasn’t ELLEN MORPHONIOS the other female prosecutor a
In 1973 with your mom and Ms. Schwartz?

Anonymous said...

10:23
I do not think so. She became a county court judge in 1971. She was there before my mom.
DSM